Video: Missing mom?s family releases video, texts

JENNA WOLFE, co-host: The search for missing Florida mom Michelle Parker continues today. Now her family has shared exclusive never before seen videos of her hoping for a break in the case. NBC 's Lilia Luciano has the story.

LILIA LUCIANO reporting: In the video released exclusively to NBC News we see Michelle Parker amusing her toddler twins.

LUCIANO: Here preparing for Halloween just weeks before her disappearance. Michelle 's family says the 33-year-old was working two jobs and attending beauty school so she could buy a house for herself and her three kids.

Unidentified Man: Any help, eyes and ears.

LUCIANO: Orlando police continue their search with the help of family , friends and volunteers.

Ms. YVONNE STEWART (Michelle Parker's Mother): We're out there pounding the pavement. They're still searching. And we're not giving up.

LUCIANO: But it's been 10 days since the popular bartender vanished, hours after appearing in an episode of " The People 's_Court," arguing with the father of her twins over an engagement ring.

LUCIANO: According to her family Smith was the last one to see Michelle when she dropped off the twins at his place. Police say the two have a violent history but that he is not a suspect. NBC News has tried to reach Dale Smith for comment, but received no response.

Mr. CLINT VAN ZANDT (Former FBI Profiler and MSNBC Analyst): This is a missing person case, but it's highly unusual. The circumstances involved, the television show, the relationship with her ex-boyfriend. There's a high probability that something suspicious had to have happened to this woman.

LUCIANO: The last anyone ever heard from Michelle was a one-word text message her brother received from her cell phone. It said Waterford , a neighborhood in Orlando . Something unusual her family says since Michelle 's text messages tend to be longer and filled with icons, as seen in this, her last text conversation with her sister. Her family also released a voice mail she left her father the day before she vanished.

Ms. MICHELLE PARKER: Hey, Dad , this is Michelle on Wednesday morning. Call me when you have lunch or you have a break. I love you. I'll talk to you soon. Bye.

LUCIANO: As well as photos of a necklace she was wearing. With these new clues and $50,000 reward the family raised for her safe return they hope to have at least some questions answered soon. For TODAY, Lilia Luciano , NBC News, Miami.

WOLFE: And overnight neighbors say SWAT teams tear gassed a home where Parkers ex-boyfriend Dale Parker lives. Police only said they are searching for quote, "a piece of the puzzle" on where they might find her. And now here's Lester .

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45452327/

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NCAA Football Rankings Week 13: TCU Rises To No. 17, Baylor To No. 18

By Eddie Maisonet - Newsdesk contributor

The Baylor Bears avoided the trap game versus Texas Tech and are now ranked No. 18 in this week's coaches poll.

Follow , and Like SB Nation Dallas on Facebook.

Nov 27, 2011 - The TCU Horned Frogs have proven that they can overcome losing a four-year starter at quarterback, losing key pieces of a talented secondary and still Gary Patterson's bunch is able to overcome and win.

TCU's reward is a No. 17 ranking in this week's coaches poll.

Baylor keeps on winning too, and after shocking the world with a huge win over Oklahoma they avoided the trap versus Texas Tech and disposed of them in a 66-42 offensive slugfest.

Their reward? A No. 18 ranking in arguably one of the greatest seasons in Baylor Bears history.

Here is the full coaches poll for week 13:

1. LSU 2. Alabama 3. Virginia Tech 4. Stanford 5. Oklahoma State 6. Houston 7. Oregon 8. Boise State 9. Michigan State 10. Arkansas 11. Oklahoma 12. Wisconsin 13. South Carolina 14. Georgia 15. Kansas State 16. Michigan 17. TCU 18. Baylor 19. Nebraska 20. West Virginia 21. Clemson 22. Penn State 23. So. Mississippi 24. Florida State 25. Cincinnati

Read More: Baylor Bears, TCU Horned Frogs

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Source: http://dallas.sbnation.com/baylor-bears/2011/11/27/2590236/ncaa-football-rankings-week-13-tcu-rises-to-no-17-baylor-to-no-18

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Bloomberg-Bayh bitches (Balloon Juice)

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Gingrich risk: Will the GOP cast its lot with him? (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Being a conventional Republican has never been Newt Gingrich's style, and he clearly doesn't see it as the way to beat Mitt Romney in the presidential nominating contest.

Gingrich, the former House speaker, is sticking to his call for lenience for some illegal immigrants, a stand that critics call amnesty and that veers from GOP orthodoxy. A day after he emphasized his point in a debate, his position drew both praise and condemnation Wednesday.

But there's broader debate within Republican circles, six weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses: Do party loyalists think their best challenger to President Barack Obama is a thrice-married, 68-year-old veteran of Washington's inside games who recently held a million-dollar consulting contract with mortgage backer Freddie Mac?

Gingrich is the latest Republican to emerge as a serious rival to Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is more popular with the party establishment than with conservative activists. Campaign veterans still tend to see Romney as the likeliest nominee. But Gingrich's long, roller-coaster career makes it hard to rule him in or out with confidence.

Gingrich seems to have become "the center of gravity in this very unusual Republican nomination contest," said Dante Scala, a University of New Hampshire political scientist. He said the former Georgia congressman might be able to unite very conservative voters "who want a fundamental change in the scale and scope of government" and "somewhat conservative Republicans, who just want to defeat Obama."

"Illegal immigration is Newt's acid test," Scala said, and tea party conservatives might be "having second thoughts today. Let's see if he can keep them on board."

Attention focused Wednesday on Gingrich's renewed call for pathways to legal status for illegal immigrants who have lived long, peaceful and tax-paying lives in the United States.

"I don't see how the party that says it's the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families which have been here a quarter-century," Gingrich said in the Republican debate Tuesday night. "I'm prepared to take the heat for saying let's be humane in enforcing the law."

Heat came quickly. "Newt Gingrich is finished!" said William Gheen, president of the anti-immigration group ALIPAC.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, one of Congress' most outspoken conservatives, said Gingrich's prescription "is a form of amnesty" that "makes it harder" to consider endorsing him.

King told reporters America will suffer "if we let the rule of law be eroded and we allow people to be rewarded for breaking the law" by entering the country illegally.

Gingrich allies noted that he doesn't advocate citizenship, even for law-abiding, long-term illegal immigrants. They say his plan is a humane and realistic acknowledgment that the government is not going to round up and deport 11 million people who are here illegally. The smartest use of resources, they say, is to focus on illegal immigrants with few ties to their communities and problematic records with paying taxes and staying out of trouble.

Rival Michele Bachmann was not interested in those arguments.

"He has said that we should make the 11 million illegal workers that are in this country legal," the Minnesota congresswoman told PBS' "NewsHour." "And he probably has the most liberal position on illegal immigration of any of the candidates in the race."

Romney, too, offered Gingrich no wiggle room. While campaigning in Iowa, he said, "People who have come to the country illegally should not have a special pathway that is preferable to those that stand in line in their home countries to come to this country."

Romney said Gingrich's plan would not stand scrutiny. "How about someone who's been here 20 years, how about 12 years, about 10, five, three?" he said. "How many children do you have to have to apply to this principle?"

"We make a mistake as a Republican Party in trying to describe which people who've come here illegally should be given amnesty," Romney said.

Democrats denounced Romney's position Wednesday. And some defended Gingrich, which may be of little help in Republican primaries.

"The truth is, he's correct," Rep. Charles Gonzales, the Texas Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told reporters. "I'm hoping former Speaker Gingrich doesn't start walking back from it."

Steve Duprey, a Republican National Committee member from New Hampshire, who is uncommitted in the presidential race, said he applauds Gingrich for tackling the touchy immigration issue. "But he's going to have a problem with the conservatives," Duprey said.

Some conservative journals are taking a wait-and-see approach to Gingrich's prospects.

"If 2012 were an ordinary election year, Gingrich would be doomed by his gaffes, three marriages and fleeting alliances with Hillary Clinton on health care and Nancy Pelosi on global warming," columnist Fred Barnes wrote in The Weekly Standard. But Republicans are obsessed with ousting President Barack Obama, he said.

"And if that means choosing a candidate with a lurid past and a penchant for self-destruction," Barnes said, then Republicans "are likely to swallow hard and nominate Gingrich."

Romney will keep arguing that he is best-suited instead.

___

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Iowa and Philip Elliott in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111124/ap_on_el_ge/us_gingrich_s_risk

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Engagor: Yet Another Social Media Management Tool, Or A Better One?

There's certainly no shortage of social media monitoring and analytics service providers out there, with companies like Radian6, Visible Technologies, Sysomos, Socialbakers and Buddy Media among those who get most of the attention. But the market remains young, and there are lots of opportunities for small startups still. This morning, I sat down with Folke Lemaitre, co-founder and CEO of Engagor, to see how their offering stacks up against that of its competitors. A bootstrapped startup, Engagor has managed to deliver a product that can definitely compete on features, pricing and overall user experience.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4fzrwVuwMng/

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Since Roger, Roderick, and Silas the Assyrian Assassin weren?t available? (Unqualified Offerings)

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Video: After super committee fails, Obama makes bold statement

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45407956#45407956

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Venezuela businesses brace for more price controls

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? New rules aimed at curbing Venezuela's high inflation by broadening government price controls will scare off investors and hurt consumers, the president of the country's largest business chamber predicted Monday.

Jorge Botti, president of Fedecamaras, said the Law for Fair Costs and Prices will spook investors looking for wider profit margins and cause shortages of basic goods because makers of numerous products will likely scale back production.

"It's going to create more doubts and uncertainty," Botti said.

He said sweeping price regulations applied to goods and services in every area of Venezuela's economy will inevitably hurt businesses already struggling with socialist-orientated policies established by President Hugo Chavez.

While price controls already exist for some basic foods such as cooking oil and rice, the law taking effect Tuesday will extend them to a wider range of goods and give the government more enforcement authority.

Government officials argue the law will help reduce Latin America's highest rate of inflation by forcing businesses to set retail prices at rates established by authorities.

Among the factors that officials will consider are production costs such as prices for raw materials and wages of workers.

Venezuela's Central Bank announced last month that the annual inflation rate had edged back up to 26.9 percent in October. It was 27 percent last year.

Government officials have set a goal of holding inflation to between 23 percent and 25 percent by year's end, but many analysts predict the rate could be higher.

The opening paragraphs of the new law state that unscrupulous businesses must be stopped from raising prices. It calls for government controls to limit the profits, giving that task to a panel of government authorities to be called the "Superintendence of Costs and Prices."

"The flagrant abuses by monopolies within many sectors of the economy have sprung up through the accumulation of capital from elevated profit margins, which prompt constant increases in prices without any other objective than the direct exploitation of the people," the legislation states.

Karlin Granadillo, a government official responsible for establishing and applying new price regulations, defended the law Monday, denying it would hurt businesses and expressing optimism consumers will see benefits.

"Economic and price stability is going to benefit everybody, including the people who receive the goods and services and the business sector," Granadillo said during an interview broadcast on Union Radio.

Granadillo said officials are not ready to immediately apply new regulations.

Officials will initially focus on setting price controls for food, personal hygiene and home cleaning products, construction materials, automobile parts, medicines and health care services before moving on to other areas of the economy, Granadillo said.

Luis Vicente Leon, director of the Venezuelan polling firm Datanalisis, which tracks the availability of basic goods and consumer prices, predicted the law won't tame inflation and cause shortages of some goods.

"All the experiences with unilateral prices controls have totally failed. There are no exceptions," Leon said Monday on Twitter.

___

Christopher Toothaker on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ctoothaker

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-21-LT-Venezuela-Anti-Inflation-Law/id-aa735ed35e764f63b33bd27c215bcd3b

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Who Won The ?Dancing With The Stars? 2011 Mirrorball Trophy?

Who Won The “Dancing With The Stars” 2011 Mirrorball Trophy?

It’s the finale show of “Dancing With the Stars” and we finally find out what celebrity nabbed the Mirror Ball trophy in Season 13 of [...]

Who Won The “Dancing With The Stars” 2011 Mirrorball Trophy? Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2011/11/22/who-won-the-dancing-with-the-stars-2011-mirrorball-trophy/

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Sweeps Roundup: Nov. 21-27 (omg!)

These are the guest stars and events that the networks have planned for the second week of November sweeps:

Monday, Nov. 21

8/7c
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
It's the final week of performances for the remaining three celebs: Rob Kardashian, Ricki Lake and J.R. Martinez. (Sadly, though, no Muppets!)

Terra Nova (Fox)
Jim uncovers an old murder ? and Taylor is the prime suspect. Plus: Dinosaurs! Rowr!

8:30/7:30c
Two Broke Girls (CBS)
Kat Dennings and Beth Behr get a break from those tacky polyester uniforms when Max and Caroline dress as department store elves to make some extra cash. Oh, that's really not a break, is it?

9/8c
You Deserve It (ABC)
Chris Harrison and Brooke Burns host this new game show where contestants try to win money for others. Who are these "others" that you speak of?

10/9c
Castle (ABC)
Beckett's PTSD symptoms escalate, but she continues to hide it from everyone ? just like her love for Castle. Squee!

Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)
Jimmy Buffett guest-stars as a veteran pilot (who eats cheeseburgers and has a pencil-thin mustache) who helps the team rescue one of their own.

Tuesday

8/7c
Last Man Standing (ABC)
When Kyle "accidentally" falls asleep in Kristin's room after a date, Mike sets some new house rules.

NCIS (CBS)
When Tony's dad becomes a murder suspect, he must work covertly to prove his dad's innocence.

9/8c
Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
The Season 13 Mirrorball trophy is presented to J.R., er, the winner.

Wednesday

8/7c
Survivor: South Pacific (CBS)
Catch up on the season so far with a highlights and recap show.

9/8c
The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now? (NBC)
See if your favorite contestants kept off the weight in this update on past players, which also features bloopers and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.

Modern Family (ABC)
Phil goes all It's a Wonderful Life when he imagines an alternate future, which hopefully includes both a robust massage practice and a professional cheerleading career.

9:30/8:30c
Happy Endings (ABC)
Rob Riggle guest-stars as an offbeat (but also maybe a little off) mailman who befriends Dave and Brad.

Thursday

8/7c
Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (ABC)
Watch the classic Peanuts tale in which Snoopy and Woodstock prepare toast and popcorn for their harvest feast.

Ice Age: Mammoth Christmas (Fox)
Thanksgiving is so 10 minutes ago; it's time to celebrate Christmas with this new animated special inspired by the big-screen hit starring John Leguizamo and Ray Romano.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (NBC)
Did you know that this time-honored kids story is an allegory for post-World War II relations between Japan and the U.S.? No? Well, it has a really cute elephant in it.

8:30/7:30c
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (Fox)
In the first Peanuts special produced without the involvement of creator Charles Schulz (ruh-roh), Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy try to help Linus give up his security blanket.

9:30/8:30c
The Simpsons (Fox)
When Homer and the kids aren't getting into the holiday spirit, Marge sends a letter to Martha Claus (voiced by Martha Stewart) to help save the family Christmas. Katy Perry makes a cameo.

A Very Gaga Thanksgiving (ABC)
In this 90-minute special, Katie Couric interviews the mercurial pop star, who performs eight songs, including a duet with Tony Bennett, and prepares a Thanksgiving dinner of deep-friend turkey and waffles with chef Art Smith.

10/9c
The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC)
Matt Lauer hosts this retrospective of the favorite floats and performances from parades past.Friday

8/7c
Shrek the Third (ABC)
Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots search for the rightful heir to the throne in this DreamWorks threquel.

Hoops and YoYo Ruin Christmas (CBS)
A bunny-and-kitty duo (perhaps you recognize them from their appearance on Hallmark greeting cards) become accidental stowaways on Santa's sleigh in this animated special presented by the Hallmark Channel. Synergy!

Iron Man (Fox)
As a tribute to your iron-clad constitution (how can one person eat so much stuffing?), watch Robert Downey Jr. in his shiny suit while enjoying some leftovers.

National Treasure Book of Secrets (NBC)
In the follow-up to Disney's fun-time family hit, Nicolas Cage & Co. search for the legendary Lost City of Gold.

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (CW)
In this animated interpretation of the novelty holiday song, Jake searches for his grandma so he can save her Christmas shop from being sold by his greedy cousin.

8:30/7:30c
The Elf on the Shelf: An Elf's Story (NBC)
This animated special, based on the best-selling children's book, posits that each child has a tiny live-in elf who watches him or her and then reports back to Santa. Creepy little tattle-tale.

9/8c
Olive, the Other Reindeer (CW)
Drew Barrymore voices this tale about a dog who wants to fill in for an injured Blitzen on Santa's sleigh team and save Christmas.

Sunday

8/7c
Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith (ABC)
Bradley Whitford stars as Albom himself in this story of the life-altering bonds the author made with a rabbi (Martin Landau) and a preacher (Laurence Fishburne) he met while writing a column.

The Amazing Race (CBS)
Eat waffles, chocolate and beer for the show's first trip to Belgium. And then throw up!

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_sweeps_roundup_nov21_27_030000722/43666794/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/sweeps-roundup-nov-21-27-030000722.html

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Slippery Smartphones, Windows Explorer Icons, and Brown-Bag Lunches [From The Tips Box]

Readers offer their best tips for using your smartphone at your desk, changing Windows Explorer views on-the-fly, and packing your lunch.

Don't like the gallery layout? Click here to view everything on one page.

Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons?maybe they're a bit too niche, maybe we couldn't find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn't fit it in?the tip didn't make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments, email it to tips at lifehacker.com, or share it on our tips and expert pages.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/g91il-BLSY4/

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Soviet spy Vitaly Shlykov dies at 77

April 11, 2009 photo provided by the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy on Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 shows Vitaly Shlykov. Shlykov, who died in Moscow on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the age of 77, was a former Soviet intelligence agent who spent several years in Swiss prison on espionage charges during the Cold War. He later became an internationally-known independent defense analyst. (AP photo/Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, HO)

April 11, 2009 photo provided by the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy on Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 shows Vitaly Shlykov. Shlykov, who died in Moscow on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the age of 77, was a former Soviet intelligence agent who spent several years in Swiss prison on espionage charges during the Cold War. He later became an internationally-known independent defense analyst. (AP photo/Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, HO)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Vitaly Shlykov, a former Soviet intelligence agent who spent years in a Swiss prison after being convicted of espionage and later became an internationally known military analyst, has died at 77.

Shlykov died of a heart condition over the weekend at his apartment in Moscow, the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy confirmed Monday. Shlykov was one of the founders of the council, which advises the Kremlin on security issues.

Following his retirement from Soviet military intelligence in 1988, he served from 1990 to 1992 in the government of Russia's first president, Boris Yeltsin, as deputy head of a committee for public security.

In more recent years, Shlykov helped engineer a radical reform of the Russian military to shed its Cold War legacy and turn it into a modern force.

Shlykov joined Soviet military intelligence in 1958 after graduating from Moscow's Institute of International Relations. He served for 30 years in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff, known under its Russian acronym of GRU.

During his GRU career, he worked as a senior analyst specializing in assessing the military industries of the United States and other Western nations. He made frequent trips to the West on a false American passport.

One of his duties was to maintain contacts with Dieter Felix Gerhardt, a senior officer of the South African Navy who was working as a Soviet spy. In January 1983, Shlykov was arrested on a trip to Zurich while carrying the equivalent of about $100,000 in cash to hand over to Gerhardt's wife, who was supposed to serve as a liaison.

Soviet intelligence was unaware that Gerhardt and his wife had been arrested a few weeks earlier and had told interrogators about the meeting in Switzerland.

Realizing after the arrest that his cover had been blown, Shlykov claimed he was a Soviet citizen who had emigrated to the West ? another false identity he was supposed to offer in just such a case.

He never revealed his true identity to the Swiss police, and in 1984 was convicted of espionage and sentenced to three years in prison. He was released early for good behavior and returned to the Soviet Union in 1986.

After his retirement two years later, he became a prominent scholar specializing in military policy and wrote extensively on security issues.

Shlykov strongly backed the Kremlin's military reform, intended to radically cut the bloated and inefficient Russian military and turn it into a more modern and agile force. His support contrasted sharply with that of many other military veterans, who insisted the reforms were destroying the military.

In a 2010 interview with The Associated Press, Shlykov described the effort as "the most radical reform of the Russian military in 150 years" and said it should make the armed forces more capable.

Shlykov first spoke to the media about his espionage experience two decades after quitting the service.

"During my life span, I have lived several lives, full of tension and excitement," he said in a 2006 interview with Radio Liberty.

He is to be buried Tuesday at Troyekurovsky Cemetery.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-21-EU-Russia-Obit-Shlykov/id-3759f76534b14257b5ffb1c67b9d6f61

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FDA yanks Avastin as breast cancer drug - Healthy Living : The ...

FDA yanks Avastin as breast cancer drug

November 18th, 2011, 10:33 am ? ? posted by Courtney Perkes

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced that the blockbuster drug Avastin is no longer approved as a treatment for breast cancer because of potentially life-threatening side effects and a lack of benefit to patients.

The FDA said risks include:? severe high blood pressure; bleeding and hemorrhaging; heart attack or heart failure; and the development of perforations in the nose, stomach, and intestines.

The FDA said the drug, made by Genentech, was approved for metastatic breast cancer in February 2008 through an accelerated approval process designed to give patients access to promising drugs while clinical trials are conducted.

Avastin will remain on the market as treatment for other kinds of cancer, including colon cancer.

Read more about the FDA?s decision here.

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Source: http://healthyliving.ocregister.com/2011/11/18/fda-yanks-avastin-as-breast-cancer-drug/42913/

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Myanmar, U.N. discuss strengthening ties (Reuters)

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) ? Myanmar and the United Nations discussed strengthening cooperation on Saturday, Myanmar's foreign minister said, in another sign of the reclusive state's sudden engagement with the world after a half-century of isolation and oppressive rule.

"It was a very fruitful meeting," Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin told Reuters after talks with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the East Asia Summit, a meeting of leaders from 18 countries, on the Indonesian island of Bali.

"We discussed about better cooperation between Myanmar and the United Nations," he added without elaborating on details of the cooperation.

Myanmar has embarked on a series of reforms since the army nominally handed power in March to civilians after the first elections in two decades, a process mocked at the time as a sham to seal authoritarian rule behind a democratic facade.

Its overtures have since included calls for peace with ethnic minority groups, some tolerance of criticism, an easing of media controls, the release of about 230 political prisoners and more communication with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed last year from 15 years of house arrest.

U.S. President Barack Obama praised those reforms on Friday and dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the former British colony, also known as Burma, for a two-day visit next month to explore the possibility of new ties.

Washington has cautioned, however, that more needs to be done for the United States to end sanctions imposed in response to years of human rights abuses, including the killing of pro-democracy demonstrators and crackdowns on ethnic minorities.

"We'd like to see more political prisoners released. We would like to see a real political process and real elections. We'd like to see an end to the conflicts, particularly the terrible conflicts with ethnic minorities," Clinton said in an interview on Fox News on Friday.

"But we think there's an opportunity and we want to test it," she added.

She plans to meet with Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party said on Friday it would contest upcoming by-elections, the latest sign of political rapprochement under the new civilian government.

The NLD, Myanmar's biggest opposition force, won a 1990 election by a landslide but the country's military refused to cede power and, for the following two decades, suppressed the party's activities, putting many of its members in prison.

The party boycotted the next election, held on November 7 last year, because of strict laws that prevented many of its members from taking part. As a result, the authorities officially dissolved it but it has continued to function and enjoys strong support from the public.

INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

The timing of Myanmar's international engagement is crucial as Washington seeks to counter China's growing influence across Asia and with Myanmar in particular.

Myanmar, as big as France and Britain combined, sits strategically between booming India and China with ports on the Indian Ocean and Andaman Sea, all of which have made it a vital energy security asset for landlocked western China.

Backed by Chinese money, Myanmar is building a new, multi-billion-dollar port through which oil can reach a 790-km (490-mile) pipeline now under construction that will cut across Myanmar and link refineries in western China. Another parallel pipeline will pump Myanmar's offshore natural gas to China.

That, along with hydro-power dams and highway projects, underpins more than $14 billion of pledged Chinese investment in Myanmar's 2010/11 (April-March) fiscal year, causing total foreign direct investment promises to soar to $20 billion from just $300 million a year before, official data showed.

Myanmar's relations with global agencies such as the United Nations, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are showing broad signs of improving after the IMF and World Bank cut ties to Myanmar years ago in response to rights abuses.

An IMF team is now visiting the country to study how to unify its official and unofficial exchange rates. But diplomats say more reforms -- economic and political -- are likely to be the price of their full support.

(Writing by Jason Szep; Editing by Neil Fullick)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111119/wl_nm/us_myanmar

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Occupy protesters march nationwide; 200 arrested (AP)

NEW YORK ? Occupy Wall Street protesters clogged streets and tied up traffic around the U.S. on Thursday to mark two months since the movement's birth and signal they aren't ready to quit, despite the breakup of many of their encampments by police. Hundreds of people were arrested, most of them in New York.

The demonstrations ? which took place in cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, Washington and Portland, Ore. ? were for the most part peaceful. Most of the arrests were for blocking streets, and the traffic disruptions were brief.

Chanting "All day, all week, shut down Wall Street," more than 1,000 protesters gathered near the New York Stock Exchange and sat down in several intersections. Helmeted police officers broke up some of the gatherings, and operations at the stock market were not disrupted.

As darkness fell, a coalition of unions and progressive groups joined Occupy demonstrators in staging rallies at landmark bridges in several U.S. cities to protest joblessness.

In New York, a crowd of several thousand people, led by banner-carrying members of the Service Employees International Union, jammed Manhattan's Foley Square and then marched peacefully across the Brooklyn Bridge on a pedestrian promenade.

As they walked, a powerful light projected the slogan "We are the 99 percent" ? a reference to the Americans who aren't super-rich ? on the side of a nearby skyscraper. Police officers dressed in wind breakers, rather than riot gear, arrested at least two dozen people who walked out onto the bridges' roadway but otherwise let the marchers pass without incident.

The protests came two days after police raided and demolished the encampment at lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park that had served as headquarters of the Occupy movement and as demonstrators and union allies tried to regain their momentum.

"This is a critical moment for the movement given what happened the other night," said demonstrator Paul Knick, a software engineer from Montclair, N.J. "It seems like there's a concerted effort to stop the movement, and I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen."

At least 200 people were arrested in New York. Some were bloodied during the arrests. One man was taken into custody for throwing liquid, possibly vinegar, into the faces of several police officers, authorities said. Many demonstrators were carrying vinegar as an antidote for pepper spray.

A police officer, Matthew Walters, needed 20 stitches on his hand after he was hit with a piece of thrown glass, police said.

In Los Angeles, about 500 sympathizers marched downtown between the Bank of America tower and Wells Fargo Plaza, chanting, "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!" More than two dozen people were arrested.

Police arrested 21 demonstrators in Las Vegas, and 20 were led away in plastic handcuffs in Portland, Ore., for sitting down on a bridge. At least a dozen were arrested in St. Louis in the evening after they sat down cross-legged and locked arms in an attempt to block a bridge over the Mississippi River. More were handcuffed for blocking bridges in Philadelphia and Minneapolis.

Several of the demonstrations coincided with an event planned months earlier by a coalition of unions and liberal groups, including Moveon.org and the SEIU, in which out-of-work people walked over bridges in several cities to protest high unemployment.

The street demonstrations also marked two months since the Occupy movement sprang to life in New York on Sept. 17. They were planned well before police raided a number of encampments over the past few days but were seen by some activists as a way to demonstrate their resolve in the wake of the crackdown.

Thursday's demonstrations around Wall Street brought taxis and delivery trucks to a halt, but police were largely effective at keeping the protests confined to just a few blocks. Officers allowed Wall Street workers through the barricades, but only after checking their IDs.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said police had been expecting as many as 10,000 protesters based on what activists had been saying online. But he said there had been "minimal disruption."

"Most protesters have, in all fairness, acted responsibly," he said after visiting an injured police officer in the hospital.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said officers confiscated metal devices that some demonstrators had apparently planned to use to lock themselves into the entrances to Wall Street businesses.

The demonstration that drew thousands of people to Foley Square in the evening was a rarity in the Occupy movement: Union organizers obtained a permit from the city, and speakers were allowed to use a sound system.

Among the demonstrators arrested in New York was a retired Philadelphia police captain, Ray Lewis, who was taken into custody in his dress uniform. Others included actor and director Andre Gregory, who said he hoped the movement would lead to national action on economic injustice.

"It's a possible beginning of something positive," he said.

Some onlookers applauded the demonstrators from open windows. Others yelled, "Get a job!"

"I don't understand their logic," said Adam Lieberman, as he struggled to navigate police barricades on his way to work at JPMorgan Chase. "When you go into business, you go into business to make as much money as you can. And that's what banks do. They're trying to make a profit."

Gene Williams, a bond trader, joked that he was "one of the bad guys" but said he empathized with the demonstrators: "The fact of the matter is, there is a schism between the rich and the poor, and it's getting wider."

The confrontations followed early morning arrests in other cities. In Dallas, police evicted dozens of protesters near City Hall, citing health and safety reasons. Eighteen protesters were arrested. Two demonstrators were arrested and about 20 tents removed at the University of California, Berkeley.

City officials and demonstrators were trying to decide their next step in Philadelphia, where about 100 protesters were under orders to clear out to make way for a long-planned $50 million plaza renovation at City Hall. Union leaders pressed the demonstrators to leave, saying construction jobs were stake.

___

Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Jennifer Peltz, Meghan Barr in New York contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111118/ap_on_bi_ge/us_occupy_protests_anniversary

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A Beginner's Guide to Commodity Investing

A Beginner?s Guide to Commodity Investing

by Carl Delfeld, Investment U Senior Analyst
Thursday, November 17, 2011

I?ll never forget my first visit as a teenager to the commodity-trading pit of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The swirling bright colored jackets, the shouting and rapid hand signals (looked like arm wrestling to me) were captivating and reminded me of past family gatherings.

It was also the polar opposite of my later visit to the currency trading floor of JP Morgan at 1 Wall Street ? row after row of white shirts hunched over computer screens and dry IMF statistics.

Commodities sure looked like more fun to me.

My image of commodity markets hasn?t changed all that much since. It?s a volatile and wild ride where even a tiny bit of new information affecting supply or demand can send prices spinning. Weather, transportation costs, economic forecasts, currency movements and many other factors go into how prices change minute to minute.

I approach commodities trading cautiously since expert traders focused all day on one commodity, such as wheat, get it wrong as often as they get it right.

Still, I have to admit, the idea of making or losing a pile of money in a very short time gets my blood pumping.

So how should you approach commodities, and what should you do right now?

The Game Has Changed

Even a decade ago, most investors didn?t even think of investing in commodities except through companies like Alcoa (NYSE: AA) for aluminum, Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) for copper, or Comstock Resources (NYSE: CRK) for natural gas.

But the game has changed.

The arrival of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and notes (ETNs) gives average investors the chance to get into the game with a just a click of the mouse.

The choices are staggering:

• Coffee ? iPath Coffee (NYSE: JO)

• Sugar ? iPath Sugar ETN (NYSE: SGG)

• Lead ? iPath Lead ETN (NYSE: LD)

• Nickel ? iPath Nickel ETN (NYSE: JJN)

• Corn ? Teucrium Corn Fund (NYSE: CORN)

• Grains ? iPath Grains ETN (NYSE: JJG)

• Cotton ? iPath Cotton ETN (NYSE: BAL)

• Tin ? iPath Tin ETN (NYSE: JJT)

• Aluminum ? iPath Aluminum ETN (NYSE: JJU)

• Silver ? iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV)

• Oil ? iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil Index (NYSE: OIL)

• Palladium ? ETFS Physical Palladium Shares (NYSE: PALL)

• Natural gas ? iPath Natural Gas ETN (NYSE: GAZ)

• Timber ? Claymore Beacon Global Timber Index (NYSE: CUT)

• Livestock ? iPath Livestock ETN (NYSE: COW)

The ?Core-Explore? Commodity Strategy

Given the complexity and volatility involved in commodities, you must have an established strategy if you plan on having any success. So here?s an easy one:

• First, having a small allocation in a broad basket of commodities in your core portfolio makes a lot of sense.

This should make your overall portfolio less volatile and help preserve capital since commodities don?t usually move lockstep with stocks. In addition, raw materials provide you with a natural inflation hedge.

A great conservative play right now would be the PowerShares DB Agricultural ETF (NYSE: DBA). These agricultural commodities are down only marginally this year and tend to be less volatile than precious or industrial metals. In addition, the long-term bull story of a world population growing at a rate of 200,000 a day plus rising incomes driving higher food prices is very convincing.

To meet this growing demand, the World Bank estimates that farms worldwide will have to produce more food in the next 50 years than it did in the previous 10,000 years.

Here are the commodity weightings in this basket:

1. Sugar: 12.44%

2. Coffee: 11.91%

3. Cocoa: 11.21%

4. Live cattle: 8.68%

5. Corn future: 8.33%

6. Soybean future: 8.14%

7. Wheat future: 5.64%

8. Corn future: 5.35%

9. Lean Hogs future: 5.19%

10. Soybean future: 4.42%

• Second, for your trading portfolio, explore for commodities that have pulled back sharply.

So far in 2011, the perception of a weakening world economy has driven many commodities sharply lower. Nickel is down 30 percent, copper is down 24 percent and aluminum is down 17 percent so far this year. China is a big consumer of these industrial metals and concern that its economy is slowing has hit them pretty hard.

This is exactly why you should be getting interested in these industrial metals. You want to get in when markets have pulled back and, even better, when they are beginning to trend up. Keep an eye on the iPath Industrial Metals ETF (NYSE: JJM). The lower entry price gives you some downside protection but always have a sell stop in place in case markets move against you.

Now get out there and add some commodities to your global portfolio today.

Good investing,

Carl Delfeld

Any investment contains risk. Please see our disclaimer
Related Investment U Articles: **By submitting your comment you agree to adhere to our Comment Policy and Privacy Policy. Check out our selection of daily Investment Research:

Source: http://www.investmentu.com/2011/November/beginners-guide-to-commodity-investing.html

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China spacecraft returns to Earth after docking test

BEIJING | Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:45pm EST

BEIJING (Reuters) - An unmanned Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth successfully on Thursday after more than two weeks in orbit, marking a pivotal moment for the rising power's plans to secure a long-term manned foothold in space.

The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft touched down in northern China's Inner Mongolia region after a fiery return to Earth, a live broadcast on Chinese television showed.

The spacecraft's return is the latest show of China's growing prowess in space, alongside its growing military and diplomatic influence, at a time when budget restraints and shifting priorities have held back U.S. manned space launches.

The spacecraft was part of China's first docking exercise on November 3, when it joined the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module about 340 km (210 miles) above Earth.

The unmanned Tiangong module, which is 10.5 meters (35 feet) long, launched on September 29, is part of China's exploratory preparations for a space lab.

China aims to have a fully fledged space station by about 2020.

However, it is still far from catching up with the established space superpowers: the United States and Russia.

Russia, the United States and other countries jointly operate the 400-tonne International Space Station, to which China does not belong.

But the United States will not test a new rocket to take people into space until 2017, and Russia has said manned missions are no longer a priority.

China launched its first manned space mission in 2003 when astronaut Yang Liwei orbited Earth 14 times. It launched its second moon orbiter last year after becoming only the third country to send its astronauts walking in space outside their orbiting craft, in 2008.

China also plans an unmanned moon landing and deployment of a moon rover in 2012. Scientists have raised the possibility of sending a man to the moon after 2020.

(Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by robert Birsel)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/GHlOpLLoQI4/us-china-space-idUSTRE7AG0YM20111117

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"Situation" sues Abercrombie & Fitch over ad campaign (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? "Jersey Shore" star Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino on Tuesday sued retailer Abercrombie & Fitch over what he claims was a publicity stunt to sell clothes using phrases associated with the reality TV actor.

The complaint, filed by Sorrentino and his company MPS Entertainment in federal court in southern Florida, stems from an offer Abercrombie & Fitch publicized in August to pay cast members of the hit TV show not to wear the company's apparel.

The offer, which Sorrentino claims was false, made headlines worldwide because typically companies want celebrities to use their products for promotion, but the "Jersey Shore" cast is known for partying and other qualities with which the company said it did not want to associate.

In August, the company said it was "deeply concerned" that Sorrentino "could cause significant damage" to its brand's "aspirational nature." Sorrentino, however, thinks the company had something else in mind, according to the lawsuit.

"Starting in August 2011, Defendant (the company) embarked on a grand, worldwide advertising campaign using Sorrentino's name, image and likeness to create brand awareness for its products by falsely claiming that Defendant had offered money to Sorrentino if he would stop wearing Defendant's goods," the lawsuit states.

"That offer was never made to Sorrentino, nor was it ever conveyed to Sorrentino by a representative," the suit states.

The suit claims the company "has significantly profited off of the use of its false affiliation with Sorrentino, and it has wrongly used Sorrentino's name, image and likeness for advertising purposes in violation of applicable law."

The suit targeted two of the clothing retailer's T-shirt designs featuring the phrases "The Fitchuation" and "GTL...You Know The Deal," and claimed Abercrombie & Fitch "obviously intended to create a false association" with the "Jersey Shore" star when it released it's statement in August.

An Abercrombie & Fitch spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

Sorrentino and MPS Entertainment trademarked his "Jersey Shore" nickname, "The Situation" and catchphrase "GTL" -- an acronym for gym, tan, laundry -- in 2009, after the first season of MTV's "Jersey Shore" became widely popular.

Sorrentino sells his own "GTL" and "The Situation" branded products, including T-shirts, on his official website.

MTV's "Jersey Shore" is a reality series following a group of young Italian-American men and women living, working and partying together.

The popularity of the show has earned great fame for its cast members, including Sorrentino, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio. All of them have have branched out into endorsing and marketing their own products.

(Reporting and Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oddlyenough/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111116/od_nm/us_people_thesituation_odd

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Turkey ends coach Guus Hiddink's contract

By SUZAN FRASER

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:04 a.m. ET Nov. 16, 2011

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -Guus Hiddink is available again after parting ways with the Turkish football federation on Wednesday following Turkey's failure to quality for next year's European Championship.

The federation said it had reached a mutual agreement with the 65-year-old Dutch coach to end the contract that was due to expire in August 2012.

"We thank Guus Hiddink for services rendered during his term and wish him a healthy and happy life," the federation said.

Turkey managed to hold Croatia to a 0-0 draw in the second leg of the Euro 2012 playoffs in Zagreb on Tuesday, but Croatia claimed a place in the final tournament 3-0 on aggregate.

After the match, Hiddink indicated he was likely to stand down.

"I think this is my last match with this team, there is a high probability of that," Hiddink said.

Turkish media reported that Hiddink had bid farewell to the players in Zagreb and did not return to Istanbul with the team.

Hiddink, whose name has been frequently linked to a return to Chelsea, coached South Korea to the 2002 World Cup semifinals and Australia to the second round at the 2006 World Cup. He also guided Russia to the semifinals of the 2008 European Championship.

He was hired in 2010 to take Turkey - a 2002 World Cup semifinalist - to Euro 2012 but failed to work his miracle on the Turkish side. Of the 16 international games played under Hiddink's guidance, Turkey won seven, lost five and drew four.

Hiddink, who has also coached PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid, Valencia and Fenerbahce, stayed on as a Chelsea adviser after winning the FA Cup in 2009.

The Turkish federation did not say who was expected to replace Hiddink but Belediyespor coach Abdullah Avci is considered to be a top contender for the post.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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More newsJure Makovec / AFP - Getty Images

US offense awakens

The United States won for just the second time since Jurgen Klinsmann took over as coach, with Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore scoring in a two-minute span late in the first half to lead the Americans over Slovenia 3-2 on a foggy Tuesday night in Ljubljana.

Andrew Yates / AFP - Getty Images

Staying home

Man City striker Carlos Tevez has decided to stay in his native Argentina instead of meeting with the Premier League leaders to discuss his future.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45320009/ns/sports-soccer/

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Nickelback's Thanksgiving Show Makes United Way 'Grateful'

Organization addresses controversy surrounding band's halftime performance in Detroit in an email to MTV News.
By James Montgomery

Chad Kroeger of Nickelback
Photo: Getty Images

By now, you've no doubt heard what some Detroit Lions fans have to say about Nickelback's halftime performance at the team's annual Thanksgiving game (hint, it isn't good), but to date, folks with the Lions — and the NFL, for that matter — have remained silent on the matter.

The same cannot be said, however, for the United Way, the sponsors of the halftime show, who released a statement last week officially confirming that Nickelback were on board for the event, and have now weighed in on the controversy surrounding their performance. In particular, the organization addressed criticism from some Lions fans that an artist from Detroit should have been booked for the high-profile game in an email to MTV News.

"We're grateful to Nickelback for generously donating time and resources to this effort," United Way director of publicity Sal Fabens wrote. "This is a nationally televised show that historically has featured artists from many locations, such as Indiana's John Mellencamp [and] New York's Mary J.

Blige ... For the past two years, we featured Motown artists and Detroit's own Kid Rock, but the performers have never been limited to those from Detroit."

Fabens also wrote that, in one way, the fact that some 75,000 fans have signed an online petition calling for the band's ouster is fitting, since the theme of the United Way's halftime performance is "Live United."

"This is a call to action, an invitation for everyone to join us, regardless of their stance on various issues, to move forward on creating opportunities for a better life for all," he wrote. "It's going to take everyone working together ... to make progress on ambitious goals in the areas of education, income and health across the country ... We invite varying points of view and voices to all come together so we can move forward.

"We would hope that various opinions about a rock band don't overshadow the fact that the band's generosity is helping to bring attention to this message," Fabens' email concluded.

Related Artists

• Nickelback

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674406/nickelback-detroit-lions-thanksgiving-united-way.jhtml

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Video: What is Marvell?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/45309869#45309869

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Story of lymphatic system expands to include chapter on valve formation

Public release date: 14-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Summer Freeman
summer.freeman@stjude.org
901-595-3061
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists show that a gene essential for normal development of the lymphatic system also plays a critical role in forming the valves that help maintain the body's normal fluid balance

A century after the valves that link the lymphatic and blood systems were first described, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have detailed how those valves form and identified a gene that is critical to the process.

The gene is Prox1. Earlier work led by Guillermo Oliver, Ph.D., a member of the St. Jude Department of Genetics, showed Prox1 was essential for formation and maintenance of the entire lymphatic vasculature. The lymphatic vasculature is the network of vessels and ducts that help maintain the body's fluid balance and serves as a highway along which everything from cancer cells to disease-fighting immune components moves. Oliver is senior author of the new study, which appeared in the October 15 edition of the scientific journal Genes & Development.

The new research suggests that Prox1 is also essential for proper formation of the one-way valves that control movement of fluid and nutrients from the lymphatic system into the blood stream. Researchers found evidence that the Prox1 protein also has a role in formation of the venous valves.

"Understanding how valves form is crucial to efforts to develop treatments for valve defects that affect both children and adults," said the paper's first author, R. Sathish Srinivasan, Ph.D., a research associate in the St. Jude Department of Genetics. Those defects are linked to a variety of problems including lymphedema and deep vein thrombosis, which are blood clots that form deep in veins and have the potential for causing life-threatening complications. Lymphedema is the painful and sometimes disfiguring swelling that can occur when lymph flow is disrupted.

For more than a decade, the lymphatic system has been a focus of Oliver's laboratory. The laboratory's contributions through the years include evidence that leaky lymphatic vessels might contribute to obesity. Oliver and his colleagues also demonstrated how the lymphatic system forms from Prox1-producing cells destined to become lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) when they leave the developing veins and migrate throughout the body.

The investigators also showed the Coup-TFII gene is essential to the process. The Coup-TFII protein binds to the promoter region of the Prox1 gene. The binding switches on production of the Prox1 protein that is required to create and maintain the lymphatic system. The newer research builds on that earlier work from Oliver's laboratory. The latest study focused on the lymphovenous valves. These valves are found at just two locations in the body, on either side of the chest just under the clavicle bone where the lymphatic vessels intersect with the subclavian and internal jugular veins.

Working in mice, investigators discovered that these lymphovenous valves form from a newly identified subtype of endothelial cell found in developing veins. Like the LECs that form the lymphatic system, the newly identified endothelial cells make Prox1. But while the LECs leave the veins and migrate throughout the body, these endothelial cells stay put to form the lymphovenous valves.

Researchers demonstrated the process requires two copies of the Prox1 gene. That ensures adequate levels of the Coup-TFII-Prox1 complex and with it enough Prox1 to build and maintain the lymphatic system. Mice engineered to carry a single copy of Prox1 either did not survive or were born without lymphovenous and venous valves.

"If you have only one copy of Prox1 you are going to have a reduction in the Coup-TFII Prox1 complex and so a dramatic reduction in the number of cells available to build the lymphatic system. That explains the defects we see," Srinivasan said.

###

The study was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and ALSAC.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The hospital's research has helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent when the institution opened to almost 80 percent today. It is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, and no family ever pays St. Jude for care. For more information, visit www.stjude.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 14-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Summer Freeman
summer.freeman@stjude.org
901-595-3061
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists show that a gene essential for normal development of the lymphatic system also plays a critical role in forming the valves that help maintain the body's normal fluid balance

A century after the valves that link the lymphatic and blood systems were first described, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have detailed how those valves form and identified a gene that is critical to the process.

The gene is Prox1. Earlier work led by Guillermo Oliver, Ph.D., a member of the St. Jude Department of Genetics, showed Prox1 was essential for formation and maintenance of the entire lymphatic vasculature. The lymphatic vasculature is the network of vessels and ducts that help maintain the body's fluid balance and serves as a highway along which everything from cancer cells to disease-fighting immune components moves. Oliver is senior author of the new study, which appeared in the October 15 edition of the scientific journal Genes & Development.

The new research suggests that Prox1 is also essential for proper formation of the one-way valves that control movement of fluid and nutrients from the lymphatic system into the blood stream. Researchers found evidence that the Prox1 protein also has a role in formation of the venous valves.

"Understanding how valves form is crucial to efforts to develop treatments for valve defects that affect both children and adults," said the paper's first author, R. Sathish Srinivasan, Ph.D., a research associate in the St. Jude Department of Genetics. Those defects are linked to a variety of problems including lymphedema and deep vein thrombosis, which are blood clots that form deep in veins and have the potential for causing life-threatening complications. Lymphedema is the painful and sometimes disfiguring swelling that can occur when lymph flow is disrupted.

For more than a decade, the lymphatic system has been a focus of Oliver's laboratory. The laboratory's contributions through the years include evidence that leaky lymphatic vessels might contribute to obesity. Oliver and his colleagues also demonstrated how the lymphatic system forms from Prox1-producing cells destined to become lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) when they leave the developing veins and migrate throughout the body.

The investigators also showed the Coup-TFII gene is essential to the process. The Coup-TFII protein binds to the promoter region of the Prox1 gene. The binding switches on production of the Prox1 protein that is required to create and maintain the lymphatic system. The newer research builds on that earlier work from Oliver's laboratory. The latest study focused on the lymphovenous valves. These valves are found at just two locations in the body, on either side of the chest just under the clavicle bone where the lymphatic vessels intersect with the subclavian and internal jugular veins.

Working in mice, investigators discovered that these lymphovenous valves form from a newly identified subtype of endothelial cell found in developing veins. Like the LECs that form the lymphatic system, the newly identified endothelial cells make Prox1. But while the LECs leave the veins and migrate throughout the body, these endothelial cells stay put to form the lymphovenous valves.

Researchers demonstrated the process requires two copies of the Prox1 gene. That ensures adequate levels of the Coup-TFII-Prox1 complex and with it enough Prox1 to build and maintain the lymphatic system. Mice engineered to carry a single copy of Prox1 either did not survive or were born without lymphovenous and venous valves.

"If you have only one copy of Prox1 you are going to have a reduction in the Coup-TFII Prox1 complex and so a dramatic reduction in the number of cells available to build the lymphatic system. That explains the defects we see," Srinivasan said.

###

The study was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and ALSAC.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The hospital's research has helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent when the institution opened to almost 80 percent today. It is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, and no family ever pays St. Jude for care. For more information, visit www.stjude.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/sjcr-sol111411.php

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