Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children in the past 30 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The numbers are staggering, and it's a statistic that we can clearly see when we're out at the park or grocery store.
But anyone who has ever fed their child fast food knows that it's hard to go back once kids get a taste for junk food. So, what can we do? Well, a June study in the journal Psychological Science study may give us an answer.
Researchers conducted an experiment with preschool-age children to test the theory that the kids would be able to understand the concepts of good nutrition. Hold on to your seats, folks! They found that not only did these kids understand the concepts, but those who read books about nutrition were more likely to make healthy choices. Of course, they weren't reading Fundamentals of Human Nutrition; they were given age-appropriate books that weren't too detailed, but outlined some basic concepts of healthy eating.
So, that should cover the "how to get kids to eat healthy" part? Knowledge is power. But what happens when that isn't enough? What happens when your food budget is all but depleted and you still have three days left in the week? Well, we probably could have guessed this one on our own, but a June study from researchers at Dartmouth University shows that when shoppers are given a choice to buy for nutrition or price, they will choose the item with the lower price tag.
But that's doesn't mean you have to ?give in to that sugary-cereal sale just yet. You may not have to compromise.
Check out my best tips for creating healthy meals on a budget:
Add brown rice instead of French fries: Guess what? Pound for pound, brown rice is cheaper than the fries. You can probably even get a pound of dry rice for under $2.
A cheap, yummy and healthy snack: Mix nonfat Greek yogurt with granola and berries.The big splurge here is the fresh fruit, so during the off-season, consider buying frozen and blending it into a puree. Each serving of Greek yogurt may set you back $1, but it has a ton of protein to fuel those nutrition-loving minds.
Use frozen vegetables: Frozen veggies are usually very affordable, and you'll often find them on sale. There isn't really a time limit on when you have to use them, either, so it's a good investment when money is tight. They work great in stir-fries, stews and casseroles.
Make pita pizzas. Buy some whole-wheat pitas and top them with healthy pizza toppings. The pita and marinara sauce totals about $0.80 per serving, but of course, your total cost will depend on your choice of toppings. Here are some inexpensive ideas: canned pineapple (drained), black olives, mushrooms, baby spinach, garlic and leftover chicken (but not necessarily on the same pizza).
Healthy Bites appears on MyHealthNewsDaily on Wednesdays. Deborah Herlax Enos is a certified nutritionist and a health coach and weight loss expert in the Seattle area with more than 20 years of experience. Read more tips on her blog,?Health in a Hurry!
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - If immigration reform sputters in the deeply divided U.S. Congress, supporters are planning to push President Barack Obama to act on his own to help 11 million illegal residents, lawmakers and immigration advocates said. Immigration law experts, some senators and House Democratic aides speculated that if Congress cannot agree on a wide-ranging immigration bill this year, Obama could use his executive authority to stop deporting parents of children living in the United States illegally. Many of those children have won temporary reprieves on deportation and broadening the protection to their parents would be a way of keeping immigrant families together. Navigating around Congress comes with plenty of drawbacks, though, since anything Obama could do would not be as lasting as enacting a law. Furthermore, he could not use his own powers to make sweeping changes, such as creating a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented. Any such measures are certain to provoke a reaction from Republicans. But immigrant groups would argue that some action from the White House is better than putting up with existing conditions. Obama also could sidestep Republican opposition to legislation by helping a broader spectrum of illegal residents who have been in the United States for prolonged periods, say 10 years or more, for temporary legal status if they have clean records. "You could make a persuasive policy argument that those are the people who have most fully sunk roots into communities, most convincingly demonstrating they're contributing in the labor market," said Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. "Many are paying U.S. taxes and raising families in their adopted country." With Congress in a five-week recess and many Republicans balking at "amnesty" for those living in the United States illegally, chances are worsening for passing a comprehensive immigration bill this year, even with the Senate's bipartisan backing in June for such a measure. "There's a huge degree of effort and support going into immigration reform and if it fails (in Congress), all of that effort and support will turn right back on the administration to do something for constituents that have been hurting and are important to the president," Meissner said. Senior Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who voted for the Senate-passed bill, told Reuters, "There are a lot of people speculating" about the demands for Obama to act unilaterally if legislation fails. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who helped write the Senate bill, concurred, saying, "I have always suspected that's a real possibility." But Hatch and Rubio both warned Obama against taking matters into his own hands, even if legislation fails. Bill Hing, a University of San Francisco professor who specializes in immigration law, said in a telephone interview: "I think it's going to begin ... with just huge pressure on the administration to cut back on its Secure Communities" program. Controversial among city and county governments, this federal program gathers fingerprints and other information from local law enforcement that can be used to identify undocumented people. Hing said the program has been aggressively used by the administration and the result has been the deportation of many for minor violations such as traffic infractions.
PRESIDENTIAL MUSCLES After spending most of his first term as president refusing to use his executive powers to ease deportations of illegal immigrants, Obama flexed his presidential muscles in mid-2012. With his campaign for re-election gearing up, he had his Department of Homeland Security temporarily halt deportations of undocumented children who were brought to the United States by their parents, often at a very young age. Seeing the effectiveness of that executive action and the absence of successful legal challenges, Obama could be emboldened to expand it with the stroke of his pen. Presidential action may be the least desirable outcome for supporters of immigration reform, however, because it is a temporary remedy that can be reversed by future presidents and because there are only limited steps that can be taken. "The importance of legislation is that it's a permanent fix," said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum. He also said Obama could not order a "pathway to citizenship" for the 11 million but could ease their short-term deportation fears. Legal status leading to citizenship is a key demand of immigration groups as they seek passage of legislation. Executive branch action also would not create more high-tech visas or new categories of temporary work permits. The Senate legislation would accomplish those things, much to the pleasure of U.S. business. Further complicating matters, Obama would have to make a political calculation before acting, assessing the potential impact of any administration directives on 2014 congressional elections. For now, backers of immigration legislation do not want to acknowledge this executive branch avenue since it detracts from their message that Congress will manage to pass a bill this year. "I don't want to even entertain that thought," Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who helped write the Senate-passed bill, said of potential Obama action. Senator Charles Schumer, the leading Democratic author of the bill said, "I'm not even going to get into that," and insisted he is "more optimistic every day" of legislation passing the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Even the White House tried to squelch speculation. "The only way to fix this problem is for Congress to pass comprehensive reform. There are no other options," a spokesman said. Any steps by Obama likely would prompt an outcry from Republicans who would again accuse him of trampling the Constitution by deciding which laws he was going to enforce and which ones he was going to ignore. That was their reaction in mid-2012. "I think the White House has to be careful," Hatch said. "They've been doing an awful lot of unilateral legal action without authority and if that keeps up, the president is going to find himself in real difficulty." (Editing by Fred Barbash and Bill Trott)
We?re at that time in the NBA offseason where there isn?t much going on, so any small bit of news of a free agent inching closer to deciding on a new destination becomes an element of interest.
The mini-frenzy created by Greg Oden?s signing with the Heat on Friday qualifies, considering he hasn?t played in the NBA the last three years and is still, even by his own account, a substantial ways away from contributing at the NBA level.
The interest surrounding Antawn Jamison isn?t nearly as strong, but with the list of contending teams he?s considering, he may be able to impact a playoff run, even at this late stage of his career.
The Clippers, as they did near the beginning of free agency, seem to be interested in Jamison?s services.
Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported that Doc Rivers is scheduled to have dinner with Jamison on Saturday ? presumably at an establishment with a slightly stronger menu selection than the Chili?s where Oden supposedly had dinner with Erik Spoelstra.
Jamison can still score, but defensively he is a liability, and that?s putting it mildly. But another veteran at the end of the bench for a team as deep as the Clippers can?t hurt, and if Rivers wants Jamison in place, he shouldn?t have much trouble convincing him to switch teams in Los Angeles.
Mechanism that allows bacteria to infect plants may inspire cure for eye diseasePublic release date: 4-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dustin Hays neinews@nei.nih.gov 301-496-5248 NIH/National Eye Institute
By borrowing a tool from bacteria that infect plants, scientists have developed a new approach to eliminate mutated DNA inside mitochondriathe energy factories within cells. Doctors might someday use the approach to treat a variety of mitochondrial diseases, including the degenerative eye disease Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). The research, published online today in Nature Medicine, was funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Mitochondria convert fuel from food into a form of energy that cells can use. They also make enzymes for a variety of cell functions, and in humans they are the only cell component other than the nucleus that houses genes. Mitochondrial gene mutations can lead to a variety of health problems including muscle weakness, heart disease, and blindness in the case of LHON. Most cells contain thousands of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies. People with mitochondrial disease often have both mutant and normal mtDNA within their cells. No cures exist for mitochondrial diseases and few effective treatments are available.
Searching for strategies to repair mitochondrial gene defects, a group of investigators at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine explored proteins called transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors. In nature, TAL effectors are found only in certain types of plant-infecting bacteria. They enable the bacteria to use plant DNA to multiply and spread infection.
Scientists recently began using TAL effectors to modify DNA in a variety of organisms. In the lab, TAL effectors can be fused with DNA-breaking proteins called nucleases. These TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) can be used to add or remove specific genes or correct gene mutationstechniques that fall under the broad category of genome editing. During the past few years, scientists have begun adapting TALENs and other genome-editing tools for gene therapy. Until now, scientists had only used TALENs to edit genes in the cell nucleus. Today's report marks the first time TALENs have been used to edit mitochondrial genes.
"Mitochondrial-targeted TALENS (mitoTALENs) represent the most promising hope for an effective treatment of diseases caused by mutations in mtDNA," said Carlos T. Moraes, Ph.D., a professor of neurology and cell biology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study. "Our research demonstrates that mitoTALENs can substantially decrease or eliminate mutant mtDNA without harming normal mtDNA."
Using cells in the lab, the investigators designed mitoTALENs to bind and cut mitochondrial DNA that had a specific mutation in the gene Complex I, which causes LHON. The scientists then tested whether the mitoTALENs eliminated the mutant mtDNA.
Analysis revealed a temporary drop in cells' total mtDNA, which was due to a reduction in mutant mtDNA. "Once the mitoTALENs bound and cut the DNA at the specified target, the mutant mtDNA was degraded," said Moraes. "The drop in total mtDNA stimulated the cells to increase their mtDNA by replicating the unaffected molecules. Two weeks later, mtDNA levels had returned to normal. But since the mutant mtDNA was destroyed, the cells had mostly normal mtDNA."
Reducing but not necessarily eliminating all mutant mtDNA from a person's cells would be sufficient to treat many mitochondrial diseases, Moraes said. Mutant mtDNA typically does not cause signs of disease until it makes up 80 percent or more of the total mtDNA in a cell, which helps explain why age of onset, the constellation of symptoms, and disease severity varies among individuals with the same mutation. "A modest reduction in mutant mtDNA is likely sufficient to effectively treat disease," he said.
"The science in this project advances an imaginative and very clever approach that may one day lead to a therapeutic strategy for mitochondrial diseases," said Houmam Araj, Ph.D., director of the lens/cataract and oculomotor/neuro-ophthalmology programs at the NEI.
Symptoms of LHON include an abrupt loss of central vision at about age 20 in one eye followed shortly thereafter by the other eye. Although a variety of gene mutations are linked to the disease, most cases involve Complex I mutations, which cause degeneration of the nerves in the back of the eye that transmit visual information to the brain. Neurological problems such as tremors may also occur.
Getting mitoTALENs into cells in tissues presents a formidable challenge, however. The scientists plan next to test the approach in animals.
###
Additional Miller School members of the research team included Sin L. Williams, Ph.D., Sandra R. Bacman, Ph.D., Milena Pinto, Ph.D., and Susana Peralta, Ph.D.
The research was supported in part by the National Eye Institute (EY010804), the National Institute on Aging (AG036871), and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS079965).
Reference: Bacman SR, et al. Specific elimination of mutant mitochondrial genomes in patient-derived cells by mitoTALENs. Nature Medicine. Published online Aug. 4, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nm.3261.
The National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the federal government's research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs that result in the development of sight-saving treatments. For more information, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
Mechanism that allows bacteria to infect plants may inspire cure for eye diseasePublic release date: 4-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dustin Hays neinews@nei.nih.gov 301-496-5248 NIH/National Eye Institute
By borrowing a tool from bacteria that infect plants, scientists have developed a new approach to eliminate mutated DNA inside mitochondriathe energy factories within cells. Doctors might someday use the approach to treat a variety of mitochondrial diseases, including the degenerative eye disease Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). The research, published online today in Nature Medicine, was funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Mitochondria convert fuel from food into a form of energy that cells can use. They also make enzymes for a variety of cell functions, and in humans they are the only cell component other than the nucleus that houses genes. Mitochondrial gene mutations can lead to a variety of health problems including muscle weakness, heart disease, and blindness in the case of LHON. Most cells contain thousands of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies. People with mitochondrial disease often have both mutant and normal mtDNA within their cells. No cures exist for mitochondrial diseases and few effective treatments are available.
Searching for strategies to repair mitochondrial gene defects, a group of investigators at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine explored proteins called transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors. In nature, TAL effectors are found only in certain types of plant-infecting bacteria. They enable the bacteria to use plant DNA to multiply and spread infection.
Scientists recently began using TAL effectors to modify DNA in a variety of organisms. In the lab, TAL effectors can be fused with DNA-breaking proteins called nucleases. These TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) can be used to add or remove specific genes or correct gene mutationstechniques that fall under the broad category of genome editing. During the past few years, scientists have begun adapting TALENs and other genome-editing tools for gene therapy. Until now, scientists had only used TALENs to edit genes in the cell nucleus. Today's report marks the first time TALENs have been used to edit mitochondrial genes.
"Mitochondrial-targeted TALENS (mitoTALENs) represent the most promising hope for an effective treatment of diseases caused by mutations in mtDNA," said Carlos T. Moraes, Ph.D., a professor of neurology and cell biology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study. "Our research demonstrates that mitoTALENs can substantially decrease or eliminate mutant mtDNA without harming normal mtDNA."
Using cells in the lab, the investigators designed mitoTALENs to bind and cut mitochondrial DNA that had a specific mutation in the gene Complex I, which causes LHON. The scientists then tested whether the mitoTALENs eliminated the mutant mtDNA.
Analysis revealed a temporary drop in cells' total mtDNA, which was due to a reduction in mutant mtDNA. "Once the mitoTALENs bound and cut the DNA at the specified target, the mutant mtDNA was degraded," said Moraes. "The drop in total mtDNA stimulated the cells to increase their mtDNA by replicating the unaffected molecules. Two weeks later, mtDNA levels had returned to normal. But since the mutant mtDNA was destroyed, the cells had mostly normal mtDNA."
Reducing but not necessarily eliminating all mutant mtDNA from a person's cells would be sufficient to treat many mitochondrial diseases, Moraes said. Mutant mtDNA typically does not cause signs of disease until it makes up 80 percent or more of the total mtDNA in a cell, which helps explain why age of onset, the constellation of symptoms, and disease severity varies among individuals with the same mutation. "A modest reduction in mutant mtDNA is likely sufficient to effectively treat disease," he said.
"The science in this project advances an imaginative and very clever approach that may one day lead to a therapeutic strategy for mitochondrial diseases," said Houmam Araj, Ph.D., director of the lens/cataract and oculomotor/neuro-ophthalmology programs at the NEI.
Symptoms of LHON include an abrupt loss of central vision at about age 20 in one eye followed shortly thereafter by the other eye. Although a variety of gene mutations are linked to the disease, most cases involve Complex I mutations, which cause degeneration of the nerves in the back of the eye that transmit visual information to the brain. Neurological problems such as tremors may also occur.
Getting mitoTALENs into cells in tissues presents a formidable challenge, however. The scientists plan next to test the approach in animals.
###
Additional Miller School members of the research team included Sin L. Williams, Ph.D., Sandra R. Bacman, Ph.D., Milena Pinto, Ph.D., and Susana Peralta, Ph.D.
The research was supported in part by the National Eye Institute (EY010804), the National Institute on Aging (AG036871), and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS079965).
Reference: Bacman SR, et al. Specific elimination of mutant mitochondrial genomes in patient-derived cells by mitoTALENs. Nature Medicine. Published online Aug. 4, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nm.3261.
The National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the federal government's research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs that result in the development of sight-saving treatments. For more information, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health
[ | 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.
Here are some habits to be your home cool with no air conditioning. First we will appear by the side of ways to cool an existing, conventional dwelling with ways that use a smaller amount energy.
One of the best habits to be a home cool devoid of air conditioning is to install a whole residence enthusiast. These work top in the belatedly sunset and by night. They budge sky in from end to end windows and up and absent of the attic. Whole house fans help stay together the within of your home cooler and reduce happy high temperature beginning imminent in from end to end the ceiling as they create the attic cooler. These work top in areas located around north of Dallas, in provisos of latitude, and areas where the nighttime temperatures are extremely cool, such as cities by incredibly far above the ground altitudes.
A swamp cooler or else evaporative cooler too workings glowing in areas where the humidity level is short. They are much supplementary economical to run than air conditioning, even if they do consume a fair total of wet in the summertime. Swamp coolers can assist cool the home with no air conditioning through evaporative cooling and the only energy worn is by the fan and small hose down pump.
Ceiling fans are another good means to remain your home cool devoid of air conditioning. Remember that ceiling fans only cool you, not the room, as a result revolve them rancid when your leave, our utilize an infrared sensing control to rotate them on when you enter the room. Such sensors are available by the side of Smarthome.com
If you cannot afford a complete dwelling aficionado, you might utilize despicable pack fans in the windows of your home. Place a couple small package fans in windows on the side of the home that the breeze frequently comes from and face them inmost as a result that they blow atmosphere addicted to the room.
When maintenance your home cool with no air conditioning try to dress cooler. Wear dumpy cover shirts and shorts and you will experience enhanced. Think of it as a humid trip on home and have bags of cool drinks on hand.
Shading The Windows
Solar screens are an central division of keeping a home cool devoid of air conditioning. They prevent up and about to eighty percent of happy solar warmth beginning ingoing a home from side to side the windows. To locate them, perceive your confined fair-haired pages otherwise the web meant for solar display installers in your area. Solar screens typically charge regarding $60 for a single window.
To more lessen solar temperature add in youru home, you might also deem installing retractable awnings over big goblet windows. This method works glowing to maintain solar high temperature put on by the side of bay, specially on homes with south and west facing windows.
Use Cool Colors
Back in the days before sky conditioning was extensively old in homes, you never saying no matter which but light dyed homes in seats where the climate was humid. There was a reason designed for choosing these light ensign besides the availability of contemptible fair paint. Light decorated paint does not absorb as a large amount solar energy and your home will continue a great deal cooler. If you don't suppose me, utilize an infrared blemish thermometer and aim it by a shadowy painted element of the identical partition in opposition to. a part of the wall that is painted brilliant pallid. The difference in warmth lying on a hot daylight hours will amaze you.
Plant Trees To Keep Your Home Cool Without Air Conditioning
A good quality technique to remain your home cooler is to plant quick mounting plants on the south and west sides of your home. This will assist shade the home and remain it much cooler in the summertime. Choose tree varieties that are hardy meant for your area and avoid those species of trees whose limbs break with no trouble in lofty winds, such as Chinaberry and Hackberry.
New Construction
If you are building a new house, you might want to invest a couple of thousand extra dollars in your insulation and added energy competent upgrades such as glowing barrier, solar upper floor fans, low down E windows, foliage, entire dwelling fans. Since living devoid of air conditioning all of the time might exist impractical in a quantity of climates, want your HVAC unit astutely and seem intended for one with a SEER rating in excess of 15.
Ask your builder in relation to original methods of construction that can assist inferior your monthly energy bills and allow you to live lacking air conditioning. There are alternative construction methods such as Insulated Concrete Form otherwise ICF homes and spray foam lagging that can lend a hand create your new residence a good deal supplementary energy resourceful. Thermal mass fortifications can lend a hand order the within hotness of the home as a result construction methods such as adobe employment fine in a few climates. With such a home you may locate ceiling fans adequate to remain it cool, smooth in summer. Read More - klimatyzacja warszawa wola
About the Author: My name is Max from Lisieux doing my final year engineering in Nursing. I did my schooling, secured 90% and hope to find someone with same interests in Meteorology.
Image: FROM ?FOREBRAIN ENGRAFTMENT BY HUMAN GLIAL PROGENITOR CELLS ENHANCES SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY AND LEARNING IN ADULT MICE,? BY XIAONING HAN ET AL., in CELL STEM CELL, VOL. 12. NO. 3; MARCH 7, 2013. WITH PERMISSION FROM ELSEVIER
In spring a band of brainy rodents made headlines for zipping through mazes and mastering memory tricks. Scientists credited the impressive intellectual feats to human cells transplanted into their brains shortly after birth. But the increased mental muster did not come from neurons, the lanky nerve cells that swap electrical signals and stimulate muscles. The mice benefited from human stem cells called glial progenitors, immature cells poised to become astrocytes and other glia cells, the supposed support cells of the brain.
Astrocytes are known for mopping up excess neuro-transmitters and maintaining balance in brain systems. During the past couple of decades, however, researchers started suspecting astrocytes of making more complex cognitive contributions. In the 1990s the cells got caught using calcium to accomplish a form of nonelectrical signaling. Studies since then have revealed how extensively astrocytes interact with neurons, even coordinating their activity in some cases.
Perhaps even more intriguing, our astrocytes are enormous compared with the astrocytes of other animals?20 times larger than rodent astrocytes?and they make contact with millions of neurons apiece. Neurons, on the other hand, are nearly identical in all mammals, from rodents to great apes like us. Such clues suggest astrocytes could be evolutionary contributors to our outsized intellect.
The new study, published in March in Cell Stem Cell, tested this hypothesis. A subset of the implanted human stem cells matured into rotund, humanlike astrocytes in the animals' brains, taking over operations from the native mouse astrocytes. When tested under a microscope, these human astrocytes accomplished calcium signaling at least three times faster than the mouse astrocytes did. The enhanced mice masterfully memorized new objects, swiftly learned to link certain sounds or situations to an unpleasant foot shock, and displayed un-usually savvy maze navigation?signs of mental acuity that surpassed skills exhibited by either typical mice or mice transplanted with glial progenitor cells from their own species.
Alexei Verkhratsky, a glia researcher at the University of Manchester in England who was not involved in the mouse study, calls the work ?truly remarkable,? both conceptually and technically. He notes that the new results do not necessarily conflict with astrocytes' support role. Rather, Verkhratsky argues, the apparent advantages afforded by human astrocytes may be a consequence of their housekeeping abilities, underscoring the interdependence between glia and neurons.
This article was originally published with the title Human Cells Make Mice Smarter.
Kirobo, a knee-high talking robot, has blasted off from Japan for the International Space Station to test how machines can help astronauts with their work.
His mission is to be a companion to Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata onboard the ISS.
Kirobo was on board Konotori 4, an un-manned space cargo transporter, and is expected to reach the ISS on August 9.
In this image take from a security camera, pedestrians scatter as a car drives through a packed afternoon crowd along the Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013. At least a dozen people were injured, two of them critically, according to police. (AP Photo/Snapchat)
In this image take from a security camera, pedestrians scatter as a car drives through a packed afternoon crowd along the Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013. At least a dozen people were injured, two of them critically, according to police. (AP Photo/Snapchat)
In this image take from a security camera, pedestrians scatter as a car drives through a packed afternoon crowd along the Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013. At least a dozen people were injured, two of them critically, according to police. (AP Photo/Snapchat)
Pedestrians gather as police and fire officials respond after a car drove through a packed afternoon crowd along the Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013. At least a dozen people were injured, two of them critically, according to police. (AP Photo/Maarten Smitskamp)
Pedestrians gather as police and fire officials respond after a car drove through a packed afternoon crowd along the Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013. At least a dozen people were injured, two of them critically, according to police. (AP Photo/Maarten Smitskamp)
Map locates Venice Beach, in Los Angeles; 1c x 3 inches; 46.5 mm x 76 mm;
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The driver parked outside a hotel and surveyed the leisurely summer scene at the Venice Beach boardwalk: Hundreds of people were sitting at cafes, walking along the seashore or shopping at vendors selling jewelry or art.
Then, according to surveillance video, the man got into a large black car, steered around a vehicle barrier and accelerated mercilessly through the crowd, hitting one person after another as bystanders tried desperately to get out of the way.
Saturday's hit-and-run killed an Italian woman on her honeymoon and hurt 11 others who only a moment earlier had been enjoying an afternoon near the beach at the height of vacation season.
A couple of hours later, authorities arrested a man on suspicion of murder after he walked into a police station in neighboring Santa Monica and said he was involved.
Nathan Louis Campbell, 38, of Los Angeles, remained jailed Sunday on $1 million bail.
Police declined to discuss a motive but Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese said there was no indication that the attack was a terrorist act or that anyone else was involved.
By the time it was over, the driver had covered about a quarter of a mile along the boardwalk before fleeing. The entire incident was over in minutes.
Witnesses reported a horrifying aftermath.
People were " stumbling around, blood dripping down their legs, looking confused not knowing what had happened, people screaming," said Louisa Hodge, who described "blocks and blocks of people just strewn across the sidewalk."
The Italian woman was identified as Alice Gruppioni, 32. Her family in Bologna told the Italian news agency LaPresse that she had been on her honeymoon after a July 20 wedding.
Gruppioni worked as a manager for the family business Sira group, which makes radiators. Her father, Valerio Gruppioni, runs the company and was formerly president of the Bologna soccer team, according to LaPresse.
The family declined to speak to The Associated Press on Sunday.
Another person was critically injured. Two others were taken to hospitals in serious condition. Eight suffered less serious injuries, police said.
According to security video and witness accounts, the driver parked next to the Cadillac Hotel and twice walked out to the boardwalk before getting into the Dodge Avenger. He carefully maneuvered between a storefront and metal poles that had been erected to prevent anyone from driving onto the boardwalk.
Then he stepped on the accelerator and plunged into the crowd.
"I heard a big 'boom, boom,' like the sound of someone going up and down the curb, it was super loud," said Alex Hagan, who was working the desk at the hotel.
The driver knocked over two mannequins and an ATM and started hitting people, swerving from side to side and often running straight into victims. Video showed the car struck at least three vendors ? a fortune teller, a couple selling jewelry and a woman who does tattooing.
Two women who appeared to be in their 60s were also hit. Many people ran after the car, screaming and cursing as it sped away, Hagan said.
Golestan Alipour was bartending at Candle Cafe & Grill when the menacing vehicle drew near.
"The restaurant was full. Everybody ran," Alipour said.
It was not immediately clear how fast the car was going.
The driver eventually turned up a side street and headed away from the ocean. The car was later found abandoned less than two miles away, police said.
At the scene, detectives searched for evidence across the boardwalk, which is in a part of Los Angeles known for eccentricities. The 1.5-mile ribbon of asphalt ? which runs along the sand a few hundred yards from the ocean ? is home to galleries, restaurants, tattoo shops, skateboard parks and the famous outdoor weight room known as Muscle Beach. It can draw as many as 150,000 people on summer weekends.
Hodge said she and her friend, Ashley Taylor, had noted the large number of people walking along the seaside.
"It was a really nice day. There were tons of people out. In fact, we were talking about how packed it was, because we were having a hard time getting through all the people," Hodge said.
The two women stopped to buy ice cream and a couple of hats, which may have saved their lives. They stepped out of a store as emergency crews arrived.
Hodge saw a man and woman lying next to each other, wearing head braces, barely able to move but grasping hands.
Los Angeles Councilman Mike Bonin said there have been previous problems with motorists accidentally driving onto the boardwalk, especially during the evening, because many entrances aren't blocked and there are no signs warning them about entering a pedestrian area.
However, four yellow metal poles blocked the roadway used by the hit-and-run driver, who squeezed past the barrier by driving onto a sidewalk, authorities said.
"The frightening part," Bonin said, was that this part of the boardwalk was "one of the more protected streets."
The crash was not far from where an elderly driver sped through an open-air farmer's market in Santa Monica in 2003, killing 10 people and injuring more than 70 others.
Investigators said George Weller, who was 86 at the time, mistakenly stepped on the gas instead of the brake and then panicked. He was doing up to 60 mph when he plowed through the market. Weller was convicted of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and was sentenced to probation.
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Associated Press Writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.
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In this image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a photomicrograph of a fresh stool sample, which had been prepared using a 10% formalin solution, and stained with modified acid-fast stain, reveals the presence of four Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts in the field of view. Iowa and Nebraska health officials said Tuesday, July 30, 2013, that a prepackaged salad mix is the source of a cyclospora outbreak that sickened more than 178 people in both states. Cyclospora is a rare parasite that causes a lengthy gastrointestinal illness. (AP Photo/Centerd for Disease Control and Prevention)
In this image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a photomicrograph of a fresh stool sample, which had been prepared using a 10% formalin solution, and stained with modified acid-fast stain, reveals the presence of four Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts in the field of view. Iowa and Nebraska health officials said Tuesday, July 30, 2013, that a prepackaged salad mix is the source of a cyclospora outbreak that sickened more than 178 people in both states. Cyclospora is a rare parasite that causes a lengthy gastrointestinal illness. (AP Photo/Centerd for Disease Control and Prevention)
Graphic identifies the states where cases of cyclospora infection have been reported to the CDC; 1c x 6 inches; 46.5 mm x 152 mm;
WASHINGTON (AP) ? An outbreak of stomach illnesses in Iowa and Nebraska has been linked to salad mix served at local Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants and supplied by a Mexican farm.
The outbreak of cyclospora infections has sickened more than 400 people in 16 states. The Food and Drug Administration says it is still working to determine whether the salad mix is the source of illnesses in the other 14 states.
"It is not yet clear whether the cases reported from other states are all part of the same outbreak," the agency said in a statement. "The investigation of increased cases of cyclosporiasis in other states continues."
Both Olive Garden and Red Lobster are owned by Orlando-based Darden Restaurants. In a statement, Darden spokesman Mike Bernstein said the FDA's announcement is "new information."
"Nothing we have seen prior to this announcement gave us any reason to be concerned about the products we've received from this supplier," Bernstein said.
The FDA said it traced illnesses from the restaurants in Nebraska and Iowa to Taylor Farms de Mexico, the Mexican branch of Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms. The company, which provides produce to the food service industry, said its facility located about 180 miles north of Mexico City in San Miguel de Allende is the only one of its 12 sites to be connected to the cases.
In an email, the chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms, Bruce Taylor, said the Mexican plant produced 48 million servings of salads for thousands of restaurants in the Midwest and eastern U.S. in June, the month the outbreak started. He said the facility has an extensive water testing program.
"All our tests have been negative and we have no evidence of cyclospora in our product," Taylor said. "We are working closely with the FDA to continue this investigation."
Taylor said Taylor Farms de Mexico does not supply Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants in Texas, the state with the second most illnesses in the outbreak. According to CDC, 113 of the illnesses reported so far were in Texas. Iowa has had 146 illnesses and Nebraska 81.
In an additional statement on the company's website, Taylor Farms says the Mexican facility is "state of the art and has an exceptional food safety record." The statement said the product is out of the food supply.
The FDA said it had audited the Mexican processing facility in 2011 and found "no notable issues," according to the agency. The agency said it would increase surveillance efforts for green leafy products imported from Mexico.
The most recent known illness in the two states linked to the infected salad was in Nebraska a month ago. The typical shelf life for a salad mix is up to 14 days.
There have been more recent illnesses in other states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most recent illness was July 23 but centers did not specify a location.
The agency said its investigation has not implicated any packaged salad sold in grocery stores.
__
Follow Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcjalonick
In this undated photo provided by the Hood River County Sheriffs Office a hiker stands at the entrance to an ice tunnel that collapsed, trapping a snowboarder at Oregon's Mt. Hood Saturday Aug. 3, 2013. Rescue crews early Sunday morning will resume the search for a snowboarder who was trapped under the collapsing ice tunnel. The snowboarder has not been identified. He was traveling with five companions on Saturday afternoon when the tunnel collapsed. The five were uninjured and called police. (AP Photo/Hood River County Sheriffs Office)
In this undated photo provided by the Hood River County Sheriffs Office a hiker stands at the entrance to an ice tunnel that collapsed, trapping a snowboarder at Oregon's Mt. Hood Saturday Aug. 3, 2013. Rescue crews early Sunday morning will resume the search for a snowboarder who was trapped under the collapsing ice tunnel. The snowboarder has not been identified. He was traveling with five companions on Saturday afternoon when the tunnel collapsed. The five were uninjured and called police. (AP Photo/Hood River County Sheriffs Office)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) ? A snowboarder traveling through an ice tunnel on Oregon's Mount Hood with five companions was buried Saturday when the tunnel collapsed, officials said.
Rescuers quickly responded but halted efforts after dark Saturday night, and said they will resume the search around dawn Sunday.
The other five were uninjured in the collapse Saturday afternoon and called police. They also attempted to dig the man out, but were unable to break through thick snow and ice.
"They tried digging for an hour, but the problem is the stuff is so thick that they couldn't get through it," Hood River Sheriff's Office Sgt. Pete Hughes said. "We're getting chainsaws, if that's any indication."
Early reports from police incorrectly stated there were seven people in the group. The initial reports also referred to an avalanche, but it was not immediately clear if one had occurred.
The man was trapped on the White River Glacier, which begins about 6,000 feet up the south side of the mountain.
"It trapped one person in the tunnel, (but) we're not sure if he was the last one out or it just caught him," Hughes said. "It sounds like there's a significant amount of ice and snow that fell."
An airplane was dispatched to survey the area, along with crews from local sheriff's offices.
Seven rescuers, including five members of an all-volunteer group called the CragRats, were on the mountain on Saturday night.
Hughes said it will "take some doing" to reach the area where the snowboarder was buried. Companions took pictures of the area just before the tunnel collapsed, Hughes said, giving searchers a better idea of where to search.
Warm temperatures made snow on the mountain slushier and more easily sloughed off the surface, adding to the challenge of attempting to reach the snowboarder.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the end of the trading day on August 1, 2013 in New York City.
Stocks closed modestly higher in thin volume on Friday despite a tepid jobs report. While the data was disappointing, it still showed job growth and may also make the Federal Reserve a bit more hesitant about curtailing its stimulus policies in September.
The U.S. economy created just 162,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in July after a downwardly revised 188,000 in June. The unemployment rate fell to 7.4 percent.
The quality of the jobs being created is also an issue. Burt White of LPL Financial pointed out, "Over the last four months we've created 4.2 part-time jobs for every one full-time job. That trend is not going in a good direction."
After spending the session clawing back morning losses, the Dow Jones Industrial Average?finished 30 points higher at 15,658.36. The?S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended with slight gains, while both the S&P and Dow set new closing highs.
The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, fell to 12.1.
Among S&P sectors, consumer discretionary and materials stocks led the gainers. Energy fell after disappointing earnings from oil giant Chevron.
"I think the market grinds higher," Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management, said. "We're not going to go up another 18 percent as we have since the first of the year in my opinion. But I think the market ends higher than where it is today."
The jobs data may push back the timing, or at least scale, of a potential Fed tapering of its bond-buying program.
St. Louis Fed president James Bullard said in a speech Friday that the central bank "needs to see more data" before it makes a decision about slowing the pace of its $85 billion-a-month bond-buying program.
Some economists, meanwhile, see just a small reduction in bond purchases next month.
"I think they'll only do $15 billion because the evidence will be still somewhat ambiguous," BNY Mellon economist Richard Hoey told CNBC of the potential cutback in bond purchases. "I don't think they'll do $25 billion. That's too strong a measure."
In other data, U.S. consumer spending increased 0.5 percent in June, lifted by automobile purchases and higher gasoline prices. Personal incomes rose 0.3 percent. June factory orders, meanwhile, rose 1.5 percent after an upwardly revised 3 percent in May.
(Read more: Escape velocity hopes give way to law of gravity)
Cable stocks rose on reports that Cox Communications and Charter Communications held merger talks. Cablevision was up sharply as well.
Viacom, meanwhile, reported a 14 percent rise in revenue helped by strong advertising and CBS affiliate fees at its cable networks. The media giant also doubled its stock buyback program to $20 billion.
LinkedIn shares surged following better-than-expected earnings and after a number of brokers hiked their price targets on the social networking firm.
AIG stock rose after the company posted strong earnings and said it would return capital to shareholders.
But oil giant?Chevron posted a 26 percent decline in net income?due to lower oil prices and maintenance work at its U.S. refineries.
August is here which means back-to-school season has officially begun.
Most families spend upwards of $500 per child on school necessities according to Huntington Bank?s Annual Backpack Index. ??
Starting today, families can save and extra 6-7% off of selected school items. These include school supplies like paper and pencils, clothing, software, and computers under $1000.
Certain department stores are even offering additional coupons to New Mexico residents for shopping at their businesses this weekend. Starting Friday, 3 p.m. to close and Saturday 9 am ? 1 pm, JC Penney offers $10 off purchases of $25 or more on select apparel, shoes and accessories, and $10 haircuts for kids inside JC Penney salons. Kohl?s is offering coupons for an additional $10 off of every $50 spent.
Most stores will hold longer hours in order to accommodate the large crowds of shoppers that are expected to be out, and they recommend shoppers get to the stores early. Sale items tend to sell out quickly due to the holiday.
However, for those who want savings but would rather avoid crowds, the tax free incentive is also extended to online shopping.
JC Penney has two locations in Albuquerque, one Coronado Center and one at the Cottonwood Mall.
Kohl?s has three locations in Albuquerque, one at the Coronado Center, one located at 6800 Holly Ave NE, and one location on the Westside at 3715 Ellison Rd NW.
FILE - In this Jan 20, 2013, file photo, Tottenham Hotspur's Clint Dempsey celebrates after scoring a goal against Manchester United during an English Premier League soccer match at White Hart Lane stadium in London. Dempsey is returning to Major League Soccer, ending his six-year spell in English soccer.The 30-year-old Dempsey played for the New England Revolution from 2004-06 before joining Fulham in 2007. He moved to Tottenham last summer and scored 12 goals in 43 games, but wasn't a regular. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - In this Jan 20, 2013, file photo, Tottenham Hotspur's Clint Dempsey celebrates after scoring a goal against Manchester United during an English Premier League soccer match at White Hart Lane stadium in London. Dempsey is returning to Major League Soccer, ending his six-year spell in English soccer.The 30-year-old Dempsey played for the New England Revolution from 2004-06 before joining Fulham in 2007. He moved to Tottenham last summer and scored 12 goals in 43 games, but wasn't a regular. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
LONDON (AP) ? Clint Dempsey is returning to Major League Soccer, ending his six-year spell in English soccer.
The 30-year-old Dempsey played for the New England Revolution from 2004-06 before joining Fulham in 2007. He moved to Tottenham last summer and scored 12 goals in 43 games, but wasn't a regular.
"We have reached agreement with Major League Soccer for the transfer of Clint Dempsey," Spurs said in a statement Saturday. "We wish Clint every success for the future."
Tottenham didn't say what team Dempsey was going to, but reports had him linked to the Seattle Sounders. The Sounders cleared one of their three designated player slots earlier this week when midfielder Shalrie Joseph restructured his contract to no longer be counted as a designated player.
The team website also asked fans to arrive 15 minutes early to Saturday night's game against FC Dallas for what the club called a "special presentation."
Dempsey raved about Seattle when the city hosted the U.S. against Panama in a World Cup qualifier in June.
"It's great to see the game is building and there are markets like this where people have so much passion for the game," he said.
A star for the U.S. national team, Dempsey wasn't a regular in Andre Villas-Boas' starting lineup. Even so, his move is somewhat surprising because Tottenham could also lose forward Gareth Bale this offseason to Real Madrid.
One of the most successful Americans to play in England's top league, Dempsey was first sold from the Revolution to Fulham in 2007. Dempsey spent five years playing at Craven Cottage, where he scored 50 goals in 184 league appearances and became a fan favorite. Last year with Tottenham, Dempsey scored seven goals in 29 Premier League matches, scored three times in two FA Cup matches and had two more goals in 10 other games.
As his stock in Europe rose, so did Dempsey's role on his national team. He's played in eight games in 2013 for the United States and scored five times. His next international appearance for the Americans will be his 100th, and he's served as the U.S. captain most of this year when Landon Donovan was out.
Dempsey came to England as an attacking midfielder but has developed into a potent forward in recent seasons, starting up front for the U.S. too.
This weekend, Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint will appear on ?Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace? to review the week?s top news stories.
Appearing with DeMint on the panel will be Bill Kristol from the Weekly Standard, Howard Kurtz from ?Fox News Watch,? and Juan Williams, a Fox News policy analyst.
The panel is expected to cover the recent debate between Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). DeMint will likely discuss subjects that range from the viewpoints on?recent National Security Agency leaks?and the efforts to?stop Obamacare.
Sunday?s show will also feature interviews with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and a discussion with former NSA and CIA director Michael Hayden and Representative Justin Amash (R-MI).
Check local listings?for when ?Fox News Sunday? will air in your area. Follow the conversation on Twitter:?@Heritage?and?@foxnewssunday.
Posted in Featured, Ongoing Priorities [slideshow_deploy] Tags: Chris Christie, Chris Wallace, Eric Cantor, Fox News Sunday, howard kurtz, jim demint, Juan Williams, Justin Amash, Michael Hayden, National Security Agency, Obamacare
The Mustang aficionados at MustangG6 have come across a handful of prototypes at a hotel in Arizona.
While the cars are heavily camouflaged, the pictures suggest it will feature a prominent grille, slender headlights and new door mirrors. We can also see the model will likely have a similar roofline to its predecessor.
The interior photo doesn't reveal much but we can make out a three-spoke steering wheel and handful of metallic accents. ?Despite our limited view, the 2015 Mustang is expected to have a higher?quality cabin with upgraded technology.
The endless stream of rumors makes it hard to sort fact from fiction but the general consensus suggests the model will be offered with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that develops 350 bhp (261 kW) and a 5.0-liter V8 that produces approximately 450 bhp (335 kW). There have also been rumors about an entry-level V6 and range-topping Shelby GT350 with "substantially more" than 450 bhp (335 kW), but nothing is official as of yet.
Nearly one quarter of the 162,000 jobs added nationwide last month were in the retail sector.
According to the National Retail Federation, America?s retailers hired 37,000 workers in July, which is approximately 23 percent of the 162,000 the Bureau of Labor Statistics says were added to the economy.
The NRF does not break out the numbers by geographic region.
Those retail jobs came in sectors such as general merchandise, food and beverage and building and garden supply stores.
Hiring in those areas may indicate that people are more confident and willing to spend, as well as go out to eat. Increased hiring at building and garden supply stores also points to improvements in the housing market.
?In spite of continued rancor and uncertainty from policymakers in Washington, the private sector economy continues to add jobs,? NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. ?While unemployment remains stubbornly high, with millions of Americans jobless or underemployed, retailers are adding to their ranks and payrolls.?
With the third quarter under way, retailers will likely evaluate their hiring needs and continue to add workers ahead of the all-important fourth quarter.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Specific mutations (N676K) in the FLT3 receptor can contribute to the development of acute myeloid leukemia. The FLT3 receptor regulates cell growth, while activating gene mutations promote the uncontrolled proliferation of white blood cells.
SIPTU president Jack O?Connor at the Philip Ross ?pop up? art exhibition in McDevitt's old wool factory in Glenties after his address to the MacGill Summer School
John Mulligan, Donal O'Donovan and Fiach Kelly ? 03 August 2013
THE head of the country's biggest trade union is standing by his comments comparing AIB chief executive David Duffy to the head of the Nazi propaganda machine.
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SIPTU president Jack O'Connor made the controversial link between Mr Duffy and Joseph Goebbels, who was Hitler's minister of propaganda. "If Goebbels had that man (David Duffy), Hitler would have won the war," Mr O'Connor claimed.
He made the comments after Mr Duffy had claimed that one in five homeowners in arrears was "strategically defaulting". The bitterness is set to intensify as one of the Central Bank's most senior figures warned of a "turbulent" few months ahead as the banks increase the number of home repossessions.
Fiona Muldoon, head of banking supervision at the Central Bank, also said lenders had to watch out for people
who may be "trying it on" in seeking debt deals. She said the Central Bank had set "ambitious" targets for the banks to deal with troubled homeowners in order to "force the issue".
Ms Muldoon added that it was "inevitable" there would be some reaction and repercussions from home repossessions.
The heads of the other main banks weighed into the debate. Ulster Bank chief executive Jim Brown backed Mr Duffy's view on "strategic defaults" but Bank of Ireland's Richie Boucher voiced his doubt that large numbers of people in arrears were "cynically" defaulting in the hope of securing a debt deal.
However, it was Mr O'Connor's linking of the head of a state-owned bank and the Nazi Party that really caused shockwaves. The SIPTU chief was speaking at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal.
Mr O'Connor said he had heard the AIB boss speaking on the radio this week regarding the bank's first-half results.
Last night he told the Irish Independent that he stood by his comparison with Goebbels but distanced himself from suggesting any links with fascism.
"I'm not in any way suggesting that David Duffy is in any way remotely aligned with Nazism," said Mr O'Connor.
"If the man was offended or if he interpreted it in any way other than the way I meant it, I don't wish to imply anything other than what I meant."
He stressed that he was deeply concerned that the level of evictions looked set to rise.
"We all as a society have an obligation to support those at risk of losing their family home," said Mr O'Connor. And he accused AIB of trying to stigmatise people who genuinely could not make ends meet.
A spokeswoman for Mr Duffy said he would not be responding to Mr O'Connor's comments.
The controversy erupted after Mr Duffy had claimed that as many as one in five homeowners in deep debt arrears was a so-called "strategic defaulter" ? meaning they earn enough to repay their home loan but are using it to cover other expenses, such as credit card debt.
His bank said it had sent letters to thousands of defaulting borrowers threatening legal action, including repossession.
And Ulster Bank chief executive Jim Brown told the Irish Independent that he "shares a similar view" to Mr Duffy about the level of so-called strategic default and that his bank was also planning an "uptick in legal activity".
However Bank of Ireland's chief executive Richie Boucher said it was impossible to know the level of strategic versus more genuine defaulters.
"It's not possible to break it down scientifically," Mr Boucher said. "Is it (a case of default) absolutely deliberate? I can't sit here in my bunker and put myself in someone else's mind."
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Public release date: 4-Aug-2013
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