Cell phones called good for safety

If a person from 1983 could be transported and plunked down in anymajor city in the world today, he probably would adjust quickly tonew clothing and hair styles as well as changes in auto design.

But something else, something we've all come to take for granted,might not ring a bell: He would be astonished to see the large numberof people walking around the streets seemingly talking to themselves.

Has the world gone mad? No, over the last two decades, especiallyin the last five to 10 years, it's gone cellular.

The cell phone, originally developed by Motorola Inc., changed theworld and is still redefining our world.

The cell phone has increased productivity …

Olive oil to 'bragg' about

Bragg Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the latest addition to Bragg's product line. A natural and healthy addition to your diet, olive oil is , high in monounsaturated fat, which helps lower cholesterol while still …

House budget bill aids carmakers, disaster victims

The House has passed a budget bill with $25 billion in loans for automakers and generous help for victims of hurricanes and flooding.

The bills also ends a quarter-century ban on oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. And it provides record budgets for the Pentagon and for veterans' health care for veterans.

The House vote was 370-58 Wednesday. The $630 billion-plus measure now goes to the Senate, which is expected to send the legislation to President Bush for his signature.

The spending bill would keep agencies running at current levels through March. That would give Congress time to wrap up lots of unfinished budget work.

…

Artist receives seven nominations: ; Miranda Lambert tops Academy of Country Music Awards list

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Miranda Lambert proclaimed 2010 the best yearof her life. After hauling in seven Academy of Country Music Awardsnominations, 2011 isn't looking so bad either.

Lambert, joined by Ronnie Dunn on Tuesday morning to announce thenominees at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, received herfirst ACM entertainer of the year nomination and will defend her2010 top female vocalist win, along with nods for song and single ofthe year. Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band were next with fivenominations each.

The blonde firebrand started a sizzling hot streak last year atthe ACMs, with three wins, including album of the year for thelionized …

Carl Burton Myers Jr., accountant, executive

Carl Burton Myers Jr. worked in the financial world for 50 yearsin the Chicago area.

"He was a wonderful man and a great father," said his son PeterMyers. "He was strong and loving, and he always was a hard worker. Heknew the value of a dollar and the value of an education. He enjoyedplaying golf, but he didn't have enough time to play often because hewas too busy with his work."

Mr. Myers, 85, died of heart failure March 30 at the Meadow Brooknursing home in Aurora.

Mr. Myers was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and he was schooled atthe Culver Military Academy and at the University of Iowa, where heearned a bachelor of science degree in accounting. He joined …

WTA Schedule

Jan. 2-8 — Brisbane International, HO (Petra Kvitova)

Jan. 3-8 — ASB Classic, HO (Greta Arn)

Jan. 9-14 — Medibank International, HO (Li Na)

Jan. 9-15 — Moorilla International, HO (Jarmila Groth)

Jan. 17-30 — Australian Open, HO (Kim Clijsters)

Feb. 5-6 — Fed Cup I

Feb. 7-13 — Open GDF SUEZ, Paris, HI

Feb. 7-13 — PTT Pattaya Open, Pattaya City, Thailand, HO

Feb. 14-19 — Cellular South Cup, Memphis, Tennessee, HI

Feb. 14-20 — Dubai Tennis Championships, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, HO

Feb. 14-20 — Copa BBVA Colsanitas, Bogota, Colombia, RCO

Feb. 21-26 — Qatar Ladies Open, Doha, Qatar, HO

Feb. 21-26 — Abierto Mexicano …

Summary Box: Corn drops as weather improves

WEATHER FORECAST: The Midwest appears to be in store for cooler, wetter weather in the coming weeks, which would be favorable for the corn crop.

CORN FALLS: Corn prices fell sharply, ending a three-week rally based on expecations for unfavorably …

Mechanics of Cellular Adhesion to Artificial Artery Templates

ABSTRACT

We are using polymer templates to grow artificial artery grafts in vivo for the replacement of diseased blood vessels. We have previously shown that adhesion of macrophages to the template starts the graft formation. We present a study of the mechanics of macrophage adhesion to these templates on a single cell and single bond level with optical tweezers. For whole cells, in vitro cell adhesion densities decreased significantly from polymer templates polyethylene to silicone to Tygon (167, 135, and 65 cells/mm^sup 2^). These cell densities were correlated with the graft formation success rate (50%, 25%, and 0%). Single-bond rupture forces at a loading rate of 450 pN/s were …

China benchmark stock index falls nearly 7 percent in second day of global sell-off

China's main stock index fell nearly 7 percent in early trading Tuesday in the second day of a sell-off in global markets on worries about the state of the U.S. economy.

The Shanghai Composite Index dipped to its lowest level in five months early in the day before regaining ground to end morning trading at 4,714.30, down 4.1 percent.

The Shenzhen Composite Index dipped as much as 6 percent in early trading but was down 4.1 percent by midday.

The drop tracked second-day losses in other major Asian markets. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index has dropped more than 4 percent Tuesday, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index is off around 8 percent near …

Hair-raising tales may scare stylist’s clients from chairs

Dear Abby: I am a weekly client at an upscale hair salon. I and most of the other customers are over 65. The owner, "Valentino," is a 50ish widower who likes to brag about his romantic conquests. My friends and I agree that his revelations are inappropriate and unprofessional.

Val is an excellent hairdresser. Should we ignore his behavior, or quit cold turkey and live with bad hair days?

Embarrassed in the Big Easy

Dear Embarrassed: I have a better idea. Take Valentino aside and tell him privately, as a friend, that hearing the details of his sex life is embarrassing, and that some of his clients have mentioned they're considering changing hairdressers because of …

Utilities face security, competition as major issues

Making sure that power and water flow smoothly means more than the flick of a switch or the turn of a faucet. Competition, reliability and security are the major issues public utility companies and utilityrelated government agencies face in 2003. These agencies also are looking at ways to cut costs for consumers.

Lack of consumer choices for electricity, phone and water providers is an issue of importance for Irwin "Sonny" Popowsky, the consumer advocate of Pennsylvania on utility matters. "One issue is how to protect customers, particularly residential customers, in an era when there are so few choices," he said. 'Large business customers have more choices,, but that's not the …

Tourism booming in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro officials say the city is seeing a boom in tourism.

The municipal tourism department known as Riotur says the city expects to receive 3 million more visitors this summer than last summer. That's a 12.4 percent increase projected for the south-of-the-equator summer months of January, February and March.

Riotur officials said last week the greater number of visitors will …

Hall of Shame Other Inductees; Tighten your security practices, pronto - or your company will make this list, too.

The credit records of 3.9 million Citigroup customers disappear after United Parcel Service loses a box of backup tapes. The card numbers of 40 million MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover account holders are exposed to hackers because a Tucson, Ariz.-based transaction processor stored information longer than it should have. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the federal agency responsible for protecting bank accounts, informed 6,000 present and former employees that their personal data had been stolen in 2004.

It was a rough June.

Every time you think screw-ups involving the security of data about American companies' most prized possessions - their customers - can't get worse, a new, bigger one comes along.

Preventing these issues isn't that complicated, says Alan Brill, senior managing director at data security vendor Kroll Ontrack: Encrypt data in transit; use better procedures to handle personal information such as Social Security numbers; don't hang on to data longer than necessary; and fortify networks internally and externally, using processes that limit access to only those who need it.

But there's no glory in following those security practices. ChoicePoint may have seen its stock drop 15%, wiping out $630 million of shareholder wealth in February, when the company confirmed that it had lost personal data on 145,000 people. But most companies roll the dice and then play the victim card when they are hacked or snookered into handing over personal information to crooks.

"These things just shouldn't be happening," says Jim Stickley, chief technology officer for TraceSecurity. "There's just no good reason not to have good security policies and practices. A lot of companies are still living with that 'it can't happen to me' mentality."

The big question: What can entice companies to beef up security? At this point, it's unclear. But shame can be a good motivator. So, herewith, the first inductees into the Baseline Security Hall of Shame. The running list will be compiled as needed and run in full in our special year-end issue, "The Year of Living Dangerously."

Nominations for the Hall of Shame can be sent to baseline@ziffdavis.com.

LOWLIGHT OF THE MONTH

CardSystems Solutions, Tucson, Ariz., loses 40 million credit card numbers after an unauthorized individual infiltrated the company's network and took customer data. Details about the theft are sketchy. MasterCard, Visa and CardSystems aren't commenting beyond their statements.

CardSystems says it discovered the breach on May 22 and called the Federal Bureau of Investigation the following day.

The folly of not following procedure. MasterCard and Visa noted that CardSystems stored more data than it should have and violated security protocols. Why was CardSystems allowed to operate if it wasn't in compliance with card issuer security standards? Apparently, CardSystems was secure at this time last year. Baseline has learned that CardSystems was verified as meeting Visa's security standards in June 2004, but began storing more data than it should have shortly thereafter.

Now that it has been hacked, CardSystems is "completing the installation of enhanced/additional security procedures."

What to do, next time. Verify transaction processor security more often. Just because a processor is in compliance with Visa and MasterCard security requirements on Tuesday, doesn't mean it will be on Thursday.

Be proactive. If CardSystems truly believes its June 17 statement - in which it said that "our customers and their customers are our lifeblood" - maybe it should have beefed up security ahead of a breach.

CardSystems is far from alone when it comes to information security woes.

BANK OF AMERICA

The bank loses backup tapes containing 1.2 million federal-employee records.

CHOICEPOINT

Allows 145,000 Social Security numbers and credit histories to be stolen by crooks posing as businessmen.

CITIGROUP

Loses backup tapes containing 3.9 million credit records. Company says it will now encrypt data.

DSW SHOE WAREHOUSE

Reports that between mid-November 2004 and mid-February 2005, transaction data on 1.4 million credit card accounts and 96,000 checks was stolen.

LEXIS-NEXIS

Suffers 59 different intrusions that result in a haul of 310,000 customer Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers and addresses.

POLO RALPH LAUREN

Fashion icon hangs on to credit card information too long in its point-of-sale systems and loses the personal data of 180,000 HSBC North America customers.

WACHOVIA

Edina, Minn., man receives the 1099 forms of 73 individuals who held escrow accounts with the bank. Company launches interactive identity-theft quiz on its Web site.

Top 3 in world muddled in the middle at US Open

BETHESDA, Maryland (AP) — World rankings proved to be worth only so much in the opening round at the U.S. Open.

The top-ranked trio of No. 1 Luke Donald, No. 2 Lee Westwood and No. 3 Martin Kaymer went out as a group and all failed to break par at Congressional Country Club on Thursday. They finished a total of 10-over, collecting 17 bogeys and a double between them, with only 9 birdies.

Donald and Westwood, both Englishmen, shot 74 and 75. Kaymer, a German, finished with a 74.

"I think all three of us struggled a bit," Donald said. "There were no fireworks. We didn't get on a run and sometimes you need one or two guys to get on a run to get everyone going. It just didn't happen.

"It was," he added, "kind of a solemn group, I guess."

The problem certainly wasn't the start. Going off the 10th tee, both Donald and Kaymer made birdies, and the Englishman hit another 4-iron flush into the 11th green for a second straight birdie.

"I was loving the start," Donald said. But his red numbers were quickly wiped out by what he called an "untidy" span that began with a 3-putt bogey from 40 feet on No. 13, then extended to bogeys on three of the next four holes and a double at No. 18.

"It wasn't a matter of just I drove it poorly. It was I didn't hit enough fairways and when I hit fairways, I was short-siding myself," Donald said. "When I had those 6- to 8-footers to save some pars, I wasn't making them. It was a struggle today."

Westwood's problems proved even more frustrating because of his certainty that the long and brutal Congressional course — softened up by a morning rain — offered good scoring opportunities.

"I'm quite surprised nobody has gone out this morning and shot 66," Westwood said.

Asked whether the Open setup, with its fast greens, narrow fairways and graduated rough, heaped additional pressure on the players, Westwood replied, "Any course is a mental grind if you're not sharp. The U.S. Open is no different. ...

"I didn't hit enough fairways. I didn't hit enough good irons. My short game was pretty sharp actually. I just made too many mistakes."

Kaymer blamed his problems on an inconsistent driver. He hit eight of 14 fairways, one better than either of his playing partners, but said an inability to take advantage of the course off the tee cost him all the way around.

"My short game kept me alive," he said.

So did a good attitude.

"A little strange for me playing with five English guys," laughed Kaymer, whose caddie, Christian Donald, is Luke's brother. "But we all get along very well."

Fugitive teen caught here; Caretaker attacked before 3 girls fled Utah maternity home

Chicago police arrested the second of three teens who fled from aUtah maternity home after the caretaker was attacked with a fryingpan.

A 17-year-old girl was arrested in Chicago after a tipster sawher at her grandmother's house, police said. She was returned toUtah last week.

"It is unknown . . . if she was staying with her grandmother orwho else may have assisted her while she was on the run for over twomonths," American Fork, Utah police Sgt. Shauna Greening saidWednesday.

A 15-year-old from California was turned in by her mother Jan.29.

Jana Moody, caretaker of New Hope Maternity Home, was hit with afrying pan and tied up with a power cord and duct tape Jan. 16,police said. The two girls and another teen from Texas then fled inMoody's van, police said.

The privately owned maternity home, 30 miles south of Salt LakeCity, is a place for struggling teens to learn about prenatal care,adoption and parenting skills. They are sent by their families toget them away from drugs or bad relationships.

The girl arrested in Chicago waived extradition and was returnedto Utah, where she is in a youth-detention center while her casemoves through Juvenile Court, Greening said.

"We are still actively looking for the last . . . female fromTexas," she said.

Spanish Football Summaries

MADRID (AP) — Summaries of Saturday's matches from the 15th round of the Spanish league (home team listed first):

Saturday's Games
Levante 1, Sevilla 0

Levante: Nano (56).

Halftime: 0-0.

Attendance: 11,131

Real Betis 2, Valencia 1

Real Betis: Ruben Castro (91, 94).

Valencia: Jose Dorado (og 66).

Halftime: 0-0.

Attendance: 36,000

Real Madrid 1, Barcelona 3

Real Madrid: Karim Benzema (1).

Barcelona: Alexis Sanchez (30), Marcelo (og 53), Cesc Fabregas (66).

Halftime: 1-1.

Attendance: 83,500

Morgan Awards Program A Tribute to Susan Morgan

The Morgan Awards Program was created in 2006 by the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research (CFDR) as a memorial tribute to Susan Morgan, a former manager of CFDR and an ardent supporter of the dietetic profession and of practice-based research. Susan believed in the importance of fostering and mentoring young researchers, so the Awards Program annually recognizes a dietetic intern/student in each of the six Dietitians of Canada (DC) regions who demonstrates excellence in a practice-based research project as well as an enthusiasm for and an understanding of the importance of research to dietetic practice. From among the regional winners, a national winner is chosen to receive the Morgan Medal and, in addition, is given travel, accommodation and registration for the annual DC conference. The national award recipient must prepare and present a poster presentation of their research project at the conference. Every four years, the national recipients will be encouraged to submit an application to the DC Young Researcher Award, which for the successful applicant includes attendance at the International Congress of Dietetics.

The application process for the Morgan Awards Program involves the dietetic intern/student submitting a description of their research project and a letter describing a key learning or significant milestone experienced in conducting their research, which could be a moment when their research project 'clicked' in their head and they became committed to it, when they figured out how to overcome a challenge in their research project or when they found beauty, intrigue or inspiration while conducting research. The applications are reviewed by a committee of DC members and former colleagues of Susan's, with representation from each DC region. When reviewing the applications, committee members look for the attributes that were important to Susan: supporting peers, leadership, openness to and potential for inquiry, positive outlook, determination and an ability to rise to challenges.

In its inaugural year, the Morgan Awards Program had applicants in five regions, four of which selected a recipient. The following regional recipients were presented with a commemorative plaque at a regional event

* Jill Anne McDowall, PEI - Adantic Region, University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Integrated Dietetic Internship Program

* Jessica Sweezie, Kanata, ON - Quebec, Northeast and Eastern Ontario Region, Soutiieastern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program

* Alyssa Rud, Edmonton, AB - Alberta and the Territories Region, Capital Health Internship Program

* Allison Bunney, Victoria, BC-BC Region, Vancouver Island Health Authority Dietetic Internship Program

As part of the Awards celebration at the 2007 DC conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, we were honoured to have Sally Morgan, Susan's mother, in attendance to present the inaugural Morgan Medal to Jessica Sweezie. Other members of Susan's family were also in the audience. Further details are available on the CFDR web site (www.cfdr.ca), including information on the projects completed by this year's recipients, details about the Morgan Awards Program, how to apply and how to contribute to this tribute to Susan Morgan.

Police: Doping agents found in Fernandez's home

Spanish police say they uncovered doping agents in the home of Spanish race walker Francisco Fernandez during raids that led to 11 people being detained.

Spain's Guardia Civil discovered EPO and growth hormones while raiding clinics, pharmacies and homes linked to former Kelme cycling team doctor Walter Viru, who was among the nine men and two women detained.

A Guardia Civil spokesman says that "medications of these types" were discovered in the home of Fernandez, who won the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Police say Fernandez was not detained because he appeared to be a consumer.

Viru worked with Eufemiano Fuentes, who was arrested in relation to cycling-related doping scandal Operation Puerto in 2006.

Starbucks Shuts Controversial China Shop

BEIJING - Starbucks has closed a coffeehouse in China's former imperial palace, the company said Saturday, ending a presence that sparked protests by Chinese critics who said it damaged a key historical site.

The controversy over Starbucks at Beijing's 587-year-old Forbidden City has highlighted Chinese sensitivity about cultural symbols and unease over an influx of foreign pop culture.

Starbucks closed the 200-square-foot outlet Friday after Forbidden City managers decided they wanted all shops on its grounds to operate under the palace's brand name, said Eden Woon, Starbucks' vice president for Greater China.

"It was a very congenial decision. We respect what they are doing," Woon said.

The Starbucks opened in 2000 at the invitation of palace managers, who needed to raise money to maintain the 178-acre complex of villas and gardens. But critics said it was inappropriate. An anchor for Chinese state television led an online protest, saying the coffeehouse diminished Chinese culture.

Starbucks was offered the option of becoming part of a combined outlet with other beverage brands all sold under the Palace Museum brand name, according to Woon and Chinese news reports, which cited the palace's vice president, Li Wenru.

"There were several choices, one of which was to continue, but it would not carry the Starbucks name any more," Woon said. "We decided at the end that it is not our custom worldwide to have stores that have any other name, so therefore we decided the choice would be to leave."

Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. opened its first coffeehouse in China in 1999 and now has 250 mainland outlets. Its success has spawned a series of Chinese imitators. Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz described China last year as the company's No. 1 growth market.

The Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors before the end of imperial rule in 1911. It is China's top tourist attraction, drawing some 7 million visitors a year. Other businesses there include bookstores, souvenir shops and Chinese-style teahouses.

The palace is in the midst of a renovation, due to last through 2020, to restore the site to its imperial-era appearance. That includes removing a five-story archive museum and toning down commercial symbols. The number of shops on its grounds has been cut from 37 to 17, according to state media.

"Those businesses that remain in the Forbidden City must carry out reforms," the newspaper Beijing Daily quoted Li, the vice president, as saying. It gave no details.

Starbucks was a popular resting spot for palace visitors, but attracted criticism from the start. The company agreed shortly after opening to lower its profile by removing its exterior sign.

Protests were led by Rui Chenggang, an anchor for China Central Television's English-language channel.

Starbucks' presence "undermined the Forbidden City's solemnity and trampled over Chinese culture," Rui wrote in his CCTV blog earlier this year.

U.S. sanctions Russian companies for Syrian sales

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright decided on March 29 to impose sanctions on three Russian companies for exporting an estimated $200 million in guided anti-tank missiles to Syria, which the United States classifies as a state-sponsor of international terrorism. The Tula Design Bureau, Volsk Mechanical Plant and Tsniitochmash will be prohibited from receiving U.S. financial assistance and U.S. munitions list items. In addition, U.S. companies will be proscribed from signing any contracts with the three companies.

The State Department admits, however, that it is unaware of any U.S. assistance to, contracts with or pending licenses for exports to the entities. The sanctions will be reviewed one year after the missile transfers end.

In taking the March 29 decision, Albright waived a federal law proscribing appropriation of U.S. Foreign Assistance Act funds to countries that export "lethal military equipment" to state-sponsors of international terrorism. Albright argued that it was in the U.S. national security interest not to cut assistance to Moscow because the funds will be used to promote Russia's economic, political and social transitions. The move saves Russia approximately $90 million in U.S. aid.

Euro higher vs dollar to $1.4106

The euro was higher against the dollar Wednesday, with the U.S. currency weakened by expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will announce today that it is not yet ready to raise interest rates.

The 16-nation euro edged higher for a third consecutive day, reaching $1.4106 in European morning trading compared with $1.4083 the night before in late New York trading.

The Fed will wrap up a two-day policy meeting later in the day, with most economists predicting that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues won't launch any bold new efforts.

Fears have grown on Wall Street that the Fed's radical efforts to lift the country out of the longest recession since World War II could ignite inflation later on.

The euro was also helped by comments from Axel Weber, head of Germany's Bundesbank and part of the European Central Bank's governing council. In remarks Tuesday in Munich he said the ECB needs to avoid tightening monetary supply prematurely, suggesting the ECB will keep its refinancing rate at 1 percent.

In other trading, the pound bought $1.6563 in morning trading, up from the $1.6454 it bought in New York. The dollar bought 95.40 Japanese yen compared with 95.26 yen the night before in New York.

Democrats seek help for last-ditch jobs bill

A $26 billion measure to help states and local school boards with their severe budget problems faces a make-or-break vote Wednesday as Senate Democrats try one last time to advance their faltering jobs agenda.

The bill would extend programs enacted in last year's stimulus law to help preserve the jobs of tens of thousands of teachers and other public employees.

Wednesday's vote to break Republican delaying tactics to block a final vote comes after Democratic leaders made final tweaks to the measure in hopes of winning the votes of moderate Maine Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. Snowe and Collins provided the key votes last month to pass a six-month extension of jobless assistance for the long-term unemployed.

A vote scheduled for Monday was postponed after an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office showed the measure would add to the deficit. Snowe and Collins also had been concerned about cuts to Navy shipbuilding accounts since the Bath Iron Works is so essential to their state's economy. Majority leader Harry Reid got rid of the proposed cuts Monday night.

The measure is scaled back from versions that stalled earlier this summer as part of a larger tax-and-spend measure extending jobless benefits and a variety of expired tax breaks. The first piece is $16 billion to help states with their Medicaid budgets in the first six months of next year. Medicaid is the government-funded program that provides health care to the poor.

It's less generous than the help provided under the stimulus law but is still desperately sought by governors, who have already made big budget cuts as tax revenues have plummeted in the recession _ and warn of even worse cuts if the federal help is not continued.

"We've made bitter choices," said Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat. "In the last three years Pennsylvania has raised more than a billion dollars in new revenue and we've cut spending by over $3.5 billion. It's not like we haven't done anything and we're coming to Washington and saying, 'Bail us out.'"

Democratic Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter said he had already accounted for a six-month increase in federal funding for Medicaid when putting together the state's budget for the coming year. If Congress does not provide that additional money, "that means making $211 million in cuts immediately," Ritter said.

The measure also contains $10 billion to help school boards hit with similar budget woes avoid teacher layoffs this fall.

The spending is accompanied by tax increases and spending cuts to avoid increasing the budget deficit. The bill eliminates in March 2014 an expanded food stamp benefit enacted last year, and limits the ability of some U.S.-based multinational companies to use foreign tax credits to reduce their U.S. taxes.

Democrats, who control the chamber with 59 votes, will need to pick up at least one Republican to muster the 60 required to defeat the Republican delaying maneuvers.

Collins has been a past supporter of giving states help with their budgets and was the driving force behind an aid package enacted in 2003 that added $20 billion to the deficit. Now, she's both concerned about the deficit and the means used by Democrats to address those concerns.

"It was a different situation," Collins said. "We didn't have a deficit of $1.5 trillion."

Both provisions are heavily backed by unions for teachers and public employees, key allies of the Democratic Party. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is running ads Wednesday in four Maine newspapers urging Collins and Snowe to vote to break the filibuster.

Obama requested an extension of additional aid for the Medicaid program in his budget and has belatedly rallied behind the money for teachers as well.

___

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Two trophies in three days for super seniors

Chew Valley Seniors produced a five-star display to clinch the Division 1 title in the Roper Rhodes Bathrooms Bath & DistrictSaturday League.

And they completed a glorious Bank Holiday weekend by beatingSaltford AFC 3-2 in the Steve Fear Knockout Cup final on Monday tocomplete the double.

Adams (2), Thomas, Ingood and Price fired them to a 5-1 victoryover Aces SSJ on Saturday, which took Seniors a point clear of CivilService Larkhall and third-placed Trowbridge House, who have playedall their games.

With their first-ever trophy in the bag, Seniors did not have towait long to secure their second, although Monday's final did not goentirely their way.

They looked to be in complete control after Nathan Champness andRob Clift both scored in the space of three first-half minutes.

However, Dean Watts pulled one back before the break andSaltford's tireless striker gained further reward for an outstandingperformance when he grabbed an injury-time equaliser.

He almost completed his hat-trick in extra time but by that pointskipper Paul Read had already bundled home what proved to be thewinner for Seniors after Saltford allowed a free-kick to go acrosstheir box.

Seniors wrapped up their league season against Oldfield Sportslast night but any hopes that Larkhall had of putting them underpressure were dashed when, despite a goal for Merser, they were heldto a 1-1 draw by Bath University on Saturday.

Fourth-placed Dogtown Odd Down finished their season on a highnote, beating Frys Club Old Boys by the odd goal in seven.

Bath Arsenal clinched third place in Division 2 with a 2-1victory over Bath Spa University. Mark Pillinger and Barry Plattengot the goals, while stand-in keeper Scott Newton saved a penalty.

Saltford AFC A - who face their inter-club senior team in theBath City Cup final at Twerton Park on Tuesday - lost 4-0 toFreshford Sports and University of Bath Reserves were 6-2 winnersagainst Red Dwarf.

Division 3 champions WESA Reserves wrapped up an emotional seasonby beating Cutters Friday 4-2, thanks to goals from Grey (2),Osbourne and Archer.

Panning and Gallagher both bagged braces as Civil Service Vetsbeat Aces SSJ Reserves 4-2 and FC Von Essen were 2-1 winners overFrys Club Old Boys Reserves, who replied through Powell.

White House movie night often brings 'High Noon'

LOS ANGELES--Gary Cooper's Western classic "High Noon" is the filmmost requested by American presidents, according to a list of the5,000 movies shown by the official White House projectionist.

Bill Clinton watched the picture of a marshal deserted by friendsand facing outlaws in an against-the-odds showdown 30 times, DwightEisenhower asked for three screenings, and President Bush has seen itonce at the White House--so far.

Bert Kearns, co-executive producer of the documentary "All ThePresidents' Movies," to air Sunday on the Bravo channel, said thepopularity of the 1952 film stemmed from the idea of a strong-willedleader taking a situation of imminent danger into his hands--andwinning.

"The film can be seen as a metaphor for the president--he's theman alone, who has to do the right thing. He's what you think thepresident would imagine himself to be."

He added: "The White house theater serves as a window to what'sgoing on outside."

He told the Los Angeles Times that the leaders sometimes usedfilms for solace, such as when Richard Nixon would "lose himself" in1930s and '40s musicals to drown out the noise of Vietnam warprotesters.

Ronald Reagan also liked pictures of Hollywood's Golden Age, saidthe projectionist, Paul Fisher.

Humphrey Bogart's "Casablanca," Audrey Hepburn's "Sabrina" and"Roman Holiday," and David Lean's 1957 war drama "The Bridge on theRiver Kwai" were runners-up, along with the Kevin Costner baseballmovie "Field of Dreams," a favorite of Bush and his father.

Jackie Kennedy watched art films such as the 1961 Alain Resnaispicture "Last Year at Marienbad," while Hillary Clinton preferreduplifting films such as "Mr. Holland's Opus," with Richard Dreyfuss.

Hollywood started offering leaders previews of films in 1915. Nowthe White House has an air-conditioned, plush-seated cinema, withpopcorn to hand. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who made "SavingPrivate Ryan," an all-time favorite of the current president, arefrequent guests.

But Bush, also a fan of "Austin Powers," reportedly preferswatching videos of Texas Rangers games when traveling on Air ForceOne.

Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted only short films with happy endings,while Harry Truman is thought to have modeled his 1948 whistle-stoppresidential campaign on Frank Capra's "State of the Union."

Eisenhower watched more than 200 Westerns. Jimmy Carter screened500 pictures, more than any other president, and was the only one toask for an X-rated movie, "Midnight Cowboy."

Clinton's taste in films was more eclectic, from "Naked Gun 331/3" to "Schindler's List."

But after sitting through Jane Campion's Oscar-winner "The Piano,"he appeared puzzled, saying: "What was that all about?"

Daily Telegraph

Afghanistan's Last King Laid to Rest

KABUL, Afghanistan - An honor guard lowered the body of Afghanistan's last king into a bullet-riddled hillside tomb Tuesday, as dignitaries, lawmakers and relatives said goodbye to the man they call the "Father of the Nation."

King Mohammad Zahir Shah's coffin - wrapped in Afghanistan's black, red and green flag - traveled from the presidential palace to one of Kabul's main mosques and then to the hillside tomb on a gun carriage pulled by an armored military vehicle.

Afghan officials and dignitaries, including President Hamid Karzai, walked behind the coffin much of the way amid heavy security.

Named the "Father of the Nation" in the nation's new constitution, Zahir Shah died Monday after a long illness at age 92. A ruler of Afghanistan from 1933-73, he returned to the country in 2002 after 30 years in exile in Italy.

Zahir Shah's wooden coffin was first placed under the shade of pine trees at the presidential palace grounds, where Afghan politicians, tribal elders, former President Burhanuddin Rabbani and international dignitaries paid their respects.

A message was read from President Bush, who called Zahir Shah "a monumental figure in Afghan history" who "supported the goal of a representative and freely elected government in his homeland."

The coffin was then taken to a Kabul mosque where a short prayer was read. Then it was pulled to the top of Maranjan Hill, where dozens of ornate, red carpets had been laid on the ground and the bullet-pocked shrine was covered in black. Karzai and a small entourage descended into the tomb to see Zahir Shah's final resting place.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, U.S. Ambassador William Wood and U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill, the NATO commander in Afghanistan, were among the mourners.

Zahir Shah's death ended the last vestige of Afghanistan's monarchy and triggered three days of national mourning.

Although he was not always effective during his 40-year reign, Zahir Shah is remembered warmly by his conflict-weary countrymen for steering the country without bloodshed.

Karzai, in announcing his death on Monday, called Zahir Shah a "symbol of national unity" who brought development and education to the country.

Zahir Shah was proclaimed monarch in 1933 at age 19 within hours of the death of his father, King Muhammad Nadir Shah, who was assassinated before his eyes.

His neutral foreign policy and limited liberalization of a deeply conservative society managed to keep the peace - a golden age in the eyes of many Afghans pained by the extremism and slaughter that followed.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II called the king's passing a "great loss," while Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Afghanistan lost a "statesman of great stature."

Gordon Luce: Former Calif. GOP chairman

SAN DIEGO -- Gordon Luce, former chairman of California'sRepublican Party and a member of Ronald Reagan's California Cabinetduring his first years as governor, has died. He was 80.

Mr. Luce died Tuesday at home of Parkinson's disease, said hisfriend and longtime colleague Jim Schmidt.

Mr. Luce rose to prominence in the state GOP when Reagan tappedhim to serve as San Diego County chairman of his successful 1966gubernatorial campaign. Reagan later appointed Mr. Luce the state'sfirst secretary of business and transportation.

Mr. Luce remained an active GOP backer, raising money and helpingwith campaigns. He and former Gov. Pete Wilson became friends as theyworked on Wilson's campaign for mayor of San Diego in 1970.

After Wilson was elected, Mr. Luce was named chairman of the stateGOP. He was active in Reagan's 1980 presidential bid.

Legislators pushing for Waco probe

WASHINGTON Democratic and Republican legislators Sundayintensified pressure on Attorney General Janet Reno to authorize anindependent probe of the FBI's use of incendiary devices on the dayof the final assault on the Branch Davidian complex in 1993.

Reno last week promised a new investigation after a former seniorFBI official disclosed that contrary to the FBI's denials, federalagents had fired incendiary devices a few hours before a fireconsumed the Branch Davidian compound, where 76 people died.

"The FBI had its chance to do this investigation on its own. Theyclearly muffed it," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) a SenateJudiciary Committee member, on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) a House Judiciary Committeemember, said on CNN that she supported an independent investigationto answer questions about who gave the order for the use of thepyrotechnic devices and whether Reno was aware of the decision.

FISH HABITAT BENEFITS FROM MORE THAN $3 MILLION IN FUNDING

WASHINGTON, July 21 -- The U.

S. Department of the Interior's U.

S. Fish & Wildlife Service issued the following press release:

The U.

S. Fish and Wildlife Service will provide more than $3.3 million to support 68 fish habitat projects in 36 states across the nation under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP). An additional $9.9 million in partner contributions, over $13.2 million in total, will go toward restoring and enhancing stream, lake and coastal habitat, as well as to improving recreational fishing and helping endangered species.

Here in Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership will use $8,100 in Service funds and $47,600 in partner funds to restore stream banks eroded by motorized trail use on Beaver Creek on the Kenai Peninsula.

Service funding is provided for priority projects identified through fifteen Fish Habitat Partnerships established under the NFHAP. The partnerships formed help direct funding and other resources to habitat improvement projects offering the highest long-term conservation returns.

Aquatic ecosystems are especially vulnerable to changes in climate. Healthy habitats help fish and other aquatic life withstand flows and temperatures that are altered due to climate change. Thirty of the projects, supported by $2 million of the Service funds, will improve stream flow, remove barriers or acquire scientific information needed for long-term protection against the effects of climate change.

"The Service is pleased to work side-by-side with our partners to improve habitat for fish. These projects represent the mutual priorities of broad locally-based partnerships," said Dan Ashe, Deputy Director of the U.

S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

More than 40 percent of U.

S. fish populations are currently considered declining, half of the waters in the U.

S. are somehow impaired, and fragmented conservation efforts are not reversing these declines. Besides climate change, principal factors contributing to these declines include: habitat destruction and fragmentation, toxic substances, invasive species, harmful algal blooms and altered thermal regimes.

In addition to helping stem these declines, NFHAP projects also enhance fishing opportunities for the public by putting more dollars on the ground for fish conservation.

Other highlights of this year's funding for NFHAP Partnership projects include:

* Arizona (Western Native Trout Initiative) - $130,000 in Service funds and $292,000 in partner funds to re-establish habitat for threatened Gila trout in West Fork Oak Creek.

* Hawaii (Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership) - $46,064 in Service funds and $60,050 in partner funds to begin remediation of He'eia estuary and wetland, Kane'ohe Bay, Oahu.

* South Carolina (Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership) - $121,429 in Service funds and $96,700 in partner funds to restore Crabtree Swamp, a tributary to the Waccamaw River, to benefit sturgeon and other migratory fish species.

* South Dakota (Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership) - $21,429 in Service funds and $7,250 in partner funds to demonstrate lake-friendly landscaping techniques using native lakeshore buffers to reduce sedimentation and fertilizer runoff.

* Utah (Desert Fish Habitat Partnership) - $90,000 in Service funds and $150,000 in partner funds to provide fish passage in the Duchesne River for Colorado pikeminnow and other imperiled fish species.

* Virginia (Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture) - $21,428 in Service funds and $21,000 in partner funds to restore instream and riparian habitat for native brook trout in Garth Run, Rappahannock River watershed.

* Washington (Western Native Trout Initiative) - $115,000 in Service funds and more than $3 million in partner funds to increase flows in the Lower Wenatchee River by improving irrigation systems to benefit bull trout, steelhead and Chinook salmon.

* West Virginia (Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture) - $64,285 in Service funds and $183,500 in partner funds to remove 9 fish passage barriers in Thorn Creek, Pendleton County to benefit severely impaired native brook trout populations.

For a complete listing of funded projects, please visit: www.fws.gov/fisheries/fwco/nfhap.

NFHAP is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Under the plan, federal, state and privately-raised funds are the foundation for building regional partnerships that address the Nation's biggest fish habitat issues. This comprehensive effort will treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms.

For more information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, its partnerships and programs please visit: www.fishhabitat.org .

The mission of the U.

S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

Bruce Woods, 907/786-3695.

FISH HABITAT BENEFITS FROM MORE THAN $3 MILLION IN FUNDING

WASHINGTON, July 21 -- The U.

S. Department of the Interior's U.

S. Fish & Wildlife Service issued the following press release:

The U.

S. Fish and Wildlife Service will provide more than $3.3 million to support 68 fish habitat projects in 36 states across the nation under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP). An additional $9.9 million in partner contributions, over $13.2 million in total, will go toward restoring and enhancing stream, lake and coastal habitat, as well as to improving recreational fishing and helping endangered species.

Here in Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership will use $8,100 in Service funds and $47,600 in partner funds to restore stream banks eroded by motorized trail use on Beaver Creek on the Kenai Peninsula.

Service funding is provided for priority projects identified through fifteen Fish Habitat Partnerships established under the NFHAP. The partnerships formed help direct funding and other resources to habitat improvement projects offering the highest long-term conservation returns.

Aquatic ecosystems are especially vulnerable to changes in climate. Healthy habitats help fish and other aquatic life withstand flows and temperatures that are altered due to climate change. Thirty of the projects, supported by $2 million of the Service funds, will improve stream flow, remove barriers or acquire scientific information needed for long-term protection against the effects of climate change.

"The Service is pleased to work side-by-side with our partners to improve habitat for fish. These projects represent the mutual priorities of broad locally-based partnerships," said Dan Ashe, Deputy Director of the U.

S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

More than 40 percent of U.

S. fish populations are currently considered declining, half of the waters in the U.

S. are somehow impaired, and fragmented conservation efforts are not reversing these declines. Besides climate change, principal factors contributing to these declines include: habitat destruction and fragmentation, toxic substances, invasive species, harmful algal blooms and altered thermal regimes.

In addition to helping stem these declines, NFHAP projects also enhance fishing opportunities for the public by putting more dollars on the ground for fish conservation.

Other highlights of this year's funding for NFHAP Partnership projects include:

* Arizona (Western Native Trout Initiative) - $130,000 in Service funds and $292,000 in partner funds to re-establish habitat for threatened Gila trout in West Fork Oak Creek.

* Hawaii (Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership) - $46,064 in Service funds and $60,050 in partner funds to begin remediation of He'eia estuary and wetland, Kane'ohe Bay, Oahu.

* South Carolina (Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership) - $121,429 in Service funds and $96,700 in partner funds to restore Crabtree Swamp, a tributary to the Waccamaw River, to benefit sturgeon and other migratory fish species.

* South Dakota (Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership) - $21,429 in Service funds and $7,250 in partner funds to demonstrate lake-friendly landscaping techniques using native lakeshore buffers to reduce sedimentation and fertilizer runoff.

* Utah (Desert Fish Habitat Partnership) - $90,000 in Service funds and $150,000 in partner funds to provide fish passage in the Duchesne River for Colorado pikeminnow and other imperiled fish species.

* Virginia (Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture) - $21,428 in Service funds and $21,000 in partner funds to restore instream and riparian habitat for native brook trout in Garth Run, Rappahannock River watershed.

* Washington (Western Native Trout Initiative) - $115,000 in Service funds and more than $3 million in partner funds to increase flows in the Lower Wenatchee River by improving irrigation systems to benefit bull trout, steelhead and Chinook salmon.

* West Virginia (Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture) - $64,285 in Service funds and $183,500 in partner funds to remove 9 fish passage barriers in Thorn Creek, Pendleton County to benefit severely impaired native brook trout populations.

For a complete listing of funded projects, please visit: www.fws.gov/fisheries/fwco/nfhap.

NFHAP is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Under the plan, federal, state and privately-raised funds are the foundation for building regional partnerships that address the Nation's biggest fish habitat issues. This comprehensive effort will treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms.

For more information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, its partnerships and programs please visit: www.fishhabitat.org .

The mission of the U.

S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

Bruce Woods, 907/786-3695.

Zimmer rises following upgrade to 'Outperform'

Shares of Zimmer Holdings Inc. traded higher Monday after a Sanford Bernstein analyst upgraded the orthopedic implant maker, saying a series of new product launches should lead to a recovery in revenue and share price.

Analyst Derrick Sung said new products, including two knee implants launched last year and two hip products that will reach the market in late 2009, will boost Zimmer's profits. He thinks the Kalamazoo, Mich., company will regain some market share, and expects improvement for the orthopedic market overall.

Sung upgraded the shares to "Outperform" from "Market Perform," and raised his price target to …

Anthony Hopkins Sues Production Company

LOS ANGELES - Anthony Hopkins wants his money.

Samson Inc., a company co-owned by the Oscar-winning actor, is suing Merchant Ivory Productions, accusing it of failing to pay him for his services.

Merchant Ivory owes Hopkins $750,000 for his work in a film called "The City of Your Final Destination," according to documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit was first reported by CelebTV.com.

Hopkins signed on to the film in October 2006 and was to be paid in full for his …

Film & Tequila.

Running through August, Sauza Tequila is featuring a nation-wide sweepstakes in conjunction with the Independent Film Channel (IFC) called "Pure Film Experience." The IFC's search for five emerging film directors will be buttressed by Sauza's donations of $7,000 to each for them to create film-shorts titled, "Stay Pure." One film-short will be selected to receive a VIP screening. The consumer sweepstakes, avail able through entry forms on in-store p-o-s, will award the grand-prize winner a walk on role in …

Gneuss filtration systems get better and cheaper.(Other topics--Melt filtration)

A new generation of SFXmagnus filtration systems will be introduced by Gneuss. Performance has been improved with a new method of heating the system which Gneuss says means the melt can be filtered even more gently. The system is fully encapsulated which prevents chemical reactions with oxygen or airborne moisture. Specially developed retaining plates locate and seal the filter elements even at a filtration fineness of 10 microns.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The hydraulic drive system of the previous SFXmagnus has been replaced by a pneumatic drive and removal of the hydraulic power pack has cut costs by up to 20 per cent.

The RSFgenius self-cleaning …

FACTORY TEMPS GET MORE JOBS.(BUSINESS)

Byline: LOUIS UCHITELLE - New York Times

Temporary workers, those Americans recruited by companies like Manpower Inc. and rented to corporate clients, have become a familiar sight in many offices. Now manufacturers are using "temps," too, and in such numbers that the Labor Department no longer knows how many people actually work in American factories.

Their growing presence means that manufacturing will probably not offer much help in solving the country's employment problem.

In the past, manufacturers have been among the first to make the economy bloom after a recession. As orders turned up, they hired new employees or recalled old ones. …

Clues point to domestic terrorists in India attack

The attack on India's financial capital bears all the trademarks of al-Qaida _ simultaneous assaults meant to kill scores of Westerners in iconic buildings _ but clues so far point to homegrown Indian terrorists, global intelligence officials said Thursday.

Spy agencies around the world were caught off guard by the deadly attack, in which gunmen sprayed crowds with bullets, torched landmark hotels and took dozens of hostages.

"We have been actively monitoring plots in Britain and abroad and there was nothing to indicate something like this was about to happen," a British security official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of …

To crash-land a DC-10

On July 19, 1989, Dennis Fitch, an O'Hare-based United Airlinespilot and instructor, was a passenger on Flight 232 out of Denverwhen a catastrophic engine failure crippled the Chicago-bound plane.As the plane pitched and turned, Fitch asked a flight attendant torelay a message to the cockpit: There's a DC-10 instructor on boardoffering his help. At the pilot's invitation, Fitch headed for thecockpit and helped bring the plane--which had neither brakes norsteering--down on a runway in Sioux City, Iowa. One hundred andtwelve people died in the fiery crash landing, but, amazingly, 184survived. Fitch is still flying for United, as is his son Brian.

'The problem we had was, …

BIO Prepares For Onslaught Of Drug Benefits Legislation.(Brief Article)

In spring, Congress was awash in plans to provide a prescription drug benefit to senior citizens. By July, those plans had been eclipsed by the notion of a tax cut bill in excess of $700 billion. President Clinton, however, has stated in no uncertain terms such a tax bill would be vetoed. Congress is once again turning its attention to the possibility of establishing a prescription drug benefit for senior citizens dependent on Medicare. With three bills ready to be introduced, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BID) has established principles by which to judge all …

Discount broker Quick & Reilly seeks mutual fund firm, money manager.

Looking to move beyond its discount brokerage roots, Quick & Reilly Group is on the prowl for a mutual fund company and an investment management firm.

During a wide-ranging interview in his downtown Manhattan office, Thomas C. Quick, president of Quick & Reilly, said consumers are increasingly demanding convenience and investment help, forcing the nation's third largest discount broker to diversify.

"We have to keep up with changes that are taking place," Mr. Quick said. "We don't want to be left behind."

In addition to reaching into the money management business, Quick & Reilly hopes to introduce by yearend a no-transaction-fee mutual fund supermarket, …

MYSTERIOUS PROTEIN TRIGGERS MAD COW.(MAIN)

Byline: JOSEPH B. VERRENGIA Associated Press

Mad cow disease is caused by a mysterious rogue protein that is hard to trace and impossible to treat. With so many cases already established around the world, scientists say it was inevitable that it would show up in a herd in the United States.

While strict quarantines and food management might help protect consumers and cattle, there is no cure or vaccine to prevent the fatal infection. There are several research efforts under way, but a useful medicine or vaccine is probably years away.

Nor are there tests to detect it before an animal shows symptoms or to spot it in people who may have eaten tainted …

GOP SENATORS UNVEIL PLAN FOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.(Main)

Byline: Cox News Service

Senate Republicans, saying they were prepared to reform the nation's health-care system regardless of the Bush administration's hesitancy, Thursday unveiled their long-awaited proposal.

The bill by 17 Republican senators was introduced two days after Democratic Sen. Harris Wofford's 10- point victory in Pennsylvania on a platform stressing national health insurance shook up the political establishment.

Sen. John Chafee of Rhode Island, who has headed a 34-member GOP task force on the health-care issue for the past 15 months, said Wofford's victory had nothing to do with the timing of the bill's introduction.

Thus …

Chattanooga tops Georgia Southern 82-62

Ridge McKeither matched a season high with 19 points as Chattanooga beat Georgia Southern 82-62 in the opening round of the Southern Conference Tournament on Friday night.

Josh Odem added 13 and Chris Early had 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Mocs (15-17) moved into a quarterfinal matchup against College of Charleston on Saturday.

Chattanooga led by as many as 28, pulling away early in the second half after leading 40-29 at …

Spector Jury Deliberates 3rd Day

LOS ANGELES - Jurors in Phil Spector's murder trial completed a third day of deliberations without a verdict on Wednesday and went home after the judge warned them not to watch a TV program about the case.

The panel is weighing five months of testimony. Spector, 67, is accused of second-degree murder in the shooting of actress Lana Clarkson, 40, in the record producer's mansion early Feb. 3, 2003.

Clarkson died when a .38-caliber revolver went off inside her mouth several hours after she …

Rhodia. (Wrap-Up).(created a new division, Rhodia Technical Fibers)(Brief Article)

RHODIA has merged its industrial fibers and performance fibers businesses into a new division, …

Factors associated with self-rated health status in university students: a cross-sectional study in three European countries.(Research article)(Survey)

Authors: Rafael T Mikolajczyk [1]; Patrick Brzoska [2]; Claudia Maier [2]; Veronika Ottova [3]; Sabine Meier [1]; Urszula Dudziak [4]; Snezhana Ilieva [5]; Walid El Ansari (corresponding author) [6]

Background

Asking for a self-rating of health is a legitimate technique for assessing the health of individuals [1]. While self-rating of health is a good measure of objective and subjective health [2], it is also a feasible way to measure health in large-scale surveys [3, 4]. Self-rating of health has been shown to have high reliability, validity and predictive power for a variety of illnesses and conditions [5]. Self-rated health has been extensively studied in older adult population groups, where a range of factors associated with self-rated health has been identified [6, 7, 8]. Much less is known about the self-rated health of younger populations. An exception is the international "Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children" study which contributed to the understanding of factors associated with self-rated health in school-aged children [9, 10]. However, for young adults (e.g. university students) the available information remains limited in scope. On the one hand, university students have concerns, burdens and worries which are different from other population groups. On the other hand, these students face the dual stress of having academic challenges and achievements often within the face of financial limitations [11, 12]. Hence unsurprisingly, in Sweden students were found to have lower perceived quality of life when compared with their working peers [13], and similar observations have been reported in the UK [14]. The published literature also suggests that young people preferentially employ psychological or behavioural factors as a rating frame for their health [3, 15, 16]. In contrast, for older people, physical well-being plays a more crucial role in assessing their health [3, 8]. Given the observation that young adults differ from older people in their perception of health, a better understanding and a separate analysis of the factors associated with self-rated health status (SRHS) is needed for this younger age group. This is particularly true for university students, who represent an important and broad subpopulation of young adults.

Some studies of self-rated health exist for student populations in selected countries: e.g. USA [15], Canada [17], Hungary [16, 18], and the UK [14]. Recent reports on the health of student populations in the USA have employed only crude analysis [19, 20, 21]. These studies cannot be directly compared with each other in terms of sample selection, measures and methods of analysis, thus they do not provide sufficient information regarding possible differences in self-rated health and the factors associated with it across countries. Conversely, some comparative cross-country studies of health in student populations do exist [22, 23], however they have not assessed or reported findings in regard to the factors associated with SRHS. Thus there is a gap in the research concerning the SRHS in students across countries.

A recent review of inquiries which employed SRHS as an outcome variable found that such studies often omitted important variables or alternatively, did not provide adequate systematic analyses [24]. Most of these studies dealt with other age groups. Interestingly, the studies related to student populations were more complete in respect to the considered variables [14, 15, 16, 17, 18]. However, apart from lacking international comparisons, some issues remain unresolved. For example, the literature that addresses differences in SRHS for males and females has shown conflicting results: some studies found no significant differences between genders in bivariate analysis [18] or when controlling for other variables [15]. In contrast, other investigations have reported significant differences between genders in bivariate or stratified analyses. Yet these studies fell short of assessing the effect of gender using multivariable models [16, 20, 25, 26]. Collectively, these concerns have formed the basis of the study described in this paper.

The present study had three specific aims: first, to investigate a wide range of variables potentially associated with SRHS in student populations, employing a cross-country comparison of students from three countries in Western (Germany), Central (Poland) and South Eastern (Bulgaria) Europe, second, to test whether these associations differed by gender and/or across participating countries, and third, to assess the comparative contributions of psychological, physical and other variables to the SRHS of student populations.

Methods

Study design and sample

The data analysed in this paper is from the Cross National Student Health Study (CNSHS). The CNSHS is a health survey that was conducted in 7 European countries between 1998 to 2005 [27]. This paper uses data collected in the survey conducted in 2005 at three universities; participants include 2103 first-year students at the University of Bielefeld, Germany; the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland; and Sofia University, Bulgaria. Ethical approvals for the study were obtained through the participating faculties. Participation in the survey was voluntary via a self-administered questionnaire distributed during lectures. The questionnaire employed was compiled and developed from different published sources, including validated instruments used in various populations [28, 29, 30, 31], as well as questions developed specifically for this survey. The original version of the questionnaire was written in German and then translated into Bulgarian and Polish using two separate translations and expert consultation. Response rates were over 95% for both the Bulgarian and Polish samples, but varied from 60%-100% for the German sample depending on the surveyed groups, 85% on average (response rates were lower in large lecture rooms than in smaller seminars). Because each of the universities had unique academic structures composed of different faculties of various sizes, the surveys were implemented only in certain classes in an effort to achieve comparability between and representativeness for each of the participating universities. Collectively, the sample was comprised of students from 5 disciplines: natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, law, and economy, each contributing to about 20% of the sample.

Measures

SPHS was assessed by the single item used in the 1998 German Federal Health Survey [32] (similar wording …

WOOING ALLIES BETTER THAN BLASTING FOES.(MAIN)

Byline: WILLIAM RASPBERRY

WASHINGTON -- The beginning of the year may be a good time for America's black leadership to take a deep breath and clarify for itself the nature of the battle to be waged. Is it racism that should principally concern us? Is it racial discrimination? Or is it racial inequality?

The tempting thing -- because it requires no thought, only emotion -- is to answer: all three. And in truth the three problems do manifest themselves in ways that make it hard to distinguish one from another. Moreover, each problem feeds the other.

But they are not the same problem, and it may be time to sort them out and decide on priorities.

Racism, which seems to have …

Denmark beats Sweden 2-0 in friendly

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Nicklas Bendtner and Michael Krohn-Dehli scored to give Denmark a 2-0 win over Sweden on Friday in a friendly that served as the start of both teams' preparations for next year's European Championship.

Denmark pressed the visitors from the start but didn't break the deadlock until the 35th minute when Bendtner received a cross from Lars Jacobsen, calmly downed the ball in the …

Set in Stone

A century ago, craftspeople spent endless hours doing intricate work on the exterior of buildings that is seldom replicated today.

So, when an old structure such as a museum, library, or brick apartment complex needs restoration, many people believe it will be impossible to reconstruct portions of the original fa�ade or match it exactly without spending a lot of money, especially since colors of brick and mortar change and fade over time.

But Raymond James Restoration Inc. of Worcester and Springfield has been debunking that notion for 15 years. "Restoration work is an art, and a lot of projects can be expensive. But restoration is all we do and because of our background, …

ITINERARY OF UKRAINIAN FM`s AZERBAIJAN VISIT REVEALED.

Baku, July 14, 2010 (AzerTAc) -- Ukraine`s foreign ministry has announced the details of this week`s visit by minister Konstantin Grishenko to Azerbaijan. According to Oleg Voloshin, head of the Ukrainian ministry`s department for information policy, the visit scheduled for July 17-18 will be aimed at …

SEARCH DOGS FIND WOMEN UNDER DEBRIS FROM BLAST.(MAIN)

Byline: -- Associated Press

RADFORD, Va. -- Search dogs Monday located the bodies of two women under mounds of debris in an auto parts factory where an explosion also killed a co-worker.

The blast at New River Castings on Sunday night threw clouds of black soot over a wide area and left the building still smoldering the next day.

``There's mass destruction, a hole the size of a football field in the center of the plant,'' Fire Chief Lee Simpkins said.

Rescuers …

Davis Cup: Argentina beats Sweden 3-2

David Nalbandian sent Argentina through to the Davis Cup quarterfinals Sunday after defeating Sweden's Andreas Vinciguerra in the last reverse singles for a 3-2 series win.

Nalbandian secured a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory to clinch the series at Stockholm's Royal Tennis Hall.

Nalbandian broke for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set and held his serve the rest of the way, converting his first match point with a backhand winner.

Earlier Sunday, Sweden's Robin Soderling beat Leonardo Mayer 7-5, 7-6 (5), 7-5 to level the tie.

Neither Vinciguerra nor Nalbandian was originally set to play the final match. Vinciguerra replaced Joachim Johansson and …

PPG Gets Porter.

PPG Industries says it has completed the purchase of the Porter Courtaulds architectural coatings business from Akzo Nobel. The business, which had sales of [pound]90 million ($53 million) in 1997, was included in …