Kettlebell Advanced Workout - Getting Strong and Loving it! - Rocofit

GETTING STRONG Kettlebell Advanced Workout   Getting Strong and Loving it! This weeks kettlebell advanced workout is the ?Getting Strong and Loving It? Workout.

Getting strong does not mean bulking up, it means becoming leaner and toned.? Remember 5 pounds of muscle takes up more space than 5 pound of fat.

Let?s get to work

You will need one kettlebell for this workout

5 Single Leg Deadlifts each side

5 Snatches each side

5 Split Squats each side

5 Press Ups one hand balancing on the bell ? to each side

?

Rest for one minute and repeat for 3-5 sets.

?

Enjoy this workout, remember to focus on your technique.

I?d love to hear from you, please leave your comments below.

Enjoy!

Source: http://www.rocofit.com/kettlebell-advanced-workout-getting-strong-and-loving-it/

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Israel Gaza Day 2 War - Business Insider

Israel's Operation Pillar of Cloud in Gaza escalated on its second day as the sides traded numerous strikes. Sirens in Tel Avi, rockets fired from Navy boats, and the Iron Dome kicking into constant action.

Watch below for the full story:

?

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Produced by Robert Libetti

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Bombings On Both Sides Escalate Israeli Offensive In Gaza

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/gaza-day-2-2012-11

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The seven men in dark blue suits who now rule China

Cagey, colourless and controlled, China?s next generation of Communist Party leaders presented themselves to the world yesterday, ending months of speculation about the back-room politicking.

Xi Jinping, who took over as Communist Party chief from President Hu Jintao, unveiled the standing committee in Beijing?s Great Hall of the People ? the climax of a tense drama in which almost all the action has taken place off stage.

The reporters invited to the ceremony peered over rows of poinsettias to count the black number markers stuck on to the elevated stage: seven, for the seven members of the committee, down from the nine of five years ago. Even that number was being speculated on until then.

They marched single file in order of their rank to their places on the stage to the flash of cameras. Mr Xi led the parade, wearing a dark blue suit. The six trailing behind also wore dark blue suits, all but one set off by red or maroon ties.

Xi took to the podium and apologised for ?keeping everybody waiting?, while his team stood stiffly to attention against a backdrop of a painting of a mist-covered Great Wall.

He introduced his colleagues, addressing them as ?comrade?, and each stepped forward. Most gave a slight bow. Li Keqiang, ranked No 2, gave a little wave, like an awkward monarch.

?I believe their names are familiar to you,? Mr Xi, 59, the son of a revolutionary hero, told the room.

In his first address to the nation, he acknowledged the lengthy agenda for what should be the first of two five-year terms in office. He promised to deliver better social services, while making sure China stands tall in the world and the party continues to rule.

?Our responsibility now is to rally and lead the entire party and the people of all ethnic groups in China in taking over the historic baton and in making continued efforts to achieve the great renewal of the Chinese nation,? a confident Mr Xi said in nationally televised remarks.

He later said ?we are not complacent, and we will never rest on our laurels? in confronting challenges ? corruption chief among them.

By his side stood the six other newly appointed members of the Politburo Standing Committee: Mr Li, the presumptive premier and chief economic official; vice-premier Zhang Dejiang; Shanghai party secretary Yu Zhengsheng; propaganda chief Liu Yunshan; Tianjin party secretary Zhang Gaoli, and vice-premier Wang Qishan, once the leadership?s top troubleshooter, who will head the party?s internal watchdog panel.

The line-up belied any hopes Mr Xi would usher in a leadership that would take bold steps to deal with slowing growth in the world?s second-biggest economy, or begin to ease the Communist Party?s iron grip on the most populous nation.

?We?re not going to see any political reform because too many people in the system see it as a slippery slope to extinction,? said David Shambaugh, director of the China Policy Programme at George Washington University?s Elliott School of International Affairs in the US.

?They see it entirely through the prism of the Soviet Union, the Arab Spring and the Colour Revolutions in Central Asia, so they?re not going to go there.?

Vice-premier Wang, the most reform-minded in the line-up, has been given the role of fighting widespread corruption, identified by both Mr Xi and outgoing president Mr Hu as the biggest danger faced by the party and the state.

The run-up to the handover has been overshadowed by the party?s biggest scandal in decades, with former high-flyer Bo Xilai sacked as Communist boss of south-western Chongqing city after his wife was accused of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood.

Mr Bo, who has not been seen in public since early this year, faces possible charges of corruption and abuse of power.

One source said an informal poll had been held by more than 200 voting members in the party?s central committee to choose the seven members of the standing committee from among ten candidates. Two with strong reform credentials ? Guangdong party boss Wang Yang and party organisation head Li Yuanchao ? failed to make it, along with the woman candidate, Liu Yandong.

However, all three are in the 25-member Politburo, a group that ranks below the standing committee.

In the end, the seven-member leadership has an average age of 63.4 years compared with 62.1 five years ago.

Except for Mr Xi and his deputy, all the others in the standing committee ? the innermost circle of power in China?s authoritarian government ? are 64 or above and will have to retire within five years, when the next party congress is held. That means the party may just tread water on the most vital political reforms until then.

Many of the challenges confronting Mr Xi are legacies of his predecessor. In addition to relinquishing his role as party chief, having reached the two-term maximum, Mr Hu also stepped down from the party commission that oversees the military. The move is a break from the past, when exiting party leaders kept hold of the military portfolio for several years.

?The leadership is divided,? said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a Chinese politics expert at Hong Kong Baptist University, adding, however, that the new leadership would find it easier to make progress on economic reform rather than on political change.

?It?s easier for them to move to a new growth model,? he said. ?I think they agree upon that and that won?t be the hardest task. But I see a lot of political paralysis.?

Rights activist Hu Jia, who has been jailed for campaigning on behalf of Aids patients and orphans, said: ?More and more citizens are beginning to awaken to their rights and they are constantly asking for political reform.?

He added: ?The Communist Party does not have legitimacy. It is a party of dictatorship that uses violence to obtain political power. What we need now is for this country?s people to have the right to choose who they are governed by.?

XI?S IN-TRAY

Chief among the problems Xi Jinping and his team will have to tackle is the economy. Though President Hu pledged more balanced development, inequality has risen and housing costs have soared. Over the past year, the economy has flagged, dragged down by anaemic demand in Europe and the United States for Chinese products and an overhang from excessive lending for factories and infrastructure.

With state banks lending to state-run firms or not at all, private entrepreneurs have turned to unofficial moneylenders.

The World Bank says growth, which hit a three-year low of 7.4 per cent in the latest quarter, may reach 5 per cent by 2015 ? a low rate for generating the employment and funding the social programmes Beijing holds as key to keeping a lid on unrest.

In foreign policy, the US and others are looking for reassurance that China?s policy remains one of peaceful integration into the world community. Tensions have flared in recent months with Japan and the Philippines over contested islets. Mistrust has also grown with the US as it diverts more military resources to Asia.

? Zhang Gaoli, 65, party chief of the northern port city of Tianjin and a Politburo member since 2007, is seen as a Jiang Zemin ally but also acceptable to President Hu, who has visited Tianjin three times since 2008. Mr Zhang is low-key with a down-to-earth work style, and not much is known about his specific interests and aspirations.

? Liu Yunshan, 65, may take over the propaganda and ideology portfolio for the standing committee. He has a background in the media, once working as a reporter for state-run news agency Xinhua. As minister of the party?s propaganda department since 2002, Mr Liu has also sought to control China?s internet, which has more than 500 million users.

? Zhang Dejiang, 65, a conservative trained in North Korea, saw his chances of promotion boosted this year when he was chosen to replace disgraced politician Bo Xilai as Chongqing party boss. He also serves as vice-premier in charge of industry, though his record has been tarnished by last year?s downfall of the railway minister over corruption.

? Xi Jinping, 59, is China?s vice-president and President Hu Jintao?s anointed successor. He is considered a cautious reformer and belongs to the party?s ?princeling? generation, the offspring of Communist revolutionaries. His father, former vice-premier Xi Zhongxun, fought alongside Mao Zedong in the Chinese civil war.

? Li Keqiang, 57, vice-premier, is seen as another cautious reformer, due to his relatively liberal university experiences. He is the man tipped to be China?s next premier, taking over from Wen Jiabao. His ascent marks an extraordinary rise for a man who, as a youth, was sent to rural toil during Mao?s Cultural Revolution. Born in Anhui province in 1955, the son of a local rural official, Mr Li worked on a commune that was one of the first places to quietly revive private bonuses in farming in the late 1970s.

? Yu Zhengsheng, 67, is party boss in China?s financial hub and most cosmopolitan city, Shanghai. His impeccable Communist pedigree made him a rising star in the mid-1980s until his brother, an intelligence official, defected to the United States. His close ties with Deng Pufang, the eldest son of late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, spared him the full political repercussions, but he was taken off the fast track. Mr Yu bided his time in ministerial ranks, joining the Politburo in 2002.

? Wang Qishan, 64, is the most junior of four vice-premiers and an ex-mayor of Beijing. But he has a keen grasp of complex economic issues and is the only member of the standing committee to have been chief executive of a corporation, leading the state-owned China Construction Bank from 1994 to 1997. Mr Wang is likely to lead the fight against corruption, a top priority in the world?s second-biggest economy, following his appointment to a key council at the end of the party?s 18th congress.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/33846/f/610141/p/1/s/2665c92d/l/0L0Sscotsman0N0Cthe0Eseven0Emen0Ein0Edark0Eblue0Esuits0Ewho0Enow0Erule0Echina0E10E2639641/story01.htm

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APNewsBreak: BP gets record fine in Gulf oil spill

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Oil giant BP has agreed to pay the largest criminal penalty in U.S. history, totaling billions of dollars, for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a person familiar with the deal said Thursday.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the deal, also said two BP PLC employees face manslaughter charges over the death of 11 people in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that triggered the massive spill.

The person said BP will plead guilty to obstruction for lying to Congress about how much oil was pouring out of the ruptured well. The person declined to say exactly how much the fine in the billions of dollars would be.

The Deepwater Horizon rig, 50 miles off the Louisiana coast, sank after the April 20, 2010, explosion. The well on the sea floor spewed an estimated 206 million gallons of crude oil, soiling sensitive tidal estuaries and beaches, killing wildlife and shutting vast areas of the Gulf to commercial fishing.

The spill exposed lax government oversight and led to a temporary ban on deepwater drilling while officials and the oil industry studied the risks, worked to make it safer and developed better disaster plans.

BP's environmentally-friendly image was tarnished, and independent gas station owners who fly the BP flag claimed they lost business from customers who were upset over the spill. BP chief executive Tony Hayward stepped down after the company's repeated gaffes, including his statement at the height of the crisis: "I'd like my life back."

The cost of BP's spill far surpassed the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. Exxon ultimately settled with the U.S. government for $1 billion, which would be about $1.8 billion today.

The government and plaintiffs' attorneys also sued Transocean Ltd., the rig's owner, and cement contractor Halliburton, but a string of pretrial rulings by a federal judge undermined BP's legal strategy to pin blame on them.

At the time of the explosion, the Deepwater Horizon was drilling into BP's Macondo well. The rig sank two days later.

After several attempts failed, engineers finally were successful in capping the well on July 15, 2010, halting the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico after more than 85 days.

The disaster also created a new lexicon in American vocabulary ? such as top kill and junk shot ? as crews used innovative solutions to attempt to plug the spewing well with pieces of rubber. As people all over the world watched a live spill camera on the Internet and television, the Obama administration dealt with a political headache, in part because the government grossly underestimated how much crude was spilling into the Gulf.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans was assigned to oversee tens of thousands of court claims spawned by the explosion. A trial date was set, but Barbier postponed it so BP could hammer out a deal with attorneys for Gulf Coast shrimpers, commercial fishermen, charter captains, property owners, environmental groups, restaurants, hotels and others who claim they suffered economic losses after the spill. Relatives of workers killed in the blast also sued.

Barbier gave his preliminary approval to that proposed settlement in May and scheduled a January trial for the remaining claims, including those by the federal government and Gulf states.

In a pretrial court filing, the Justice Department said it would argue that BP's actions and decisions leading up to the deadly blowout amounted to gross negligence.

"We do not use words like 'gross negligence' and 'willful misconduct' lightly," a Justice Department attorney wrote. "But the fact remains that people died, many suffered injuries to their livelihood, and the Gulf's complex ecosystem was harmed as a result of BP and Transocean's bad acts or omissions."

One of Barbier's rulings possibly insulates Transocean and Halliburton from billions of dollars in liability. Barbier said Transocean and Halliburton weren't obligated to pay for many pollution claims because of contracts they signed with BP.

The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation of the spill. The only person facing charges so far is former BP engineer Kurt Mix, who was arrested in Texas in April on obstruction of justice charges. Mix is accused of deleting text messages about the company's response to the spill, not what happened before the explosion.

The companies also sued each other, although some of those cases were settled last year. BP has sued Transocean for at least $40 billion in damages.

And there are still other claims against BP from financial institutions, casinos and racetracks, insurance companies, local governments and losses caused by a government-imposed moratorium on drilling after the spill.

None of those are covered by BP's proposed settlement with the private lawyers.

A series of government investigations have spread blame for the disaster.

In January 2011, a presidential commission found that the spill was caused by time-saving, cost-cutting decisions by BP, Halliburton and Transocean that created unacceptable risk. The panel didn't point blame at any one individual, concluding the mistakes were caused by systemic problems.

In September 2011, however, a team of Coast Guard officials and federal regulators issued a report that concluded BP bears ultimate responsibility for the spill. The report found BP violated federal regulations, ignored crucial warnings and made bad decisions during the cementing of the well a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico.

BP has repeatedly said it accepts some responsibility for the spill and will pay what it owes, while urging other companies to pay their share.

BP waived a $75 million cap on its liability for certain economic damage claims under the 1990 Oil Pollution Act, though it denied any gross negligence.

____

Associated Press writer Pete Yost in Washington, D.C., contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-bp-gets-record-fine-gulf-oil-spill-135854394--finance.html

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Samsung Galaxy Beam going cheap today at Expansys

imageimage

The rather clever Samsung Galaxy Beam that we reviewed a while back here is now even cheaper.

Expansys are having one of their one day special sales. Today only the Beam will cost ?249.99.

When we reviewed it our main problem with it was the price. This problem has certainly now been alleviated.

Spec wise it is like a Galaxy SII but with a projector attached to it.

CPU : Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9
System : Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Display : 4 inches 480 x 800
Memory : 768 RAM / 8GB internal storage/ microSD slot up to 32GB
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn / Bluetooth 3.0 / A-GPS / 3.5mm jack / microUSB / GSM 850-900-1800-1900 / HSDPA 850-900-1900-2100
Camera : 5MP 2592?1944 / autofocus / LED flash
Battery : Li-Ion 2000 mAh
Dimensions : 124 x 64.2 x 12.5 mm
Weight : 145.3 g

So if you?ve been wanting to try one if these out then today is your day.

Source ? Expansys


About James Pearce

I spend most of the day telling people to turn stuff off and back on again. Inbetween doing that I post news and reviews over here.

I am currently using a Windows Phone, an iPhone and two Android phones. My next phone is going to be either Nokia Lumia 920 or a HTC 8X.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/coolsmartphone/huIR/~3/2Ye2p9w6SXc/

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Pctwix.com ? Facebook adding share feature to its iOS and Android apps

DNP Retweet this! Facebook adding share button to iOS and Android apps

The house that Zuck built is reportedly in the process of bringing its desktop site?s share feature to mobile, which will allow Facebook users to retweet repost and comment on content from within their news feeds. Currently available on Facebook?s mobile website, this Twitteresque option will soon make its way to the company?s iOS and Android apps. Whenever a person shares something, it will credit the source of the information by attaching the original poster?s name to the status update. It?s too early to tell how the addition of a share button will affect how people ?like? posts; however, once this feature becomes widely available to Facebook?s 604 million-plus mobile users, news feeds are likely to be flooded with even more pictures of cats, food and grandchildren than ever before. Bet you didn?t think that was possible, but rest assured it?s a comin?.

Filed under: Internet

Facebook adding share feature to its iOS and Android apps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This entry was posted in Engadget and tagged adding, Android, apps, Facebook, feature, Pctwix.com, share. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.pctwix.com/2012/11/pctwix-com-facebook-adding-share-feature-to-its-ios-and-android-apps/

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Cancer therapy -- Nanokey opens tumors to attack

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Kathrin Bilgeri
kathrin.bilgeri@lmu.de
49-892-189-6938
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen

There are plenty of effective anticancer agents around. The problem is that, very often, they cannot gain access to all the cells in solid tumors. A new gene delivery vehicle may provide a way of making tracks to the heart of the target.

Many types of tumor form a compact mass, like the phalanx formation of Greek antiquity. And although many drugs are known to be toxic to cancer cells, they are often unable to percolate into the inner recesses of the tumor. Upon intravenous administration, for instance, cytotoxic drugs may only be able to penetrate the outermost layers of a solid tumor. A team led by LMU pharmacologist Dr Manfred Ogris has now developed a new type of gene delivery vehicle, which is designed to open up a route through the vascular network that supplies the tumor so that drugs can reach their target.

Large tumors need a local blood supply for continued growth, and are capable of inducing the formation of new vessels. The resulting vasculature is more permeable than normal vessels, which should facilitate the delivery of cytotoxins. However, the lymphatic system does not work optimally in tumors, and back-pressure associated with the build-up of lymph limits the diffusion of drugs. As it happens, the cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor ? (TNF?), which can kill tumor cells directly, is able to increase blood vessel permeability as part of its pro-inflammatory function.

Shielding the organism from the drug

TNF? is already being used in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of muscle tumors in arms and legs, but in this case, the local vasculature must be cut off surgically. "Unfortunately, therapeutically effective amounts of TNF? cannot be administered systemically, because this would lead to activation of, and damage to, all the vessels in the organism," says Ogris. "For this reason, it is not possible to use this approach on tumors in internal organs or against dispersed metastases."

A new strategy employing gene therapy could provide a solution to this problem. The idea is to deliver the gene for TNF? directly and specifically to the tumor cells. If this worked, the tumor cells themselves could produce and secrete the cytokine, ensuring that its local concentration becomes sufficiently high to permeabilize the blood vessels only in the immediate vicinity of the tumor. "We first designed a version of the TNF? gene that allows for the production of large amounts of the protein," Dr. Baowei Su, first author on the study, explains.

Shielding the drug from the organism

In collaboration with researchers at the Technische Universitt Mnchen and the Helmholtz Center Munich, the LMU team constructed a form of the gene which, in contrast to the normal version, is unlikely to induce non-specific inflammation. The plasmid was then incorporated into special nanoparticles, which not only protect the DNA from inactivation during its journey through the bloodstream, but also allow it to be targeted to the tumor. Experiments carried out on cell cultures confirmed that tumor cells treated with these particles synthesize large amounts of TNF?.

Treatment with the loaded nanoparticles alone, however, had only a moderate effect on tumor cells, but when they were administered in combination with the DNA-intercalating drug doxorubicin, the impact on tumor cell growth was markedly enhanced. Under the trade name Doxil, doxorubicin, which inhibits DNA replication, is available in a liposome-encapsulated form. Incorporating the drug into liposomes of 100 nm in diameter reduces side-effects and increases its half-life in the circulation, making it more effective than unencapsulated formulations.

No evidence for drug resistance

When mice with neuroblastoma, or mice that had received a xenograft of a human liver tumor, were first exposed to nanoparticles carrying the TNF? gene and subsequently treated with Doxil the researchers observed, in real time, that the drug became concentrated in the tumor tissue. Indeed, in some cases, the combination was sufficient to bring tumor growth to a standstill, even in animals that had already undergone three cycles of treatment. This finding suggests that drug resistance, which often limits the efficacy of chemotherapy, does not develop in this context.

In addition to eliminating the primary tumor, a successful therapy must be able to kill metastatic tumors in other tissues. When the researchers looked at mice with neuroblastoma, or mice carrying implanted human colon tumors that had metastasized to the liver, they found that the new treatment strategy also significantly reduced the growth of metastases. "TNF? might also be useful in combination with other agents and other treatment regimens," says Ogris. "We now plan to optimize our gene delivery system, and hope that we can soon begin to plan preclinical tests of the new approach." (suwe)

###

Publication:

Systemic TNF? Gene Therapy Synergizes With Liposomal Doxorubicine in the Treatment of Metastatic Cancer

Baowei Su, Arzu Cengizeroglu, Katarina Farkasova, Joana R. Viola, Martina Anton, Joachim W. Ellwart, Rudolf Haase, Ernst Wagner, Manfred Ogris

Molecular Therapy, 2012

doi: 10.1038/mt.2012.229

Contact:

PD Dr Manfred Ogris
Phone: +49 89 / 2180 77842
Fax: +49 89 / 2180 77791
Email: manfred.ogris@cup.uni-muenchen.de
Web: www.cup.uni-muenchen.de/pb/aks/ewagner/m_ogris.htm


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 14-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Kathrin Bilgeri
kathrin.bilgeri@lmu.de
49-892-189-6938
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen

There are plenty of effective anticancer agents around. The problem is that, very often, they cannot gain access to all the cells in solid tumors. A new gene delivery vehicle may provide a way of making tracks to the heart of the target.

Many types of tumor form a compact mass, like the phalanx formation of Greek antiquity. And although many drugs are known to be toxic to cancer cells, they are often unable to percolate into the inner recesses of the tumor. Upon intravenous administration, for instance, cytotoxic drugs may only be able to penetrate the outermost layers of a solid tumor. A team led by LMU pharmacologist Dr Manfred Ogris has now developed a new type of gene delivery vehicle, which is designed to open up a route through the vascular network that supplies the tumor so that drugs can reach their target.

Large tumors need a local blood supply for continued growth, and are capable of inducing the formation of new vessels. The resulting vasculature is more permeable than normal vessels, which should facilitate the delivery of cytotoxins. However, the lymphatic system does not work optimally in tumors, and back-pressure associated with the build-up of lymph limits the diffusion of drugs. As it happens, the cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor ? (TNF?), which can kill tumor cells directly, is able to increase blood vessel permeability as part of its pro-inflammatory function.

Shielding the organism from the drug

TNF? is already being used in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of muscle tumors in arms and legs, but in this case, the local vasculature must be cut off surgically. "Unfortunately, therapeutically effective amounts of TNF? cannot be administered systemically, because this would lead to activation of, and damage to, all the vessels in the organism," says Ogris. "For this reason, it is not possible to use this approach on tumors in internal organs or against dispersed metastases."

A new strategy employing gene therapy could provide a solution to this problem. The idea is to deliver the gene for TNF? directly and specifically to the tumor cells. If this worked, the tumor cells themselves could produce and secrete the cytokine, ensuring that its local concentration becomes sufficiently high to permeabilize the blood vessels only in the immediate vicinity of the tumor. "We first designed a version of the TNF? gene that allows for the production of large amounts of the protein," Dr. Baowei Su, first author on the study, explains.

Shielding the drug from the organism

In collaboration with researchers at the Technische Universitt Mnchen and the Helmholtz Center Munich, the LMU team constructed a form of the gene which, in contrast to the normal version, is unlikely to induce non-specific inflammation. The plasmid was then incorporated into special nanoparticles, which not only protect the DNA from inactivation during its journey through the bloodstream, but also allow it to be targeted to the tumor. Experiments carried out on cell cultures confirmed that tumor cells treated with these particles synthesize large amounts of TNF?.

Treatment with the loaded nanoparticles alone, however, had only a moderate effect on tumor cells, but when they were administered in combination with the DNA-intercalating drug doxorubicin, the impact on tumor cell growth was markedly enhanced. Under the trade name Doxil, doxorubicin, which inhibits DNA replication, is available in a liposome-encapsulated form. Incorporating the drug into liposomes of 100 nm in diameter reduces side-effects and increases its half-life in the circulation, making it more effective than unencapsulated formulations.

No evidence for drug resistance

When mice with neuroblastoma, or mice that had received a xenograft of a human liver tumor, were first exposed to nanoparticles carrying the TNF? gene and subsequently treated with Doxil the researchers observed, in real time, that the drug became concentrated in the tumor tissue. Indeed, in some cases, the combination was sufficient to bring tumor growth to a standstill, even in animals that had already undergone three cycles of treatment. This finding suggests that drug resistance, which often limits the efficacy of chemotherapy, does not develop in this context.

In addition to eliminating the primary tumor, a successful therapy must be able to kill metastatic tumors in other tissues. When the researchers looked at mice with neuroblastoma, or mice carrying implanted human colon tumors that had metastasized to the liver, they found that the new treatment strategy also significantly reduced the growth of metastases. "TNF? might also be useful in combination with other agents and other treatment regimens," says Ogris. "We now plan to optimize our gene delivery system, and hope that we can soon begin to plan preclinical tests of the new approach." (suwe)

###

Publication:

Systemic TNF? Gene Therapy Synergizes With Liposomal Doxorubicine in the Treatment of Metastatic Cancer

Baowei Su, Arzu Cengizeroglu, Katarina Farkasova, Joana R. Viola, Martina Anton, Joachim W. Ellwart, Rudolf Haase, Ernst Wagner, Manfred Ogris

Molecular Therapy, 2012

doi: 10.1038/mt.2012.229

Contact:

PD Dr Manfred Ogris
Phone: +49 89 / 2180 77842
Fax: +49 89 / 2180 77791
Email: manfred.ogris@cup.uni-muenchen.de
Web: www.cup.uni-muenchen.de/pb/aks/ewagner/m_ogris.htm


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2012-11/lm-ct-111412.php

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I've Moved. Can I Still Use my Will in my New State? | The Law ...

Nov 14, 2012 ?/? By: Cheryl K. David, Estate Planning Attorney ?/? Category: Wills and Trusts

Even though a lot of people know that each state has its own laws about wills and estate planning, many people aren?t sure how those laws apply to practical situations, such as when you move to a new state. In general, if you live in, or have recently moved to Greensboro, North Carolina and have made a last will and testament in one state, that will is still good when you move to a new state. After you die, the state probate court will still accept your old will even if you created it in a different state. However, there are some issues you need to consider.

Witnesses

Every state requires that a probate court review your will to determine if it is legally valid. If you made your will in another state, the state in the new court will use the laws of your old state to determine if, when you made the document, you did so in accordance with the original state?s requirements. As part of this process the courts will ask the witnesses if they saw you sign the will. If your witnesses are located out-of-state they may not be able to testify. If the court cannot locate the witnesses your will may not be accepted.

Oral or Handwritten Wills

Even though every state allows you to create a printed will, a minority of states allow you to make handwritten or even verbal wills. However, if you move to a state which doesn?t recognize an oral or handwritten will as legally acceptable, the court may not accept your will if you made it in such a manner. In this situation it?s best that you speak to an estate planning attorney in Greensboro, NC about your old will.

If you have any questions regarding your Will and whether one made outside of North Carolina is valid, our office is happy to review your current documents. Call us today ? 336.547.9999.

The Law Offices Of Cheryl David is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

Source: http://www.cheryldavid.com/blog/wills-and-trusts/ive-moved-state/

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Healthy soda? Pepsi releases ?fat-blocking? soda in Japan

PepsiCo?released a new ?fat-blocking? soda called ?Pepsi Special? in Japan on Tuesday that contains the dietary fiber Dextrin, which Pepsi?s Japan distributor claims will reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body.

Japanese ads for the fiber-filled soda, targeted toward young, health-conscious men, asked, ?Why choose between a hamburger and a slice of pizza? If you choose Pepsi Special, you can have both!?

The indigestible fiber causes people to feel fuller, which helps prevent them from eating too much. The additive also causes an increased number of bowel movements.

A Japanese study published in 2006 found that rats fed a dextrin-filled diet had a lower fat concentration. Other studies showed that dextrin may help prevent obesity and reduce negative effects of a high-cholesterol diet.

?The food and beverage category in Japan has many unique products,? said PepsiCo in a statement. ?In this case, our partner Suntory is launching a low-calorie, fiber-infused beverage to compete with similar offerings already in the marketplace.?

Another recently released Japanese soda, Kirin Mets Cola, also contains dextrin and is targeted toward men in their 30s and older, suggesting they will be able to eat all the fast food they want with the dextrin-infused drink.

However, unlike Kirin, Pepsi Special is not sugar-free. It contains a high level of high fructose corn syrup, according to Yahoo?s Lisa Collier Cool.

The Today Show?s diet and nutrition editor, Madelyn Fernstrom,?noted that Pepsi Special should not be expected in the U.S. market due to the Food and Drug Administration?s regulations against nutrient-fortified soda and candy.

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Source: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/14/healthy-soda-pepsi-releases-fat-blocking-soda-in-japan/

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