Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/166663945?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Monday 28 November 2011
Sunday 27 November 2011
NCAA men's basketball: Top 25 capsules
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Chace Stanback had a career-high 28 and added 10 rebounds to help UNLV beat top-ranked North Carolina 90-80 on Saturday night in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational.
Mike Moser added 16 points and 18 rebounds, Oscar Bellfield had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Anthony Marshall finished with 13 points for the Rebels (7-0).
P.J. Hairston and John Henson each had 15 points for North Carolina (5-1).
After North Carolina took a 42-38 halftime lead, UNLV opened the second half with a 14-0 run as the Tar Heels missed their first 10 shots. The Rebels built a 77-63 lead on Lopez's basket off a rebound with 5:39 left.
Rebels fans stormed the Orleans Arena court after the victory.
The Tar Heels shot 31 percent in the second half.
NO. 4 CONNECTICUT 78, NO. 22 FLORIDA STATE 76, OT
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) ? Ryan Boatwright hit three clutch free throws with 7 seconds left in regulation, Napier had 26 points and the Connecticut beat Florida State in overtime in the third-place game in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
The defending national champion Huskies lost to Central Florida in the semifinals.
Boatwright's three foul shots tied it at 71. He finished with 14 points and three assists in 33 minutes.
Jeremy Lamb added 19 points for Connecticut (6-1), which shot 48 percent from the field, including 11 for 25 from 3-point range. Freshman Andre Drummond had 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocked shots and three steals.
Michael Snaer scored 20 points for Florida State (5-2), which lost 46-41 to Harvard on Friday. Deividas Dulkys had 14, and Bernard James finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
NO. 2 KENTUCKY 87, PORTLAND 63
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) ? Terrence Jones and Darius Miller scored 19 points apiece, Anthony Davis had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and the Wildcats rolled in their final tuneup before playing St. John's and No. 1 North Carolina next week.
Kentucky (6-0) has won every game by double digits, but Portland gave the Wildcats plenty to work on in the coming days after the Pilots (2-4) challenged them with sharp outside shooting and won the rebounding battle, 39-38.
Kentucky used an 18-3 first-half run to take a double-digit lead. After Portland pulled within six in the second half, the Wildcats put on a full-court press as part of an 18-4 run that put the game out of reach.
Nemanja Mitrovic went 6 of 12 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points for the Pilots.
NO. 11 WISCONSIN 73, BYU 56
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) ? Ben Brust scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers and the Badgers won the Chicago Invitational Challenge championship, improving to 6-0 for their best start since the 1996-97 season.
The sophomore reserve was 7 of 10 beyond the arc, making five of his 3s in the second half.
Tournament MVP Jordan Taylor added 18 points, while Mike Bruesewitz and Jared Berggren had 13 points apiece for Wisconsin.
The teams were tied at 42 when Brust hit the first of his trio of 3-pointers during an 11-0 run that gave the Badgers a 53-42 lead with 8:47 to play.
Noah Hartsock paced the Cougars (4-2) with 18 points.
NO. 19 GONZAGA 78, WESTERN MICHIGAN 58
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) ? Robert Sacre scored 15 points to lead Gonzaga to the victory.
Sam Dower added 15 points for Gonzaga (4-0), which was playing its annual game in the off-campus Spokane Arena.
Western Michigan (0-6), coming off an 80-37 loss to Purdue, has yet to play a home game. It shot 41 percent and committed 22 turnovers.
Matt Stainbrook had 11 points in the Broncos' first game against the Zags.
Gonzaga led by eight at halftime, and outscored the Broncos 16-6 at the beginning of the second half. Three straight baskets by Sacre and a layup by Kevin Pangos pushed the lead to 52-34 with 12:20 left.
NO. 20 CALIFORNIA 80, DENVER 59
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) ? Allen Crabbe scored 15 points and matched his career high with 10 rebounds as California remained unbeaten at home.
Crabbe, last season's Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, shot 6 for 9 with three 3-pointers and helped the Golden Bears (5-1) overcome a slow start against the Pioneers (4-1). Cal bounced back from a 92-53 defeat to No. 21 Missouri in the CBE Classic championship game Tuesday night in Kansas City, Mo.
Chris Udofia scored nine points to lead Denver, which was outmuscled inside in losing the rebounding battle 33-20 and outshot from the perimeter. The Pioneers struggled offensively on the heels of an impressive win over Bay Area team Saint Mary's on Wednesday night in Colorado.
Justin Cobbs added a career-best 22 points on 7-for-9 shooting and made all four of his 3-point tries for the Bears.
NO. 25 TEXAS A&M 56, TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 43
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) ? Elston Turner scored 14 points and Texas A&M used its stifling defense to get the win.
Ray Turner had 13 and eight rebounds for the Aggies (4-1), who played for the first time in eight days and held the Islanders to 27.8 percent shooting. It was the lowest shooting percentage for an Aggies opponent since the first round of
Source: http://www.wavy.com/dpps/sports/ncaa_basketball/men's-basketball%3A-top-25-capsules_3999344
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Heathrow predicts massive gridlock in UK strike
LONDON (AP) ? A public sector strike in Britain next week threatens to paralyze operations at Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport.
BAA, the airport's operator, said Friday 12-hour delays for arriving passengers are likely because the Nov. 30 strike will hit the U.K. Border Agency's ability to support normal operations.
An estimated 2 million workers are expected to protest changes in public sector pensions with a 24-hour walkout ? billed as potentially the biggest union action since 1979.
The lines at Heathrow's immigration counters are expected to be so long that passengers will need to be held on planes, BAA warned.
"This in turn would quickly create gridlock at the airport, with no available aircraft parking stands, mass cancellations of departing aircraft and diversions outside the U.K. for arriving aircraft," Normand Boivin, the chief operating officer for Heathrow, warned in a letter to airlines.
The letter, written Thursday and shared with The Associated Press, urged airlines to reduce the number of passengers they bring in on Nov. 30 because BAA had "reluctantly concluded that the U.K. Border Agency wouldn't be able to come up with a contingency plan to ensure business-as-usual."
Boivin said the border agency expects to be functioning at less than 50 percent of normal productivity.
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Cathay Pacific both agreed to waive fees for rebooking flights on Nov. 30 and expressed concern over the strike's impact on business.
"While we hope to operate our regular schedule, customers may experience prolonged delays awaiting immigration processing and there may even be the possibility of flight diversions," Cathay Pacific said in a statement.
The U.K. Border Agency acknowledged travelers could see longer waiting times at airports but said it has considered "all options" to make sure it's prepared for the strike and aims to minimize any disruptions.
It said the security of Britain's borders is the agency's top priority, though unions have criticized moves to draft in civil servants and contractors to cover for striking immigration officials.
"Our members take two to three months to train - the idea that people can cover after a few days' training is absurd," said Mark Serwotka, leader of the Public and Commercial Services union.
The Home Office said it has undertaken "significant work" to plan for the strike, which includes training managers, staff and contractors to the high standards it requires to carry out border checks and asking staff around the world to provide additional cover on Nov. 30.
Government ministers have warned the nationwide could cost the economy half a billion pounds and lead to job losses.
Heathrow Airport handles 180,000 passengers on a typical day, according to BAA.
Gatwick Airport also warned passengers to be prepared for "significant disruption" at immigration and said it asked carriers to give passengers the chance to change their flights.
Gatwick's chief operating officer, Scott Stanley said the airport is working with the border agency and airlines to put contingency measures in place and ensure disruptions are kept to a minimum.
"Unfortunately, airport staff cannot man the desks at the border zone but we will provide all necessary assistance to the Border Agency and we are determined to make sure that the needs and welfare of all our passengers will be met on the day," Stanley said.
___
Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd
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Saturday 26 November 2011
Report: Iran lawmaker says 12 CIA agents arrested (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran ? An influential Iran parliamentarian has said that the country has arrested 12 agents of the American Central Intelligence Agency, the country's official IRNA news agency reported.
Parviz Sorouri, who sits on the powerful committee of foreign policy and national security, that the alleged agents had been operating in coordination with Israel's Mossad and other regional agencies, and targeted the country's military and its nuclear program.
"The U.S. and Zionist regime's espionage apparatuses were trying to damage Iran both from inside and outside with a heavy blow, using regional intelligence services," Sorouri was quoted as having said on Wednesday.
"Fortunately, with swift reaction by the Iranian intelligence department, the actions failed to bear fruit," Sorouri said.
The lawmaker did not specify the nationality of the alleged agents, nor when or where they they had been arrested.
Iran periodically announces the capture or execution of alleged U.S. or Israeli spies, and often no further information is released.
This current announcement follows the unravelling by Lebanon's Hezbollah of a CIA spy ring in that country. Hezbollah reportedly works closely with Iran.
Hezbollah's longtime leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, boasted in June on television he had unmasked at least two CIA spies who had infiltrated the ranks of the organization. Though the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon officially denied the accusation, American officials conceded that Nasrallah wasn't lying and that Hezbollah had subsequently methodically picked off CIA informants.
The United States and its allies suspect Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon program, a charge Iran denies.
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Friday 25 November 2011
Jeno Paulucci, pizza roll architect, dies at 93 (AP)
DULUTH, Minn. ? Jeno Paulucci, a Minnesota business icon whose restaurant ventures included a company that popularized the finger food known as pizza rolls, has died. He was 93.
Dougherty Funeral Home in Duluth confirmed the death Thursday night to The Associated Press. Paulucci's daughter Cindy Paulucci Selton tells the Duluth News-Tribune (http://bit.ly/rW7fP3) he died Thursday morning at his home, just four days after his wife, Lois, passed away.
In 1944, Paulucci founded Duluth-based Chun King, which sold a line of canned Chinese food. He eventually sold that company to R.J. Reynolds Food Inc.
He'd become the first chairman of R.J. Reynolds Food Co. before establishing Jeno's Inc., which specialized in the finger-food snacks called pizza rolls. It grew to be Duluth's largest employer and was sold to Pillsbury in 1985.
___
Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com
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Spider mite's secrets revealed
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Public release date: 23-Nov-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Ana Godinho
agodinho@igc.gulbenkian.pt
351-214-407-959
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia
Tiny pest's genome opens door to novel approaches to crop protection and silk production
The tiny two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) causes much anxiety for farmers, and has been, to date, a scientific mystery. It feeds on over 1,100 species of plants, including 150 greenhouse plants and crops, such as maize, soy, tomatoes and citrus. The cost of chemically controlling damage caused by the spider mite exceeds USD 1 billion per year. In the latest issue of the journal Nature, a multinational consortium of scientists publish the sequenced genome of the spider mite, revealing how it is capable of such feeding frenzy, as well as other secrets of this tiny pest. These findings open the door to new approaches in pest control and crop protection, by allowing greater insight into the biological interactions between plants and herbivores that feed on them.
lio Sucena and Sara Magalhes, group leaders at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia (IGC) and the Centre for Environmental Biology, University of Lisbon (Portugal), respectively, are part of the 55-strong team of researchers from 10 countries that were involved in this project. Led by Miodrag Grbic (University of Western Ontario, Canada), this team analysed the genome of the spider mite, sequenced with funds from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) programme, Genome Canada and the European Union.
The spider mite feeds on an astonishingly large number of plants because it withstands the toxins that plants produce. This in itself is an amazing feat. However, among arthropods (animals with exoskeletons, such as spiders, ticks, crustaceans and insects), the spider mite holds first place in the number of pesticides it is resistant to. Mites become resistant to new pesticides within two to four years, meaning that control of multi-resistant spider mites has become increasingly difficult.
Having the sequence of the spider mite genome has shown light on the genetic basis for its feeding flexibility and pesticide resistance. The secret lies in having, on the one hand, more copies of the genes involved in digesting and degrading plant toxins when compared to insects. On the other, the tiny pest seems to have incorporated genes from bacteria and fungi that are involved in digestion and detoxification.
Indeed, the researchers identified two groups of bacterial and fungi genes that are unique to the spider mite, suggesting that the tiny arthropod is adept at making the most of the innovation of transfer of genes between distant species (called lateral gene transfer - a rare occurrence in nature).
Other groups of genes are shared, with aphids, for example (aphids are insects that also feed on crops). By comparing the aphid genome with that of the spider mite, it seems that the bacterial genes moved first into the insects and from these were taken up by the spider mite.
The name gives it away: spider mites make webs, for protection against predators and as a barrier against bad weather. However, their webs are different to those made by spiders: the genome sequence has revealed 17 genes involved in making web proteins. These proteins make thinner fibres, but seem to be slightly more resistant to mechanical forces than other natural materials.
All these secrets came out of a very small genome - only 90 megabases (the fruit fly genome has 180 megabases; the human genome has 3,000 megabases). It is, indeed, the smallest arthropod genome sequenced so far, and reveals a remarkable evolutionary history: the spider mite has lost many genes that are shared amongst arthropods, but has accumulated species-specific genes, such as those that give it the ability to withstand toxins and pesticides.
The Portuguese scientists were involved in analysing immunity-related genes found in the spider mite genome. The spider mite belongs to the Chelicerata family, the second largest group of terrestrial animals. Chelicerates include spiders, scorpions and ticks. Chelicerates and insects make up the Arthropods. The spider mite is the first chelicerate to have its entire genome sequenced and analysed.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 23-Nov-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Ana Godinho
agodinho@igc.gulbenkian.pt
351-214-407-959
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia
Tiny pest's genome opens door to novel approaches to crop protection and silk production
The tiny two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) causes much anxiety for farmers, and has been, to date, a scientific mystery. It feeds on over 1,100 species of plants, including 150 greenhouse plants and crops, such as maize, soy, tomatoes and citrus. The cost of chemically controlling damage caused by the spider mite exceeds USD 1 billion per year. In the latest issue of the journal Nature, a multinational consortium of scientists publish the sequenced genome of the spider mite, revealing how it is capable of such feeding frenzy, as well as other secrets of this tiny pest. These findings open the door to new approaches in pest control and crop protection, by allowing greater insight into the biological interactions between plants and herbivores that feed on them.
lio Sucena and Sara Magalhes, group leaders at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia (IGC) and the Centre for Environmental Biology, University of Lisbon (Portugal), respectively, are part of the 55-strong team of researchers from 10 countries that were involved in this project. Led by Miodrag Grbic (University of Western Ontario, Canada), this team analysed the genome of the spider mite, sequenced with funds from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) programme, Genome Canada and the European Union.
The spider mite feeds on an astonishingly large number of plants because it withstands the toxins that plants produce. This in itself is an amazing feat. However, among arthropods (animals with exoskeletons, such as spiders, ticks, crustaceans and insects), the spider mite holds first place in the number of pesticides it is resistant to. Mites become resistant to new pesticides within two to four years, meaning that control of multi-resistant spider mites has become increasingly difficult.
Having the sequence of the spider mite genome has shown light on the genetic basis for its feeding flexibility and pesticide resistance. The secret lies in having, on the one hand, more copies of the genes involved in digesting and degrading plant toxins when compared to insects. On the other, the tiny pest seems to have incorporated genes from bacteria and fungi that are involved in digestion and detoxification.
Indeed, the researchers identified two groups of bacterial and fungi genes that are unique to the spider mite, suggesting that the tiny arthropod is adept at making the most of the innovation of transfer of genes between distant species (called lateral gene transfer - a rare occurrence in nature).
Other groups of genes are shared, with aphids, for example (aphids are insects that also feed on crops). By comparing the aphid genome with that of the spider mite, it seems that the bacterial genes moved first into the insects and from these were taken up by the spider mite.
The name gives it away: spider mites make webs, for protection against predators and as a barrier against bad weather. However, their webs are different to those made by spiders: the genome sequence has revealed 17 genes involved in making web proteins. These proteins make thinner fibres, but seem to be slightly more resistant to mechanical forces than other natural materials.
All these secrets came out of a very small genome - only 90 megabases (the fruit fly genome has 180 megabases; the human genome has 3,000 megabases). It is, indeed, the smallest arthropod genome sequenced so far, and reveals a remarkable evolutionary history: the spider mite has lost many genes that are shared amongst arthropods, but has accumulated species-specific genes, such as those that give it the ability to withstand toxins and pesticides.
The Portuguese scientists were involved in analysing immunity-related genes found in the spider mite genome. The spider mite belongs to the Chelicerata family, the second largest group of terrestrial animals. Chelicerates include spiders, scorpions and ticks. Chelicerates and insects make up the Arthropods. The spider mite is the first chelicerate to have its entire genome sequenced and analysed.
###
[ | 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/igdc-sms112311.php
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Thursday 24 November 2011
Michele Bachmann's 'revealing' book: 9 highlights (The Week)
New York ? Can a retelling of the Minnesota congresswoman's story, mixed with a little dishing, revive her presidential campaign?
Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) first book, Core of Conviction: My Story, was released Monday, and it's "largely a 206-page version of her stump speech" for the GOP presidential nomination, says Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times. The book recounts Bachmann's childhood, parents' divorce, spiritual awakening, marriage, child-rearing, early career, and, in the final chapter, her run for president. But among the well-worn talking points, says Minnesota Public Radio's Catharine Richert, are some "revealing tidbits" and dishy political nuggets. Book-promotion tours have worked wonders for rivals Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich,?says Tim Murphy at Mother Jones. So "if Core of Conviction can't save Bachmann's campaign, nothing will." Here, nine highlights from Bachmann's debut book:
1. She says she entered politics on a whim
Bachmann's first successful election was in 2000, when she unseated a Republican state senator she found too moderate. As Bachmann tells it in Core of Conviction, she attended the GOP nominating convention, gave a speech, and threw her name in the hat on a whim, "just doing my duty as a citizen, speaking out." Not so fast, says Tim Murphy at?Mother Jones.?In earlier versions of her story, Bachmann said she planned her primary challenge for a year.?"By some accounts, there were even pro-Bachmann campaign signs" at the convention. This creation myth "whopper," on Page 1, sets the tone for the book.
2. She blasts Bush for "bailout socialism"
Bachmann lobs plenty of shots at President Obama and his "gangster government," but she doesn't refrain from criticizing her own party, or its last president. In the 2006 elections, when Bachmann won her U.S. House seat and the GOP lost the House, voters felt Republicans "had grown smug and complacent" and turned the House into "a bad brew of GOP incompetence, carelessness, and a dash of corruption," she writes. By 2008, Bachmann laments, the Bush administration "was embracing a kind of 'bailout socialism'" by pushing the TARP bank rescue, which she calls an unconstitutional "$700 billion blank check." (A $700 billion "blank check" is "a logical impossibility," notes Mother Jones' Murphy.)
3. But still recalls Bush fondly
Despite TARP, Bush is an "eminently decent man," Bachmann writes. When the 43rd president campaigned for her in 2006, Bachmann's?mother told her to dress like a lady, so she work a pink suit, pink shoes, and pink gloves. In the presidential limo, Bachmann says, Bush "asked with a crinkly smile" why she was wearing the gloves, and when she explained, "he said gently, 'Lose the gloves.'"
4. Bachmann just adores Iowa
Bachmann moved to Minnesota from Iowa when she was 12, but she praises her must-win birth state throughout the book, "either as a proud former resident, a pandering politician, or both," says Devin Henry at?MinnPost. For example, here's her recollection of learning that she'd be moving: "I don't want to leave Iowa. I love living in Iowa. Iowa is home ? everything I know. It's family, friends, church. A happy place. A wonderful place. I never want to be anywhere else. And when I die, I want to be buried in the Garden of Memories Cemetery, alongside my grandparents."
5. She prefers Hillary Clinton to Obama
Assuming Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) couldn't have won the 2008 presidential election, Bachmann writes, "I would have wanted Mrs. Clinton" to win. "I could see that she seemed less leftist revolutionary than Obama."
6. Bachmann is a Palin fan, too
The Minnesotan has even warmer words for McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, whom Bachmann met in the summer of 2008 in Alaska. "Sarah and I realized that we had a lot in common," Bachmann writes. "We shared the same firm faith; we both had carved out political careers thanks to our supportive husbands. In addition, we both had five biological kids."
7. She has a "love-hate relationship" with NPR's Garrison Keillor
Even though she voted to cut funding for public radio, Bachmann has warm words for her fellow Ankola High School alum Keillor, calling the liberal Prairie Home Companion host a "legend." Keillor's "politics are very different from mine, but I love his gentle, knowing humor," she adds. Keillor doesn't return the love, says Ben Smith at?Politico. He wrote a campaign letter for Bachmann's 2010 rival calling the Republican "embarrassing to me and a great many Minnesotans."
8. Bachmann has some favorite buzz words
Bachmann uses the word "faith" 43 times and "ObamaCare" 51 times in her book, and has 49 references to Obama and 37 to Ronald Reagan. It also has 109 exclamation points in its 200-plus pages.
9. And there's plenty more "Bachmannalia"
Along with larger revelations, the book is "littered with Bachmannalia," says Mother Jones' Murphy. Like when she first saw a reference to the Beatles' song "Michelle," she was confused: "Why the two letters?" And as a teenager, she babysat a young Gretchen Carlson, now a Fox News morning host. The book includes a photo of the two of them in a swimming pool. Bachmann also recounts a family story in which her great-great-grandfather Halvor Munson won a Kansas farm in a poker game with infamous bandit Jesse James, reveling, "Who knew that you could win at poker with Jesse James and live?"
Sources: AP, CNN, Death & Taxes, Gawker, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, Minnesota Public Radio, MinnPost, Politico (2)
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Wednesday 23 November 2011
Telecommuting a bad option for stressed parents
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Telecommuting parents have little chance to escape the messy world of parenting, a new study suggests.
By Linda Carroll
If you?re considering telecommuting to salve your stress from the constant juggling of work and family, think again.
A new study shows that ?telework? takes a toll on the very employees who might desire this option most ? those who feel especially torn between job responsibilities and family. For these people, the more hours spent working at home, the higher the risk of burnout, according to the report, published in the Journal of Business and Psychology.
That?s because when job and family are in the same place, some workers feel there is no chance for downtime ?no respite or time to relax, said Timothy Golden, an associate professor of management at the Lally School of Management and Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
?A teleworker may feel conflict more because you?re being constantly reminded of your home role: whether it?s what you need to do as a parent or household chores,? Golden said. ?And that can make exhaustion worse."
Live Poll
Does work disrupt your family life?
167436
Yes, I wish I had more time with my family.
46%
167437
No, I have good work-life balance.
46%
167438
I don't have a job.
8%
VoteTotal Votes: 1351
Golden surveyed 316 employees from a large computer company that allows workers to? telecommute and to work with a flexible time schedules.
To ferret out the level of job/family conflict, Golden asked employees to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 how strongly they agreed with statements such as, ?My work keeps me from my family activities more than I would like,? ?Due to pressures at work, sometimes when I am at home I am too stressed to do the things I enjoy,? ?The time I spend on family responsibilities often interferes with my work responsibilities,? and ? Because I am often stressed from family responsibilities, I have a hard time concentrating on my work.?
Golden also surveyed the employees about their level of exhaustion. Study volunteers were asked to rate on a scale of 1-5 how strongly they agreed with statements such as, ?I feel emotionally drained by my work.?
Telecommuting was a boon to workers who felt little or no conflict between work and family. But those who were the most torn between home and work responsibilities showed increasing levels of exhaustion as hours spent teleworking rose.
Still, Golden said,? even among those who feel strong conflict, telecommuting can be a good choice if it?s done right. That means having clear boundaries, both mental and physical ? such as a door to one?s home office ? between work and family.
?Telework, if it?s done well, can be very beneficial,? he added. ?You save time commuting. You don?t have to deal with the stress of being delayed on your way to work because of traffic or weather.?You have the comfort of working where you want to. But you have to think ahead of time about what might impact you if you?re working from home.?
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New medical, research tool possible by probing cell mechanics
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells, a technology that could be used to diagnose human disease and better understand biological processes.
The team used an instrument called an atomic force microscope to study three distinctly different types of cells to demonstrate the method's potentially broad applications, said Arvind Raman, a Purdue University professor of mechanical engineering.
For example, the technique could be used to study how cells adhere to tissues, which is critical for many disease and biological processes; how cells move and change shape; how cancer cells evolve during metastasis; and how cells react to mechanical stimuli needed to stimulate production of vital proteins. The technique could be used to study the mechanical properties of cells under the influence of antibiotics and drugs that suppress cancer to learn more about the mechanisms involved.
Findings have been posted online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology and will appear in the December print issue. The work involves researchers from Purdue and the University of Oxford.
"There's been a growing realization of the role of mechanics in cell biology and indeed a lot of effort in building models to explain how cells feel, respond and communicate mechanically both in health and disease," said Sonia Contera, a paper co-author and director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Nanotechnology and an academic fellow at Oxford physics. "With this paper, we provide a tool to start addressing some of these questions quantitatively: This is a big step."
An atomic force microscope uses a tiny vibrating probe to yield information about materials and surfaces on the scale of nanometers, or billionths of a meter. Because the instrument enables scientists to "see" objects far smaller than possible using light microscopes, it could be ideal for "mapping" the mechanical properties of the tiniest cellular structures.
"The maps identify the mechanical properties of different parts of a cell, whether they are soft or rigid or squishy," said Raman, who is working with doctoral student Alexander Cartagena and other researchers. "The key point is that now we can do it at high resolution and higher speed than conventional techniques."
The high-speed capability makes it possible to watch living cells and observe biological processes in real time. Such a technique offers the hope of developing a "mechanobiology-based" assay to complement standard biochemical assays.
"The atomic force microscope is the only tool that allows you to map the mechanical properties - take a photograph, if you will - of the mechanical properties of a live cell," Raman said.
However, existing techniques for mapping these properties using the atomic force microscope are either too slow or don't have high enough resolution.
"This innovation overcomes those limitations, mostly through improvements in signal processing," Raman said. "You don't need new equipment, so it's an economical way to bump up pixels per minute and get quantitative information. Most importantly, we applied the technique to three very different kinds of cells: bacteria, human red blood cells and rat fibroblasts. This demonstrates its potential broad utility in medicine and research."
The technique is nearly five times faster than standard atomic force microscope techniques.
###
Purdue University: http://www.purdue.edu/
Thanks to Purdue University for this article.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115386/New_medical__research_tool_possible_by_probing_cell_mechanics
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Tuesday 22 November 2011
Attorney: Truck faulty in Yale tailgating death
NEW HAVEN, Conn.?? A rented U-Haul that struck and killed a Massachusetts tailgater at a Yale-Harvard football game malfunctioned as a Yale undergraduate drove the vehicle into a crowded parking lot, the student's attorney said Sunday.
William Dow, representing Yale student Brendan Ross, said Saturday's collision was a "tragic accident that appears to be the result of a vehicle malfunction." He did not elaborate and said Ross would not be speaking publicly about what happened.
But Ross and his family wanted to express their condolences to the three people who were hit by the truck, Dow said, including 30-year-old Nancy Barry of Salem, Mass., who was killed.
Barry suffered fatal injuries at the scene near the Yale Bowl. Sarah Short, 31, a Yale student from New Haven, remained hospitalized Sunday with leg injuries. Elizabeth Dernbach, 23, a Harvard employee originally from Naples, Fla., was treated for her injuries Saturday and released.
Ross passed a field sobriety test after the collision Saturday and police said he has been cooperative in their investigation, which remained open Sunday. No charges had been filed.
Police say Ross was driving the U-Haul carrying beer kegs through a popular tailgating area before the Yale-Harvard game when witnesses saw the vehicle turn a corner and speed up, striking Barry and injuring the other two women. The truck then crashed into other U-Haul vans on the lot.
The Yale Daily News reported Sunday that the U-Haul was heading to a tailgate party for Sigma Phi Epsilon, the fraternity of which Ross is a member and where police listed his address.
A spokesman for the Yale chapter referred questions to the national Sigma Phi Epsilon headquarters, which was sending a representative to Yale over the weekend. A statement from the Richmond, Va.-based fraternity Sunday said it was "deeply saddened by the tragic accident," and referred questions to New Haven police.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. The fraternity is currently working with law enforcement officials as they investigate the details of exactly what happened," the statement read.
Yale put its mental health counselors and chaplain's office on alert to work with students and faculty who seek help, and said its Dean's Office and Yale Athletics plan to undertake a full review of policies and regulations on tailgating.
Harvard also issued a statement expressing its sympathy for those involved.
New Haven police said their investigation will include a forensic review of the rented U-Haul truck, a review of witness statements and other work before they can determine whether anyone should face charges. The truck was impounded as part of the investigation.
At the annual Yale-Harvard game, tailgating is nearly as storied as the competition itself. Elaborate buffets dot the parking lots, and fans frequently fill U-Haul trucks with kegs, grills and hard alcohol.
Six years ago, Yale began shutting down all parties after halftime in an effort to curb binge drinking and keep students and alumni safe. Saturday's fans had gathered for the 128th game of the Ivy League rivalry, which Harvard won 45-7 for its fifth straight victory over Yale.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45376284/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
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Truck strikes Yale-Harvard fans, killing 1
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP) ? A driver of a rental truck carrying beer kegs through a parking area before the Yale-Harvard game Saturday suddenly accelerated, fatally striking a 30-year-old woman and injuring two other women, police said.
It's not clear why the driver sped up, New Haven Police spokesman David Hartman said. The truck then crashed into other rental vans in the lot, an open playing field used for pre-game parties before Yale home games in New Haven.
Tim Walker of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, said he was grilling sirloin tips when he heard the crash behind him. He turned and saw two people lying on the ground.
People huddled around them trying to help, according to a video that appears to have been recorded shortly after the accident and posted online. "We're not getting a pulse," said someone crouched near one victim, while the cameraman notes the ambulance hasn't arrived.
After emergency officials arrived, Walker said, he saw one victim being given cardiopulmonary resuscitation as she was taken away.
"The driver looked shocked. Absolutely shocked," Walker said. Police have not said whether alcohol was a factor.
"He didn't look intoxicated or anything like that," Walker added. "He had a dazed look like he had just hit someone."
Hartman said the driver was in police custody.
He said the woman who was killed was pronounced dead at about 10:15 a.m. at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Police did not immediately release her identity.
A second woman was listed in critical but stable condition at the hospital. The third woman suffered minor injuries.
The fans had gathered for the 128th game of the Ivy League rivalry, with Harvard looking for its fifth straight win over Yale. Three hours after the accident, the loud partying continued in the lot, with music blaring from large speakers and fans grilling hot dogs, sausage and hamburgers. Some students danced on top of other rental trucks.
The accident scene was cordoned off by yellow police tape.
At halftime of the game, with Harvard leading Yale, 24-7, the public address announcer at Yale Bowl informed the crowd of the accident and the woman's death, noting that it had been confirmed by the New Haven Police. He asked spectators to stand and observe a moment of silence.
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Monday 21 November 2011
Sunday 20 November 2011
Details on Obama's Australian visit lost in street (AP)
CANBERRA, Australia ? The Australian government says it is investigating how a classified booklet detailing Barack Obama's itinerary came to be lost in a gutter during the president's visit last week.
Journalist Dylan Welch of The Age newspaper reported that he found the 120-page booklet on Thursday about 100 yards (meters) from Parliament House in Canberra, where Obama attended several functions during his 27-hour Australian visit.
The booklet contained details on Obama's itinerary, his security convoy and the cell phone numbers of senior U.S. and Australian officials.
Australia's Attorney-General's Department said in a statement on Sunday it was investigating. The department said it did not comment on security matters.
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Saturday 19 November 2011
Woods without a point as American keep the lead (AP)
MELBOURNE, Australia ? The Americans kept the lead in the Presidents Cup, and they still don't have a point from Tiger Woods.
Woods is 0-2 for the first time ever in this event, and the first time in any team competition since he and Phil Mickelson lost their opening two matches at the 2004 Ryder Cup.
Aaron Baddeley earned a small measure of redemption by making a strong par on the 18th hole as he and Jason Day finished the job in fourballs for a 1-up win over Woods and Dustin Johnson.
In the opening round, Baddeley contributed to his side losing the last two holes and having to settle for a half-point.
"I was very disappointed yesterday. I feel like I let Jason down," Baddeley said. "So it was great to come through today and make par on the last hole."
Woods was the only American without a point, although his game has been decent.
His partnership ? Steve Stricker in foursomes Thursday, Johnson in fourballs on Friday ? have won one hole. That came on the fourth hole when Woods rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt, complete with a fist pump that his rarely seen these days.
All that mattered was his teammates taking on the worst kind of wind at Royal Melbourne and winning three matches to assure themselves the lead going into a double session on Saturday.
The wind was vicious, and out of the north. Instead of a fourballs session loaded with birdies, most players were happy with pars. That included Woods, who along with Johnson had a tough time getting it close to the hole for a good look at birdie.
"Just trying to hit the greens, that was s heck of an accomplishment," Woods said. "Wedges weren't holding, balls were oscillating on the greens, you've got to play the wind on putts. It was a tough day."
Els, a multiple winner at Royal Melbourne, said it was the fastest he has ever seen the greens because of the heat and wind. Officials did not cut the greens overnight, fearful of wind blowing golf balls all over the place.
"On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it an 11 today," International captain Greg Norman said about the conditions as the round began.
The Americans managed just fine.
Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson, the leadoff match for the second straight day, again beat Ernie Els and Ryo Ishikawa, closing them out on the second hole. Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk also remained perfect, with Furyk making a birdie on the 17th for a 2-and-1 win over Adam Scott and K.T. Kim.
Stricker was paired with Matt Kuchar, only it was Kuchar who holed all the big putts in a 4-and-3 win over Robert Allenby and Y.E. Yang. There were two matches still on the course, and the International team led both of them.
At worst, the Americans would have a 7-5 lead, with 10 points at stake on Saturday.
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Friday 18 November 2011
Court says backers can defend gay marriage measure (AP)
SAN FRANCISCO ? The sponsors of ballot propositions can step in to defend their initiatives from legal challenges if the governor and attorney general refuse to do so, California's highest court said Thursday in a precedent-setting ruling that could prove pivotal to the future of the state's same-sex marriage ban and its notoriously vigorous citizens' initiative process.
Responding to a question from a federal appeals court that is considering the constitutionality of the state's voter-approved gay marriage ban, the California Supreme Court said the lawmaking power granted to citizens under the state constitution doesn't end once propositions have been approved or rejected by voters.
"We conclude that California law authorizes the official proponents, under such circumstances, to appear in the proceeding to assert the state's interest in the initiative's validity and to appeal a judgment invalidating the measure," the unanimous ruling written by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye states.
In the 61-page opinion, the seven justices said denying ballot proposition backers a seat at the table would effectively grant the governor and attorney general veto power over initiatives with which they disagreed, a situation the justices said would undermine the law-making powers California gave voters in 1911.
"Neither the governor, the attorney general, nor any other executive or legislative official has the authority to veto or invalidate an initiative measure that has been approved by the voters," the decision said. "It would exalt form over substance to interpret California law in a manner that would permit these public officials to indirectly achieve such a result by denying the official initiative proponents the authority to step in to assert the state's interest ..."
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asked the state court in January to clarify who is eligible to fight for voter-approved initiatives in court when state officials opt not to. The panel said the question was unsettled under both federal and California law, but central to its deliberations in the ongoing same-sex marriage skirmish because if the backers of the 2008 initiative known as Proposition 8 lacked legal standing, it would have to dismiss the case.
The coalition of religious and conservative groups that qualified Proposition 8 for the ballot and successfully campaigned for its passage have asked the 9th Circuit to reverse a federal trial judge's ruling in August 2010 striking down the measure as a violation of gay Californians' civil rights. Both former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gov. Jerry Brown, in his previous role as state attorney general, took the unusual step of refusing to appeal the decision.
The appeals court panel now must decide whether to accept the court's guidance and if so, how to apply it to Proposition 8. The state court's word, while expected to carry substantial weight since it involves a state Constitutional matter, is non-binding on the federal court.
But if the 9th Circuit does accept the Supreme Court's interpretation, it would clear the way for the appeals court to analyze the substance of the appeal. The ban's supporters on Thursday cheered the likelihood of that happening now that the state court has weighed in.
"We are delighted that the Supreme Court has clearly reaffirmed our right, as the official proponents of Prop 8, to defend over seven million Californians who amended their own State Constitution to restore traditional marriage," Protect Marriage General Counsel Andy Pugno said. "This victory is an enormous boost for Proposition 8 as well as the integrity of the initiative process itself."
Lawyers for the two gay couples who successfully sued to overturn the ban in the lower court had argued that if the ban's backers did not have the right to appeal, the trial judge's decision would stand and same-sex marriages would be legal in California for the first time since Proposition 8 passed three years ago.
After the Supreme Court ruling was issued, the couples' high-powered lawyers said they still felt confident the ban ultimately would be struck down by the 9th Circuit and possibly reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
"We are very anxious to move forward on the merits," former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson said.
The ruling establishes a state precedent that could be used in other ballot initiative cases the attorney general or governor decline to defend. Instances are rare of state officials refusing to appeal rulings that are adverse to voter-approved laws, but they have come up in California every couple decades or so.
Civil rights groups criticized the Supreme Court's expansive view of the initiative process, predicting it would put minorities at a political disadvantage.
"Allowing the Prop 8 proponents to have special rights in court may open the floodgates to wealthy special interests to do the same," said Courage Campaign chairman Rick Jacobs, whose group champions progressive causes in California. "The judges of the 9th Circuit must determine if people who had enough money to buy a ballot measure that calls for people to vote on each other's rights should have special rights in federal court."
___
Associated Press Writer Paul Elias and Video Journalist Haven Daley in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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Obama says Myanmar needs to do more on human rights (Reuters)
CANBERRA (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama said on Thursday Myanmar had opened a dialogue on reform but needed to do more to improve human rights, in his first remarks about the authoritarian regime after the Southeast Asian nation released political prisoners.
A senior Myanmar Home Ministry official told Reuters on Wednesday that the new civilian government was ready to release more political prisoners, a further sign that genuine reform could be underway after five decades of harsh military rule.
"Some political prisoners have been released. The government has begun a dialogue. Still, violations of human rights persist," Obama said in a speech to the Australian parliament.
"So we will continue to speak clearly about the steps that must be taken for the government of Burma to have a better relationship with the United States."
The United States, Europe and Australia have said that freeing political prisoners is a precondition to lifting sanctions that have crippled Myanmar's economy and driven it closer to China.
Obama is in Australia ahead of visiting the Indonesian island of Bali for the East Asia Summit, and to signal a closer U.S. engagement with the Pacific.
Myanmar President Thein Sein, seen as having a reformist agenda, is already in Bali for a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The senior Myanmar official said the authorities were preparing "very soon" to release political prisoners for the second time under an amnesty in just over a month.
Another amnesty would boost Thein Sein's image and strengthen his case for Myanmar taking the rotating ASEAN presidency in 2014, two years ahead of schedule -- a bid widely seen as an attempt to legitimize the new political system.
Myanmar's National League for Democracy, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, is expected to decide on Friday whether to re-register as a political party to contest imminent by-elections.
HUMAN RIGHTS
In his speech, Obama said the U.S. would continue to champion human rights.
"Every nation will chart its own course. Yet it is also true that certain rights are universal, among them freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and the freedom of citizens to choose their own leaders," he said.
"These are not American rights, or Australian rights, or Western rights. They are human rights. They stir in every soul, as we've seen in democracy's success in Asia."
The United States has had strained relations with Myanmar since the military junta, which took power in a 1962 coup, killed thousands in a crackdown in 1988.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last Friday that Myanmar appeared to be making some "real changes" to its political system, but the United States wants to see more reform before embracing the country formerly known as Burma.
Clinton noted reports of "substantive dialogue" between the government and Suu Kyi and changes in the country's laws on labor and political party registration.
(Reporting by Michael Perry; Additional reporting by James Grubel and Caren Bohan; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Jonathan Thatcher)
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Thursday 17 November 2011
Making chemicals from biogas instead of burning it
ScienceDaily (Nov. 15, 2011) ? Combustible gases generated by organic matter in landfill sites or from biomass are commonly burned to generate electricity. However, a Finnish team, writing in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Sustainable Economy, suggests that such biogas might be more usefully used as an alternative feedstock for the chemical industry. They explain that using biogas in this way would reduce our dependency on oil and gas-derived products and is commercially and technically viable.
Jouko Arvola of the University of Oulu and colleagues there and at Oulu University of Applied Sciences point out that environmental pressure has turned our focus to reducing carbon emissions by the employment of renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels. Biomass can be readily converted to usable energy mostly in the form of methane through anaerobic fermentation, they point out. Rather than simply burning this biogas, the team suggests that at the local level it would be beneficial in terms of resources and pollution to utilise this valuable carbon source as an industrial feedstock. They have now examined the viability of such an approach to industrial sites in Finland and demonstrated, in theory at least, that this is a serious alternative to natural gas or oil-derived resources.
To initiate such a switch to biogas from landfill and other sources, there may have to be subsidies akin to those implemented in food production. However, as the price of raw fossil materials -- oil and gas -- continues to rise, biogas will become a more competitive alternative feedstock and government support could gradually be reduced.
"The use of biogas can be promoted by identifying existing industrial sites currently using fossil-based gas as raw material and by analysing whether they can utilise biogas," the team says. "By constructing biogas producing unit at industrial sites potentially enables development of other biogas applications. Building pipelines to other biogas users, or vehicle uses, are potential options," they add.
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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115132855.htm
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Monti forms new Italian govt with no politicians
Italian premier Mario Monti, left, receives a small bell from former premier Silvio Berlusconi at Chigi palace premier office after the swearing ceremony, in Rome Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. The bell is used by the Prime Minister to call attention during cabinet meetings. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
Italian premier Mario Monti, left, receives a small bell from former premier Silvio Berlusconi at Chigi palace premier office after the swearing ceremony, in Rome Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. The bell is used by the Prime Minister to call attention during cabinet meetings. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
Italian Premier Mario Monti, second right, is flanked by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, second left, International Cooperation Minister Andrea Riccardi, left, and Relations with Parliament Minister Piero Giarda during the swearing ceremony of the new government at the Quirinale Presidential palace, in Rome, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. Premier Mario Monti formed a new Italian government without a single politician Wednesday, drawing from the ranks of bankers, diplomats and business executives tasked with ensuring the country escapes looming financial disaster. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
Italian Premier Mario Monti with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano during the swearing ceremony of the new government at the Quirinale Presidential palace, in Rome, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. Premier Mario Monti formed a new Italian government without a single politician Wednesday, drawing from the ranks of bankers, diplomats and business executives tasked with ensuring the country escapes looming financial disaster. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
Italian premier Mario Monti, right, meets with former premier Silvio Berlusconi at Chigi palace premier office after the swearing ceremony, in Rome Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
Former premier Silvio Berlusconi leaves Chigi palace after a ceremony to give his successor Mario Monti a small bell, in Rome Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. The bell is used by the Prime Minister to call attention during cabinet meetings. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
ROME (AP) ? Premier Mario Monti formed a new Italian government without a single politician Wednesday, drawing upon bankers, diplomats and business executives for a team to steer Italy away from financial disaster.
The 68-year-old former European Union competition commissioner told reporters he will serve as Italy's economy minister as well as its premier as he seeks "sacrifices" from across the political spectrum to solve the economy's woes and get it growing again.
In another troubled European economy, Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos easily won a confidence vote for his new government Wednesday, formed last week with politicians from the Socialists, the rival conservatives and a small right-wing party. He won 255-38 in the 300-member parliament.
Papademos' government, which is only expected to be in power until elections in February, was created to push through a euro130 billion ($177 billion) new debt deal and get vital bailout funds immediately to fend off a catastrophic default. He must also oversee the implementation of a raft of austerity measures already passed, including increased taxes and the suspension of about 30,000 civil servants on partial pay.
His government is also negotiating with banks about a plan to forgive half of Greece's massive debt.
In Rome, after introducing his government, Monti and his new Cabinet ministers were sworn in at a solemn ceremony at the presidential palace, formally ending Silvio Berlusconi's 3 1/2-year-old government and the media mogul's 17-year-long political dominance.
Berlusconi and Monti later shared a handshake in an unofficial handover of power at the premier's office.
Monti said he will lay out his emergency plan Thursday in the Senate before a confidence vote. A second vote, in the lower Chamber of Deputies, will follow, likely on Friday. He stressed that economic growth is a top priority.
Hopes for his new administration won Italy some respite in financial markets Wednesday, but the relief didn't last long. By afternoon, the yield or interest rate on 10-year Italian bonds was back dangerously near 7 percent ? the threshold that eventually forced Greece, Ireland and Portugal to seek bailouts.
Up until summer, Italy had mostly avoided the European debt turmoil despite having a jaw-dropping debt of euro1.9 trillion ($2.6 trillion), nearly 120 percent of its GDP. But after Berlusconi's frequent delays and backtracking on austerity measures, the markets lost faith that his government could fix Italy's economic issues.
Restoring confidence is crucial because, as the third-largest economy in the eurozone, Italy is too big for Europe to rescue. A debt default by Italy could break up the eurozone, a catastrophic event for the global economy.
Italy's economy is hampered by high wage costs, low productivity, fat government payrolls, excessive taxes, choking bureaucracy and low numbers of college graduates. But Monti says Italy can beat the crisis if its polarized citizenry can pull together.
"I hope that, governing well, we can make a contribution to the calming and the cohesion of the political forces," Monti told reporters.
Explaining why his Cabinet had no one from Italy's fractious political parties, Monti said he decided after talks with party leaders "that the non-presence of politicians in the government would help it."
He has also met with union leaders and business representatives.
German Chancellor Angel Merkel, who was critical of Berlusconi's efforts, sent her congratulations. Spokesman Steffen Seibert expressed her hope that Monti's government would carry out reforms "so that Italy can win back the trust of markets."
"She thinks very highly of him. He is an expert who knows the relations in Europe very well," he told reporters.
Monti's ministers include Corrado Passera, CEO of Italy's second-largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA, to head Economic Development and Infrastructure; Piero Gnudi, a longtime chairman of Enel utility company, as Tourism and Sport minister in a country heavily dependent on tourist revenues; and the current Italian ambassador to Washington, Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, to be foreign minister.
Monti said he put Passera in charge of two areas to ensure good coordination on projects that can boost economic growth.
A historian of the Catholic church with close ties to the Vatican, Andrea Riccardi, was named minister of international and domestic cooperation, a choice that seemed to reward pro-Vatican lawmakers.
Analysts gave Monti's selections top marks.
"I think the quality of the people is very high," said Roberto D'Alimonte, a political science professor at Rome's LUISS University. "All these people are very high-caliber, and highly respected, independent."
Yet still his choices raised some eyebrows.
"This government ? ties to banks, to business, to the Vatican, to private universities, to the usual names ? is the opposite of what this country needs," said Paolo Ferrero, leader of a tiny, far-left party.
In other choices, the new defense minister is Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, currently NATO's top military officer. Three ministers are university professors, like Monti, and three are women, reflecting Monti's insistence that women hold more high-profile posts in government.
The Association of Magistrates ? which had an antagonistic relationship with Berlusconi's government ? welcomed the appointment of Paola Severino and pledged its support to improve the justice system.
The shift in power away from career politicians had caused bickering within Berlusconi's conservative People of Freedom Party, which eventually endorsed Monti. But Berlusconi's main coalition ally, the Northern League, is returning to the opposition during Monti's government.
The head of Italy's largest union group, Susanna Camusso, backed Monti but hoped he "won't put his priority on pensions."
Parliament last week voted to raise the retirement age as part of an austerity package to 67 by 2026 and 70 by 2050, but critics say those reforms are meaningless because they are so far in the future. The new reforms also call for the sale of state property, privatizing some services, and offering tax incentives to companies that hire young workers. But the measures contained no painful labor reforms.
Some Italians weren't so enthusiastic about an unelected government.
"When governments of technocrats are needed, it means democracy and politics are considered useless, so it's something negative that has to be for a limited period of time," said skeptic Giuseppe Drago on the streets of Rome.
___
Barry reported from Milan.
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