New drug stimulates immune system to kill infected cells in animal model of hepatitis B infection

New drug stimulates immune system to kill infected cells in animal model of hepatitis B infection

Monday, April 29, 2013

A novel drug developed by Gilead Sciences and tested in an animal model at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio suppresses hepatitis B virus infection by stimulating the immune system and inducing loss of infected cells.

In a study conducted at Texas Biomed's Southwest National Primate Research Center, researchers found that the immune modulator GS-9620, which targets a receptor on immune cells, reduced both the virus levels and the number of infected liver cells in chimpanzees chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Chimpanzees are the only species other than humans that can be infected by HBV. Therefore, the results from this study were critical in moving the drug forward to human clinical trials which are now in progress.

The new report, co-authored by scientists from Texas Biomed and Gilead Sciences, appears in the May issue of Gastroenterology. Gilead researchers had previously demonstrated that the same therapy could induce a cure of hepatitis infection in woodchucks that were chronically infected with a virus similar to human HBV.

"This is an important proof-of-concept study demonstrating that the therapy stimulates the immune system to suppress the virus and eliminate infected liver cells," said co-author Robert E. Lanford, Ph.D., of Texas Biomed. "One of the key observations was that the therapy continued to suppress virus levels for months after therapy was stopped.

The current therapy for HBV infection targets the virus and works very well at suppressing viral replication and delaying progression of liver disease, but it is a lifelong therapy that does not provide a cure.

"This GS-9620 therapy represents the first conceptually new treatment for HBV in more than a decade, and combining it with the existing antiviral therapy could be transformative in dealing with this disease," stated Lanford.

The Gilead drug binds a receptor called Toll-Like Receptor 7 that is present in immune cells. The receptor normally recognizes invading viruses and triggers the immune system to suppress viral replication by the innate immune response and kill infected cells by the adaptive immune response, thus orchestrating both arms of the immune system.

HBV damages the liver, leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer death. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 1.4 million Americans are chronically infected with HBV.

The World Health Organization estimates that two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus, resulting in more than 240 million people with chronic infections and 620,000 deaths every year.

###

Texas Biomedical Research Institute: http://txbiomed.org/

Thanks to Texas Biomedical Research Institute for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127969/New_drug_stimulates_immune_system_to_kill_infected_cells_in_animal_model_of_hepatitis_B_infection

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How Android and iOS ruined this fake wedding, according to Windows Phone

We can all stipulate that holding up your phone at a wedding like that is kind of a douche move, right? Could be worse, though -- they could all be carrying annoying safety day-glo nuclear green phones or something.

And you gotta love the "Do not attempt" fine print.

Meanwhile, Android activated another thousand devices in the time it took you to watch that commercial. 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/5nNt09EiHJQ/story01.htm

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Vermont Telephone Company's gigabit internet service is live, half the price of Google Fiber

Remember how Google Fiber's recent announcement for planned service in Austin by 2014 spurred immediate competition from AT&T? It's safe to say telcos in other areas have taken note about the gigabit speeds and roughly $70 montly pricing, too. According to a Wall Street Journal Digits blog post, Vermont Telephone Company is now offering gigabit-speed service to some of its customers for the crazy low stand-alone price of $35 bucks a month. To keep things in perspective, WSJ notes that roughly 600 folks are subscribed (out of VTel's total base of about 17.5K) and that the company is essentially going to be analyzing whether the current pricing will remain for the long-term. With Google Fiber to continuing to expand, it's certainly promising to see how superspeed internet is trickling across the US -- and how easy it's been looking on the wallet.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: The Wall Street Journal Digits

Source: VTel

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/wcZaaG5_9OA/

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Obama to Nominate Foxx for Transportation Secretary (WSJ)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/302205411?client_source=feed&format=rss

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95% Gimme The Loot

All Critics (42) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (2)

A thousand-watt jolt of mischief, a spunky, funky, ebullient indie that packs its 81 minutes with cinematic exhilaration.

It may be a slight movie, but it has its sunny charms.

A movie about teenage taggers in the Bronx should be fast and raw, scruffy and loose, and Adam Leon's Gimme the Loot is just that.

As it lopes along, the movie offers a warm but very sharp portrait of New York's have-nots and their uneasy relationship with the haves.

"Gimme the Loot" shouldn't be as appealing and exuberant as it is, it really shouldn't.

Tashiana Washington and Ty Hickson are terrific in the main roles. So is Zo? Lescaze as Ginnie, a spoiled white kid who teaches the taggers a thing or two about drift and being dissolute.

Funny and freewheeling, it's a joy.

A slim, low-budget coming-of-age tale whose richness lies entirely in its interstices. A keenly observed work that celebrates the unfettered joys of youth, and rewards by reminding of the power of a simple tale told well.

Simultaneously real and hopeful, "Loot" has almost no plot, but when the setting is so fresh and the characters feel so raw and alive, who needs one?

Ghetto laughs with a sophisticated point of view.

...a magical, summery treat.

Promotes robbery and can't be serious in expecting us to care whether Malcolm and Sofia become more than friends.

The winner of the Indie Spirit 'One to Watch' award could never work again and will always have a memorable New York City film to his credit.

An impressive debut feature, Gimme the Loot is also an unusual take on characters who want to leave their stamp on "the city that never sleeps."

Much more grownup than it looks, Gimme the Loot is that rare teen-centric film whose brisk pace is unburdened by sentimentality.

No quotes approved yet for Gimme The Loot. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gimme_the_loot_2012/

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Former Ms. magazine editor Mary Thom dies in N.Y. crash

YONKERS, N.Y. (AP) ? Prominent feminist Mary Thom, a writer and former editor of Ms. magazine who also was an avid motorcyclist, crashed while riding on a highway and was killed, her nephew said Saturday. She was 68.

Thom had a passion for riding motorcycles and died riding her 1996 Honda Magna 750 on Friday evening on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Yonkers, just north of New York City, nephew Thom Loubet said.

"The important thing to know about Mary is that she was a major leader of the 70's Feminist movement, but never desired the limelight," Loubet said in an email. "She stayed behind the scenes tirelessly crafting the message and simply making it better."

Thom was one of Ms. magazine's founding members and served as an editor there for about 20 years, leaving in 1992. She also was an author who wrote a book about the history of Ms. and was a co-author, with Suzanne Braun Levine, of an oral history of former congresswoman and activist Bella Abzug.

Most recently, Thom was the editor-in-chief of the Women's Media Center's features department, which produces reports and commentaries by national and international contributors.

Thom, an Akron, Ohio, native, lived for decades in New York City, where she became one of the women's movement's best editors, feminist icon Gloria Steinem said.

"She had a gift for helping people tell their own story, not for helping them sound like others, but helping them find their own voice," Steinem said.

Thom loved baseball, especially the Cleveland Indians, and adored watching Jon Stewart's hit Comedy Central program, "The Daily Show," Loubet said.

Thom is survived by her sister and other relatives.

Her death was first reported by The Journal News. Westchester County police did not immediately return calls seeking comment on the crash.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-ms-magazine-editor-mary-thom-dies-ny-011958281.html

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Bangladesh building collapse deaths near 350

SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) ? Police in Bangladesh took six people into custody in connection with the collapse of a shoddily-constructed building that killed at least 348 people, as rescue workers admitted Saturday that voices of survivors are getting weaker after four days of being pinned under the increasingly unstable rubble.

Still, in a boost for the rescuers, 29 survivors were pulled out Saturday, said army spokesman Shahinul Islam.

Most of the victims were crushed by massive blocks of concrete and mortar falling on them when the 8-story structure came down on Wednesday morning -- a time many of the garment factories in the building were packed with workers. It was the worst tragedy to hit Bangladesh's massive garment industry, and focused attention on the poor working conditions of the employees who toil for $38 a month to produce clothing for top international brands.

Among those arrested Saturday were two owners of a garment factory, who a Dhaka court ruled can be questioned by police for 12 days without charges being filed. Also detained are two government engineers and the wife of the building owner, who is on the run, in an attempt to force him to surrender. Late Saturday, police arrested another factory owner. Violent public protests continued sporadically in Dhaka and spread to the southeastern city of Chittagong where several vehicles were set on fire.

Working round-the-clock since Wednesday through heat and a thunderstorm, rescuers on Saturday finally reached the ground floor from the top of the mountainous rubble through 25 narrow holes they have drilled, said Brig. Gen. Ali Ahmed Khan, the head of the fire services.

"We are still getting response from survivors though they are becoming weaker slowly," he said, adding that rescue workers were now able to see cars that were parked at the ground level.

"The building is very vulnerable. Any time the floors could collapse. We are performing an impossible task, but we are glad that we are able to rescue so many survivors." He said the operations will continue overnight as chances fade of people surviving for a fifth day with possibly grievous injuries and the heat.

The building site was a hive of frenzied activity all day with soldiers, police and medical workers in lab coats working non-stop. Rescuers passed bottles of water and small cylinders of oxygen up a ladder leaning against the side of the building to be given to possible survivors inside.

They used bare hands and shovels, passing chunks of brick and concrete down a human chain away from the collapsed structure. On the ground, mixed in the debris were several pairs of pink cotton pants, a mud-covered navy blue sock and a pile of green uncut fabric.

Nearby, Abul Basar wept as he awaited news of his wife, who worked in one of the garment factories. "My son says that his mother will come back some day. She must return! " he cried.

Every once in a while a badly decomposed body would be brought out, covered in cloth and plastic, to a spot where ambulances were parked. Workers furiously sprayed air-fresheners on the bodies to cover the stench, leaving the air thick with the smell of death and cheap perfume.

The bodies were kept at a makeshift morgue at the nearby Adharchandra High School before being handed over to families. Many people milled around at the school, waving photos of their missing loved ones.

Junior local government minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak put the death toll at 348. Military spokesman Shahinul Islam said 2,429 survivors were accounted for, including 29 who were pulled out Saturday.

Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku said police had arrested Bazlus Samad, managing director of New Wave Apparels Ltd., and Mahmudur Rahman Tapash, the company chairman. He told reporters that police had also detained the wife of Mohammed Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, for questioning. The top three floors of the eight-story building were illegally constructed. Military spokesman Shahinul Islam said officials arrested Aminul Islam, chairman of Phantom Apparels Ltd., late Saturday in Dhaka.

Authorities are still searching for Rana, a local politician, who hasn't been seen publicly since the building collapsed. Negligence cases have been filed against him. Police in Bangladesh often detain relatives of missing suspects as a way to pressure them to surrender.

Dhaka police superintendent Habibur Rahman said Rana was a local leader of ruling Awami League's youth front. His arrest, and that of the factory owners, was ordered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the Awami League leader.

Police said they detained for questioning two engineers working for the Savar municipality, Imtemam Hossain and Alam Ali. They did not say what role they played in approving the design of the building but it was clear that the arrests amounted to a widening crackdown. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

A garment manufacturers' group said the factories in the building employed 3,122 workers, but it was not clear how many were inside it when it collapsed.

Police say they ordered an evacuation of the building on Tuesday after cracks in Rana Plaza were found, but the factories ignored the order and were operating when it collapsed the next day. Video before the collapse shows cracks in walls, with apparent attempts at repair. It also shows columns missing chunks of concrete and police talking to building operators.

Officials said soon after the collapse that numerous construction regulations had been violated.

The disaster is the worst ever for the country's booming and powerful garment industry, surpassing a fire five months ago that killed 112 people and brought widespread pledges to improve worker-safety standards. Since then, very little has changed in Bangladesh, where low wages have made it a magnet for numerous global brands.

Bangladesh's garment industry was the third largest in the world in 2011, after China and Italy, having grown rapidly in the past decade. The country's minimum wage is the equivalent of about $38 a month.

Among the garment makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style and New Wave Bottoms. Altogether, they produced several million shirts, pants and other garments a year.

The New Wave companies, according to their website, make clothing for several major North American and European retailers.

Britain's Primark acknowledged it was using a factory in Rana Plaza, but many other retailers distanced themselves from the disaster, saying they were not involved with the factories at the time of the collapse or had not recently ordered garments from them.

Wal-Mart said none of its clothing had been authorized to be made in the facility, but it is investigating whether there was any unauthorized production.

___

AP writers Chris Blake and Gillian Wong in Dhaka, Stephen Wright in Bangkok, Kay Johnson in Mumbai, Matthew Pennington in Washington and AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bangladesh-building-collapse-death-toll-nears-350-134516592.html

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Compassion Researcher Helps Facebook's Apps Get Emotional With Animated Stickers

Charles Darwin's Galapagos Finches and his book "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" are the inspirations for Facebook's first animated sticker pack, which begins rolling out today to Chat in Facebook for iOS and Messenger for Android. Designed by UC Berkeley "compassion researcher" Dacher Keltner, the downloadable Finch sticker set lets friends send each other vivid emotions, not just emoticons.

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

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Apple in talks with Nuance to bring Swype to iOS

MADRID, April 25 (Reuters) - Playmaker Andres Iniesta has dismissed the idea Barcelona are at the end of an era following their 4-0 Champions League mauling by Bayern Munich. Barca, who lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2011, were the favourites to win the competition ahead of Tuesday's semi-final first leg but they were so outclassed by the Germans that many pundits believe their recent spell of dominance is over. "I think it is unfair to talk of a cyclical change," the Spanish World Cup winner told a news conference on Thursday. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-talks-nuance-bring-swype-ios-151032725.html

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NKorea says it will indict American citizen

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? North Korea said Saturday it will soon put a detained American on trial for allegedly trying to overthrow the government, further complicating already fraught relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

The indictment of Kenneth Bae comes in the middle of a lull after weeks of war threats and other provocative acts by North Korea against the U.S. and South Korea. It has expressed rage over U.N. sanctions over a February nuclear test and ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills, though analysts say Pyongyang's motive is to get its Korean War foes to negotiate on its own terms.

"For North Korea, Bae is a bargaining chip in dealing with the U.S. The North will use him in a way that helps bring the U.S. to talks when the mood slowly turns toward dialogue," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean Studies at Seoul's Dongguk University.

Bae, identified in North Korean state media by his Korean name, Pae Jun Ho, is a tour operator of Korean descent who was arrested after arriving with a tour on Nov. 3 in Rason, a special economic zone bordering China and Russia.

He is the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The other Americans were eventually deported or released after high-profile diplomatic interventions, including some involving former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

"The preliminary inquiry into crimes committed by American citizen Pae Jun Ho closed," the official Korean Central News Agency said in a brief report. "In the process of investigation he admitted that he committed crimes aimed to topple the DPRK with hostility toward it. His crimes were proved by evidence."

DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Under North Korea's criminal code, terrorist acts include murdering, kidnapping and injuring the country's citizens can lead to a death sentence or life in jail.

North Korea and the United States fought the 1950-53 Korean War and still don't have diplomatic relations. The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the United States.

KCNA didn't say when Bae's trial will take place or what the charges were.

North Korea's state media and the U.S. government have made little information about Bae public.

But his friends, colleagues and South Korean activists specializing in North Korea affairs said Bae is a Christian missionary based in a Chinese border town who frequently made trips to North Korea to feed orphans there. It is not known whether he tried to evangelize while in North Korea.

Officially, North Korea guarantees freedom of religion. In practice, authorities crack down on Christians, who are seen as Western-influenced threats to the government. The distribution of Bibles and secret prayer services can mean banishment to a labor camp or execution, defectors from the country have said.

In 2009, American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for trespassing and unspecified hostile acts. They were freed later that year after former President Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang to negotiate their release.

Meanwhile, South Korea is pulling its citizens from a joint factory park in North Korea after Pyongyang rejected Seoul's demand for talks on the inter-Korean symbol of detente on Saturday. The park was shuttered earlier this month after the North pulled its workers out of it, objecting to views in South Korea that the complex is a source of badly needed hard currency for Pyongyang.

__

Associated Press reporter Sam Kim contributed from Seoul, South Korea.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-says-indict-american-citizen-031457146.html

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Competing pathways affect early differentiation of higher brain structures

Apr. 25, 2013 ? Sand-dwelling and rock-dwelling cichlids living in East Africa's Lake Malawi share a nearly identical genome, but have very different personalities. The territorial rock-dwellers live in communities where social interactions are important, while the sand-dwellers are itinerant and less aggressive.

Those behavioral differences likely arise from a complex region of the brain known as the telencephalon, which governs communication, emotion, movement and memory in vertebrates -- including humans, where a major portion of the telencephalon is known as the cerebral cortex. A study published this week in the journal Nature Communications shows how the strength and timing of competing molecular signals during brain development has generated natural and presumably adaptive differences in the telencephalon much earlier than scientists had previously believed.

In the study, researchers first identified key differences in gene expression between rock- and sand-dweller brains during development, and then used small molecules to manipulate developmental pathways to mimic natural diversity.

"We have shown that the evolutionary changes in the brains of these fishes occur really early in development," said Todd Streelman, an associate professor in the School of Biology and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "It's generally been thought that early development of the brain must be strongly buffered against change. Our data suggest that rock-dweller brains differ from sand-dweller brains -- before there is a brain."

For humans, the research could lead scientists to look for subtle changes in brain structures earlier in the development process. This could provide a better understanding of how disorders such as autism and schizophrenia could arise during very early brain development.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and published online April 23 by the journal.

"We want to understand how the telencephalon evolves by looking at genetics and developmental pathways in closely-related species from natural populations," said Jonathan Sylvester, a postdoctoral researcher in the Georgia Tech School of Biology and lead author of the paper. "Adult cichlids have a tremendous amount of variation within the telencephalon, and we investigated the timing and cause of these differences. Unlike many previous studies in laboratory model organisms that focus on large, qualitative effects from knocking out single genes, we demonstrated that brain diversity evolves through quantitative tuning of multiple pathways."

In examining the fish from embryos to adulthood, the researchers found that the mbuna, or rock-dwellers, tended to exhibit a larger ventral portion of the telencephalon, called the subpallium -- while the sand-dwellers tended to have a larger version of the dorsal structure known as the pallium. These structures seem to have evolved differently over time to meet the behavioral and ecological needs of the fishes. The team showed that early variation in the activity of developmental signals expressed as complementary dorsal-ventral gradients, known technically as "Wingless" and "Hedgehog," are involved in creating those differences during the neural plate stage, as a single sheet of neural tissue folds to form the neural tube.

To specifically manipulate those two pathways, Sylvester removed clutches of between 20 and 40 eggs from brooding female cichlids, which normally incubate fertilized eggs in their mouths. At about 36 to 48 hours after fertilization, groups of eggs were exposed to small-molecule chemicals that either strengthened or weakened the Hedgehog signal, or strengthened or weakened the Wingless signal. The chemical treatment came while the structures that would become the brain were little more than a sheet of cells. After treatment, water containing the chemicals was replaced with fresh water, and the embryos were allowed to continue their development.

"We were able to artificially manipulate these pathways in a way that we think evolution might have worked to shift the process of rock-dweller telencephalon development to sand-dweller development, and vice-versa. Treatment with small molecules allows us incredible temporal and dose precision in manipulating natural development," Sylvester explained. "We then followed the development of the embryos until we were able to measure the anatomical structures -- the size of the pallium and subpallium -- to see that we had transformed one to the other."

The two different brain regions, the dorsal pallium and ventral subpallium, give rise to excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the forebrain. Altering the relative sizes of these regions might change the balance between these neuronal types, ultimately producing behavioral changes in the adult fish.

"Evolution has fine-tuned some of these developmental mechanisms to produce diversity," Streelman said. "In this study, we have figured out which ones."

The researchers studied six different species of East African cichlids, and also worked with collaborators at King's College in London to apply similar techniques in the zebrafish.

As a next step, the researchers would like to follow the embryos through to adulthood to see if the changes seen in embryonic and juvenile brain structures actually do change behavior of adults. It's possible, said Streelman, that later developmental events could compensate for the early differences.

The results could be of interest to scientists investigating human neurological disorders that result from an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Those disorders include autism and schizophrenia. "We think it is particularly interesting that there may be some adaptive variation in the natural proportions of excitatory versus inhibitory neurons in the species we study, correlated with their natural behavioral differences," said Streelman.

In addition to the researchers already mentioned, the study included undergraduate coauthors Constance Rich and Chuyong Yi from Georgia Tech, and Joao Peres and Corinne Houart from King's College in London. Rich is presently in the neuroscience PhD program at the University of Cambridge.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Georgia Institute of Technology, via Newswise.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. J B. Sylvester, C A. Rich, C Yi, J N. Peres, C Houart, J T. Streelman. Competing signals drive telencephalon diversity. Nature Communications, 2013; 4: 1745 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2753

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/I3zAKn_ACS0/130426115636.htm

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What to Look For When Buying a Fixer-Upper House? - Lifehacker

Buying a new home is one of the most rewarding things you can do. And then comes the work ? more than you think if you've bought a "fixer-upper." Make sure you ask the right questions to make sure the work is worth it. The DIY experts at Stack Exchange are here to help.

Illustration by Stack Exchange.

My fiance and I are considering buying a fixer-upper house rather than an apartment when we get married.

Obviously things like location, neighbors etc. are important, but what should we be looking for in terms of fixing it up ourselves? Neither of us have much DIY experience.

1) What are the huge hidden expenses? Broken water heater? Bad foundation?

2) What things can we simply not do ourselves?

3) What sort of things can we do with little experience and little cash?

4) What are the "Gotchas" the realtor might not mention?

- asked by BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft

This question has been edited. See the original question.

Find a Good Inspector by Chris Cudmore

Most of your questions are the same question, just asked in a different form.

Before you even start looking ? Before you even find a realtor ? Do your research on a good home inspector in your area. If you are looking at an old house, make SURE to tell the home inspection service that you want someone who knows about houses xxxx years old. Most inspectors of newer (1-40 years) houses think everything in an old house needs replacement and will give a bad review of everything. Then get references and talk to people he's worked for. If he's not willing to give you references, then move on. When you find an inspector, go with them to the house & follow them around. You will learn a lot more than what will be written on the report, whether you buy the house or not.

Generally, you've got to look at the following areas:

1. Structure - Will it stand up
2. Membrane - Roof, cladding - Will it keep water out and heat in.
3. Foundation - is the basement dry? does it have cracks.
4. Electrical - Enough power, and properly wired.
5. Plumbing - Leaks and pressure.
6. Heating - Primarily this is the age and type of the furnace.
7. Doors and Windows - These cost more than you think, so get an estimate before buying.

Essentially, you don't want to mess with 1 and 3 at all, and the remainder, you need a good estimate of the costs.

The next important detail is Architecture. Are the rooms of appropriate size or is the floor plan easily convertible to something you can live with and enjoy.

I haven't included cosmetics at all. Because this is where you are going to do it yourself.

Money you can't avoid spending:

1. Roofing - This needs to be replaced every 20 - 30 years. It can range from a re-shingling to a full wood and insulation replacement.
2. Furnace - Again, 20-30 year replacement.
3. Electrical - IF you're hunting for a bargain, you'll probably need electrical work. Most of it is easy and you can DIY if you know what you're doing. (lights and sockets, pulling wires if the drywall is off) Talk to the guy at Lowes or Home Depot for a good book for your area. Get an electrician in for stuff around the box.

An Inspector's Perspective by shirlock homes

Danny, I respect your enthusiasm. I am a certified home inspector and general contractor in Maine. There's some great advice in the answers here, and I won't repeat the obvious.

I will warn you, however, learn realtor language. "Fixer-upper" means a train wreck about to happen! Get a real good inspector that has building experience. DO NOT take a recommendation from your realtor for an inspector. Find a qualified builder/inspector. I have always felt inspectors that often work for realtors do not have the buyer's best interest in mind as problems found nix sales and rrealtors don't like that. I personally only work for buyers, never for realtors.

With all that said, renovations can add up fast. Roof $5,000-7,000, electrical or plumbing $85/hour, bathroom $6,000, kitchen $15,000-20,000, electrical service upgrade $2,500, windows $300 each, structural repairs, mold, insects, water damage, septic/sewer...

Unless you learn what to look for and are able to calculate the costs of repair or renovation before you buy, you are headed for stormy waters. The joy of home ownership will quickly turn into an unbearable nightmare.

You mentioned you didn't want to spend $30,000 on a house that you already spent that much on. Where in the world are you going to find a livable house for $30,000? If there is really such a thing, I will buy 10 of them tomorrow and rehab them myself and make a mint, even in this housing market.

I apologize for sounding a bit negative here, but rather be bluntly honest with you considering you admitted you have minimal skills and resources.

Get Serious by Jay Bazuzi

This isn't really a "fixer-upper" question, as every house needs work. Every home buyer should get a good inspection. Every home buyer should be prepared to deal with the responsibilities and burdens of repairs and ongoing maintenance.

However, if you want to do more than minor, occasional work:

1. Decide that you want to live in a house under construction.

You will have areas of the house that don't function, tools everywhere, and lots of dust. Are you OK with that? For a long time? Consider living elsewhere while you do the work. Parent's basement, small apartment, RV in the driveway. Or live in one part of the house while working on another part.

2. Decide what work you want to do.

Instead of asking what issues to avoid, decide which issues to accept. Anything else that a good inspector finds is either something to hire out, or a reason to reject the sale. Personally, I enjoy doing electrical work (like adding subpanels!), so I wouldn't mind if there are electrical issues.

3. Be realistic about how long it will take.

If you're working full time, then your house project will only be in the marginal hours. You'll spend a lot of time learning, and a lot of time fixing your mistakes. As others have pointed out, you may be better off financially working for a paycheck and paying a pro to do the house work. The horror story I think of is the time my landlord replaced the roof, as described here: What projects should never be DIY?. Are you OK with that happening?

4. Seek professional help!

Find a friendly builder who will guide you through the process. Maybe they'll spend a day each week on site with you, helping with tasks, giving advice. Also, if you have the humility to recognize when you're getting in over your head, you'll be better off than if you wait until things are really screwed up.

5. Be prepared for marital strain.

People are emotionally attached to their homes. As newlyweds, you'll just be starting to figure out a new relationship (even if you've lived together for many years). The additional strain of living in a construction zone may be too much.

If a child joins your family, you'll have almost no time to work on the house, and safety will be a concern. And parenthood triggers more deep emotional stuff around shelter, etc.

An alternative is to rent a small apartment (saving money & workload) and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. You'll learn skills while contributing to your community. You'll also get to find out whether this kind of work really suits you.

My home is cheap because we decided to lower our standards - much, much lower. Now I get to putter around with home improvement projects at my own pace, watching our comfort gradually improve. Plus, I love learning new stuff.

Good luck, hope it works out for you.

Find more answers or leave your own at the original post. See more questions like this at Home Improvement, the DIY site at Stack Exchange. And of course, feel free to ask a question yourself.

Source: http://lifehacker.com/what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-fixer-upper-house-483022172

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Investorideas.com Newswire - Investing Ideas: Solar Stocks ...

Investing Ideas: Solar Stocks SolarCity (NasdaqGM: SCTY), EGing Photovoltaic (Shanghai: 600537.SS)

Ideas get bigger when you share them...

?

Point Roberts, WA - April 26, 2013 (Investorideas.com renewable energy newswire) Investorideas.com staff: Investorideas.com, an investor research portal specializing in investing ideas in leading sectors including renewable energy and solar stocks has added the following solar stocks to its directory of publicly traded companies in the sector to watch.

EGing Photovoltaic Technology Co.,Ltd ( Shanghai:600537.SS) is a high-tech company specialized in researching, developing, manufacturing and selling photovoltaic products. Its vertical integrated system combines ingot, wafer, cell, module packaging and solar power generation all together. EGing has the capacity of producing 1GW mono and poly silicon solar modules annually.

SolarCity Corporation ( NasdaqGM:SCTY) provides clean energy. The company has disrupted the century-old energy industry by providing renewable electricity directly to homeowners, businesses and government organizations for less than they spend on utility bills. SolarCity gives customers control of their energy costs to protect them from rising rates. The company offers solar power, energy efficiency and electric vehicle services, and makes clean energy easy by taking care of everything from design and permitting to monitoring and maintenance.?SolarCity currently serves 14 states and signs a new customer every five minutes.

Visit Investorideas.com each day for new investing ideas and more about how the stock market works

Investors can research more solar and renewable energy stocks with Investorideas.com stock directories

About InvestorIdeas.com: Investor Ideas for global investors

www.InvestorIdeas.com is a meeting place for investors and public companies in leading sectors. Find investing ideas in biotech stocks, tech and mobile stocks, mining stocks, oil and gas, water stocks, renewable energy, beverage stocks, defense stocks, nanotech and more on TSX, OTC, NASDAQ and global exchanges.

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This site is currently compensated by featured companies, news submissions and online advertising.

BC Residents and Investor Disclaimer: Effective September 15 2008 - all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents with Sedar. Read for more info: http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894

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Source: http://www.investorideas.com/news/2013/renewable-energy/04262.asp

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How to sort podcasts in the Podcasts app for iPhone and iPad

The Podcasts app for iPhone and iPad can aggregate all your favorite podcasts in one place for you to enjoy whenever you'd like. However, if you subscribe to quite a few, sorting them the way you'd like may be important. Luckily, you have a few options.

Here's where to find them:

• How to sort podcasts in the My Podcasts section
• How to change the sort order of a particular podcast playlist

How to sort podcasts in the My Podcasts section

1. Launch the Podcasts app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on the My Podcasts tab if it isn't already selected.
3. Scroll to the very top of the list if you aren't already there.
4. Now pull down a little further just like you would in Mail or any other app that has a rubber band effect to reveal a search menu.
5. Next to the search bar, tap on the Edit button.
6. You may now drag podcasts in any order you'd like. Just tap Done when you're finished sorting.

How to change the sort order of a particular podcast playlist

1. Launch the Podcasts app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on the My Podcasts tab if it isn't already selected.
3. Tap on the name of the podcast you'd like to change the sort order for.
4. Now top on the Settings button.
5. Here you can change the sort order for how you'd like podcast episodes to appear within the episodes list and how you'd like them to play.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/sAdMiQecUz4/story01.htm

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Rescuers comb Bangladesh rubble for second day

LONDON (Reuters) - Major western clothing retailers squeezing Asian suppliers and a flawed approach to ensuring even basic working standards are fuelling conditions for tragedies like the latest factory collapse in Bangladesh, NGOs said on Thursday.

At least 260 people, mainly female workers, were killed and more than 1,000 were injured when the eight-storey Rana Plaza factory building in Savar, 30 km (20 miles) outside the capital Dhaka, collapsed on Wednesday.

"What we're saying is that bargain-basement (clothing) is automatically leading towards these types of disasters," John Hilary, executive director at British charity War on Want, told Reuters.

He said western clothing retailers' desire to undercut rivals has translated into increasing pressure on foreign suppliers to reduce costs.

"If you've got that, then it's absolutely clear that you're not going to be able to have the right kind of building regulations, health and safety, fire safety. Those things will become more and more impossible as the cost price goes down."

Hilary said the push for lower costs inevitably led to factories cutting corners. "As a result of that, we see the sort of disaster that happened yesterday," he said.

War on Want and its partner in Bangladesh, the National Garment Workers' Federation, called on major international buyers to be held to account.

"This negligence must stop. The deaths of these workers could have been avoided if multinational corporations, governments and factory owners took workers' protection seriously," NGWF president, Amirul Haque Amin, said in a statement.

Gareth Price-Jones, Bangladesh country director of British charity Oxfam, said western companies had not done enough.

"Western buyers could be doing much, much more, and they have a moral responsibility to do so," he told Reuters. "Western buyers really need to press for decent wages and safe working conditions."

He said Bangladeshi building regulations were not robust enough for construction in an earthquake zone and were, in any case, frequently ignored.

Around 4,500 Bangladeshi factories produce clothes for many of the world's major brands, employing 4 million workers and generating 80 percent of Bangladesh's $24 billion annual exports, making it the world's No. 2 apparel exporter behind China.

People watch as rescue workers continue their operations at the collapsed Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (19 miles) outside Dhaka April 25, 2013. Survivors from the garment factory that collapsed... more? People watch as rescue workers continue their operations at the collapsed Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (19 miles) outside Dhaka April 25, 2013. Survivors from the garment factory that collapsed in Bangladesh killing at least 228 people described on Thursday a deafening bang and tremors before the eight-floor building crashed down under them. REUTERS/Stringer (BANGLADESH - Tags: BUSINESS DISASTER TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) less? But with wages as low as $37 a month for some workers toiling for 10-15 hours a day, and increasing publicity about unsanitary and unsafe working conditions, some retailers were getting worried about their reputation.

AUDITS QUESTIONED

A lot have introduced corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, where they carry out factory audits and inspections and talk to employees about worker conditions.

But War on Want says the CSR processes are often flawed.

"What happens is the workers are trained in what to say, the factories present favorable books and keep back the real books," Hilary said, noting that in countries like China there were courses to coach factories on how to pass an audit without telling the truth.

The Savar disaster came five months after Bangladesh's worst factory fire, which killed 112 people, and another incident at a factory in January in which seven died.

The Ethical Trading Initiative, an umbrella organization that brings NGOs, unions and brands together to try to improve working conditions, said the latest tragedy demonstrated the chronic widespread problems in the sector that affect the most basic of workers' rights.

"These incidents all serve as yet another call to action for the Bangladesh industry, government, retailers, worker representatives and NGOs to work together, to raise workplace safety standards across the country's garment sector," it said.

In Washington, the Asia advocate for the U.S. NGO Human Rights Watch said weak protection of labor rights contributed to the tragedy at Rana Plaza, where none of the factories are unionized.

"Had one or more of the Rana Plaza factories been unionized, its workers would have been in a position to refuse to enter the building on Wednesday morning," said John Sifton.

"The right to organize a union in Bangladesh is not just a matter of getting fair wages, it's a matter of saving lives," he said.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters that labor rights in Bangladesh, as well as work conditions, were "something that we've raised in the human rights report, we raised in our bilateral dialogue, certainly directly with the government from our embassy."

The State Department's annual human rights report for 2012, published on April 19, said trade unions in Bangladesh were able to conduct collective bargaining, "but government action made it nearly impossible to form new trade unions in many sectors, for example, in the ready-made garment and shrimp industries."

(Reporting by James Davey, Neil Maidment, and Paul Eckert in Washington; Editing by Will Waterman and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-bangladesh-building-collapse-rises-147-015232779.html

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Lead Artist Casino Games | Crowdpark

April 24th, 2013 by Martin

Crowdpark is looking for a "Lead Artist (Casino Games)" in Berlin.

Crowdpark is pioneering social casino games, on multiple platforms including the web, on Facebook, and mobile. Crowdpark has a prominent position in the social casino market, with two unique and distinctive games ? Pet Vegas and Golden Empire Casino.

Pet Vegas combines the cutest animal characters with the excitement of slot machines, allowing you to compete against friends, level up, and win big. Golden Empire Casino will be the most prestigious and advanced casino on Facebook.

Combining the popular casino classics with the best in modern slots and games technology, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Golden Empire Casino. Crowdpark is based in Berlin, Germany, Europe?s gaming and technology hub. Former VC-backed by Earlybird and Target Partners we are now part of one of the biggest european casino group.

To lead the growth of our social casino platform we are looking for a "Head of Product" who will create and manage amazing products.

Your responsibilities:

• Developing new social casino games / online gambling games
• Define visual and art standards, ensure all creative material is consistent
• Establish a collaborative art culture that engages creative talent and maximizes team potential
• Optimize our creative process
• Lead inter-department communications as they relate to art
• Take an active role in developing, maintaining, and refining a vision for art direction
• Guide and mentor team: hire, induct and manage team members as needed
• Lead formal and informal critique, and provide effective feedback
• Create art assets for our games

Required Skills:

• Solid experience in the entertainment, casino and/or game markets
• Bachelor?s degree in Arts, Graphic Arts, or related field is required
• 4+ years of professional experience and advanced leadership including communication and project management skills is required
• Fluent in English, written and spoken. (Speaking german is a huge plus)
• Ability to provide cohesive feedback to a vast range of specialities (from concept art, UI to animation)
• Excellent aptitudes and training in graphic design
• Great illustration skills (storyboard, concept, finished product)
• Expert knowledge of Photoshop, Flash, After Effects and Illustrator
• Expertise in arts/design, and a demonstrated ability to direct, mentor and enhance the efforts of a creative team
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams
• Experience managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with a strong attention to detail
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills
• Demonstrated ability to direct and multi-task effectively under pressure, while balancing speed and quality of the work
• Applied conceptual strategy, brainstorm facilitation, day-to-day shepherding of a project to completion and team collaboration with product managers and leads is required

We offer you:

• A competitive salary
• The spirit of a dynamic team at a fast growing company
• Challenging tasks combined with a high level of freedom of scope
• The chance to shape the future of a globally oriented startup
• Located in Berlin ? Europe?s most exciting city with low cost of living and high quality of life

Please call or send your application to:
jobs (at) crowdpark.de

Crowdpark Entertainment GmbH
Rotherstr. 16
10249 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 417 212 80
Fax: +49 (0)30 417 212 81

Source: http://www.crowdpark.com/de/lead-artist-casino-games/

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Using the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Sprint

Poor network performance can handicap even the fastest of smartphones

This is the Sprint Galaxy S4. There are many others like it, but this one is Sprint’s. Externally, the phone bears no Sprint branding, and the bundled Sprint apps are relatively tame, if numerous. Unfortunately for the carrier there’s one unique aspect of its Galaxy S4 tha's not quite so praiseworthy. That’s right, once again a Sprint device’s Achilles’ heel is its network performance.

More: Samsung Galaxy S4 review

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/8ZdLjOftWJc/story01.htm

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 coming to US Cellular April 30th

Wait, what inventory shortage? US Cellular doesn't seem to have any issue with getting the Samsung Galaxy S 4 on its retail and virtual shelves -- it confirmed to us in an email that it will begin selling the flagship device on April 30th. You'll be able to purchase the 16GB version in either white or black for $199 with a two-year commitment. If you didn't get in on the pre-order, now's your chance to get hooked up.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/t9UNCKUVj0U/

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