Saturday, December 15, 2012

MyFitnessPal Gets More Social With Facebook And Address Book Integration

myfitnesspal logoMyFitnessPal, which allows users to track and share their exercise and nutrition, is rolling out an update that should make it easier to find your friends on the service. Connecting with friends was an important feature on MyFitnessPal before, but until now, you had to know their email address or user name. With this update, you can log in with Facebook and connect with your Facebook friends, or invite your Facebook friends to join the service. You can also look up users from your smartphone address book. If, on the other hand, you're not interested in sharing your weight and other fitness info with your Facebook friends, you have the option of keeping your profile private.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/L0C-U3Qw0W0/

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China intellectuals urge party leaders to disclose wealth

BEIJING (Reuters) - About 65 Chinese academics, lawyers and human rights activists have signed an open letter demanding that top members of the ruling Communist Party reveal their financial assets, saying it is the most fundamental way to solve corruption.

The letter will be presented to parliament when it meets for its annual session in March, according to the Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper.

Petitions to China's parliament are usually ignored. But the public denunciation of corruption underscores the top challenge facing new party chief Xi Jinping, who has himself warned that if corruption were allowed to run wild, the party risked major unrest and the collapse of its rule.

The letter calls on the 205 newly named members of the party's Central Committee to divulge their personal wealth. The call follows a stream of scandals involving party members.

"This is the first step in fighting corruption", Hu Jia, a prominent rights activist who signed the letter, told Reuters by telephone.

"These 205 are the highest-level officials in China," said Hu, whose movements are restricted because of his rights activities and who was being confronted aggressively by police as he spoke to Reuters after venturing out of his home.

"They are the ones with the greatest risk of being involved in corruption. So we are calling on them to take the lead," Hu said.

A new Central Committee was named at the party's once-a-decade leadership handover last month. Xi took over as party chief and will become president at the National People's Congress, or parliament, in March.

The letter has drawn more than 1,000 signatures of support from members of the public, and more will be collected up until it is sent to parliament, the Global Times reported.

The year's biggest corruption scandal, involving former high-flying politician Bo Xilai, overshadowed the run-up to the leadership transition.

Bo was expelled from the party and faces possible charges of corruption and abuse of power, while his wife was jailed for involvement in the murder of a British businessman.

The incident was followed by several reports by the foreign media on the wealth of some top leaders, including Xi and Premier Wen Jiabao, that have embarrassed and angered the party.

NEW ATMOSPHERE

Other signatories of the letter saw the leadership transition as an opportunity to make a push against graft.

"It's a good chance to create a new atmosphere," said Hu Xingdou, a professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology.

"China is vigorously fighting corruption, and to fight corruption the most important thing is to establish a modern system, a system that makes officials' assets public."

Liu Xiaoyuan, a human rights lawyer and adviser to artist Ai Weiwei, China's best-known dissident, said the new leaders must set an example.

"Appeals for disclosing the assets of officials have already been going on for years and many people have high expectations of the new leadership," Liu said.

"This must start with the top echelon."

Liu acknowledged, however, that the letter might just be ignored.

"The National People's Congress has been discussing legislation on disclosing assets for more than 20 years but still, there is no outcome," he said.

Wang Quanjie, a professor at Yantai University, was more optimistic. As a former delegate to parliament, Wang had proposed numerous times that the parliament make officials reveal their assets, but to no avail.

But he said last month's congress had given him hope.

"I was genuinely inspired by the determination of the new leadership to combat graft," Wang said.

"I'm optimistic that the current situation shows new actions are imperative," he said. "Corruption has been very serious and if these problems remain unsolved, the Communist Party's leadership position will be jeopardized."

(Additional reporting by Beijing bureau; Editing by Sui-Lee Wee and Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-intellectuals-urge-party-leaders-disclose-wealth-112755621.html

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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Space calendar takes the Science Geek prize

American 3B Scientific

This necklace and set of earrings reflect the molecular structure for caffeine.

By Alan Boyle

Update for 5:35 p.m. ET Dec. 10: What suits a science geek best? A bit of space rock? How about a nice little hand-held microscope? Or jewelry that celebrates molecular structures? Maybe a science kit, or a spaced-out calendar?

The results are in from this year's Science Geek Gift contest, where?you help me decide which gift is best for science geeks. Here are the five top suggestions, which were sent in earlier this month in response to?my call for entries.

Molecular jewelry: Babagranny writes, "For my science-teacher daughter, I like to get molecular and chemical jewelry from American 3B Scientific."? The online shop offers earrings and necklaces that pay homage to the molecular structure of a variety of chemicals, including caffeine, estrogen, serotonin and theobromine (the alkaloid that gives chocolate its tangy flavor). Price: $45 for earrings, $85 for necklace.

Carson

The Carson MicroMax LED Portable Microscope fits in a pocket.

Portable microscope: Vlad in TN says the Carson MicroMax LED Portable Microscope is "pretty cool and very inexpensive for the cheap geek." It's a 60x-100x magnification microscope you can hold in your hand or tuck in your pocket, and features a built-in LED bulb for illumination. The gadget costs less than $15, which Vlad says is "the best reason you'll like it."

Thames & Kosmos

The Thames & Kosmos Physics Pro kit delves into statics and dynamics.

Physics kit: Amy brought a smile to my face with her suggestion. "My 10-year-old daughter confused Santa this year by asking for American Girl doll?stuff, and robotics and physics kits. High on her list is the Thames & Kosmos Physics Pro kit. [$80 or less] She wouldn't mind getting something to learn to do DNA sequencing either. She keeps telling me she needs these things so she can build a brain to operate the teleporter she is working on. She frightens me."

Aerolite.org

You'll find space rocks galore at Aerolite.org.

Meteorites: "Get them something literally out fo this world. A meteorite!" Zekenix writes. "Visit Geoff Notkin's website at Aerolite.org and pick up one of the meteorite samples they have for sale." The offerings range from inch-wide bits that go for less than $100, to big rocks costing thousands of dollars. For more out-of-this-world ideas, check out DVice's list of 16 gifts that come from space.

YearinSpace.com

The Year in Space 2013 Wall Calendar is packed with geeky goodness.

Space calendar: Steve Cariddi suggests "The Year in Space 2013 Wall Calendar," which he publishes in cooperation with the Planetary Society. "I designed this calendar to appeal to a wide-ranging audience, including kids. I also wanted it to be big, impressive, and chock-full of geeky space goodness: cool images, astronomy facts, daily moon phases, space history, sky events, biographies, etc." The calendar costs $12.95, which includes free U.S. shipping.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/07/15759322-when-it-comes-to-science-geek-gifts-outer-space-calendar-takes-the-prize?lite

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Grab 999: Twenty-nine Original Tales of Horror and Suspense from Google Play for just 2 bucks [books]

999If you're a fan of classic suspense and egde-of-your-seat horror stories, you'll want to have a look at 999: Twenty-nine Original Tales of Horror and Suspense. It's an anthology of 29 short stories of the darker genre from names like Stephen King, Edward Bryant, and Nancy A. Collins. Read it, and  you're sure to find a new favorite, too.

The first tale, Kim Newman's Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue, is a mixture of post-apocalyptic horror and nightmares from bad LSD and is honestly one of the best shorts I've ever read. I think plenty of you guys and gals will like it, too.

I know, DRM free ePub files are the right way to do eBooks. I can't argue that one, and most of my library is just that. But sometimes you gotta say what the hell and give the devil his due -- this is one of those times. And to be honest, the app isn't half bad since the latest update. Give it a try before you hate it

Make sure you have Google Play Books installed on your phone or tablet if you want to read on a mobile device, or you can just read on the web. Click here to pick it up for two bucks.



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/6USB633NszU/story01.htm

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The Top 7... Gaming headlines that defined 2012 | GamesRadar

Since everyone is going to continue ****-riding Mass Effect 3 for Game of the Year awards and how "entitled" their fans were about those hilariously poorly written endings... keeping in mind their money gauges the success and failure of that terrible series, and critical reception meant nothing to Okami and Bayonetta.

Obviously the assumption is that I hate the game because of it's "amazing and thought provoking" ending. Wrong, it was when the game kept breaking on me, glitched constantly, had serious narrative flaws beyond the ending, constant immersion breaking model issue (I'm talking uncanny eyeballs and almost Silent Hill-esque mannequin limbs on people) and I had to replace my 360 copy 3 times because it broke beyond playable at multiple points during its playtime.

Oh and there was also this when I was playing the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M5Nn1FyOeA
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/arlington-tornado-2012-damage-tarrant-county-dallas-live-updates_n_1400844.html

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/top-7-events-shook-2012/

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Sunday, December 9, 2012

Valuable tool for predicting pain genes in people

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Scientists in Australia and Austria have described a "network map" of genes involved in pain perception. The work, published in the journal PLOS Genetics should help identify new analgesic drugs.

Dr Greg Neely from the Garvan institute of Medical Research in Sydney and Professor Josef Penninger from the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna had previously screened the 14,000 genes in the fruit fly genome and identified 580 genes associated with heat perception. In the current study, using a database from the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information, they noted roughly 400 equivalent genes in people, 35% of which are already suspected to be pain genes.

The map they constructed using fly and human data includes many known genes, as well as hundreds of new genes and pathways, and demonstrates exceptional evolutionary conservation of molecular mechanisms across species. This should not be surprising, as every creature must be able to identify a source of pain or danger in order to survive.

Comparing fly with human data, they could see that a particular kind of molecular signaling (phospholipid signaling), already implicated in pain processing, appeared in the pain network. Further, they demonstrated the importance of two enzymes that make phospholipids, by removing those enzymes from mice, making them hypersensitive to heat pain.

"Pain affects hundreds of millions of people, and is a research field badly in need of new approaches and discoveries," said Dr Neely.

"The fact that evolution has done such a remarkable job of conserving pain genes across species makes our fly data very useful, because much of it translates to rodents and people.

"We are able to test our hypotheses in mice, and if a gene or pathway or process functions as we predict, there is a good chance it will also apply to people.

"By cross-referencing fly data with human information already in the public domain ? like gene expression profiling or genetic association studies ? we know we'll be able to pinpoint new therapeutic targets."

###

Public Library of Science: http://www.plos.org

Thanks to Public Library of Science for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 58 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125816/Valuable_tool_for_predicting_pain_genes_in_people

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Best Online Website Promotion ? Dedicated Servers

Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful way to establish your online presence and credibility. First, you write a thoughtful and informative article on an topic in your area of expertise. Then you submit it to e-zines to be read by the general public and possibly re-published on other web sites. Appended to the end of your article is a resource box containing a brief promotional message linking to your web site. Webmasters who wish to reprint your article on their sites are required to include your resource box along with any live links to your site. The benefit that you get from your article is two-fold. First, your article will be read by visitors to the e-zine site. If they find it helpful and interesting, they will likely visit your web site to see what else you had to offer. Second, webmasters who find your article useful to their visitors may re-publish it on their sites, giving your article additional exposure. Every time your article is re-published on a web site, you gain an additional one-way link to your site through the live link in your resource box. This adds to your link popularity and ultimately increases your search engine rankings.  As you can see, the true potential of your article lies in its ability to propagate virally in cyberspace. For your article to propagate virally, it should appeal to both readers and webmasters alike. Keep in mind that your goal is hold your readers attention long enough for them to get to the  resource box.  If your article is boring and uninformative, few people will read it beyond the first or second paragraph. Below are some pointers to consider when writing an article: 1. Give your article a catchy title. Your title is the first and often the only thing that visitors see when they skim through a list of articles on an e-zine page. Put some thought into coming up with a title that grabs the reader?s attention right away. Words like Secrets,Free, and Successful tend to attract more attention than others. 2. Your article should not read like an ad. Most people read articles to find information they can use, not to see a pitch about your products or services.  If they see your article as nothing more than a shameless act of self promotion, they?ll get turned off and hit the Back button right away.  Put yourself in the reader?s shoes. What benefits do you want to get out of reading an article?  Cater to your reader?s  interests rather than your own. 3. Offer lots of free, useful information. Following on the last tip, keep in mind that your readers are looking for specific how-to instructions to help them achieve a certain goal.  Offer lots of tangible information that is immediately useful to them. Do not lead them through hoops just to get to an order 4) Avoid gimmicks. While it may be true that a sucker is born every minute, most internet users are sophisticated enough to tell what?s legitimate and what?s not. Write with the intention of offering something substantial to the reader. Be honest and forthright. Your article should not cause the reader to think, What is this guy trying to sell me? 5) Be succinct. Get to the point quickly, preferably in the first or second paragraph. Avoid lengthy paragraphs. Use lots of white space to separate your paragraphs to make them easier to read. 6) Your article should not be too short. Certainly, it?s possible to write a good article packed with useful information using just a couple hundred words. If your article is too short, however, some webmasters may feel hesitant to reprint it on their sites. They may, instead, borrow your ideas and write their own articles, gaining authorship without having to give you credit for your ideas. How long should your article be?  I suggest at least 500 words, preferably longer.  Longer articles give webmasters the impression that you have put some time and effort into your work and, thus, are deserving of being reprinted on their sites. 7) Use live (clickable) links in your resource box. Many e-zines permit clickable links in  resource boxes. Yet, many authors forgo this privilege by simply spelling out their URLs. Whenever permitted, you should spell out your URL as well as make it clickable (e.g. http://www.nexcomp.com/weblaunch). The advantages of a clickable URL are, (1) readers can go to your site simply by clicking on it,  and more importantly, (2) search engines will be able to record the ezine page containing your article as a link your web site, adding to your link popularity and search engine rankings

Best Online Website Promotion

Source: http://www.30amediagroup.com/dedicated-servers/best-online-website-promotion-3789

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AP Source: Arizona fines Dockett '6 figures'

(AP) ? Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has received a "six-figure" fine from the Cardinals for his behavior in the waning seconds in a 7-6 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the punishment had not been made public. The exact size of the fine was not known and it was uncertain whether the punishment would impact Dockett's participation Sunday in Seattle.

Dockett refused to go along with a coach's directive to allow the Jets to score late in the game so the Cardinals could get the ball back and go for the tying touchdown.

He indicated in a tweet Friday night that he was appealing through the players' union.

"Thank God for the (at)nflpa," Dockett wrote, "that's all I got to say... I ain't got no worries."

The fine first was reported by XTRA-AM 910 sports talk show host and Cardinals reporter Mike Jurecki.

The punishment stems from a directive from the coaching staff to allow the Jets to score when they had the ball deep in Arizona territory in the final minutes. Dockett refused and got into a heated on-field argument with safety Kerry Rhodes about it.

The issue became moot when the Jets purposely downed the ball at the Arizona 1 and ran out the clock.

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton told reporters Friday that he was the one who suggested to coach Ken Whisenhunt that the Jets be allowed to score. Whisenhunt has declined to discuss the situation, calling it an internal matter.

The emotional confrontation between Dockett and Rhodes came as the team headed toward its eighth consecutive loss. The prospects that the team would score in the final seconds with no timeouts were obviously dim, because it was one of the Cardinals' worst offensive performances in franchise history. With Ryan Lindley making his second start, the Cardinals tied a franchise low with five first downs and were 0 for 15 on third-down conversions.

Whisenhunt refused to replace Lindley with John Skelton, who was benched three games earlier. But Skelton will return as starter against the Seahawks.

Dockett said earlier this week he had apologized to Rhodes and the two had agreed to move on. But Dockett emphatically said he had never quit in a game and never would.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-07-Cardinals-Dockett%20Fined/id-ad6bf4baecbb4b7f90020e8cdf310db9

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Saturday, December 8, 2012

Iron Ore China Steel rebars gain strength on positive China data

BEIJING (Commodity Online): Positive China data, expected growth in steel demand are pushing prices of iron ore and steel rebar futures higher in China.

Iron ore fines prices quoted at Tianjin port in China rose 4.7% this week to $121 per dry ton for 62% Fe fines, 0.4% up at $107.8/dry ton for 58% Fe content, according to The Steel Index (TSI). At Qingdao port, 62% Fe 2% Al iron ore fines rose 0.6% to $122.1/dry ton while 63.5%, 63% Fe rose 0.6% to $123.2/dry ton.

Steel reinforcement-bar futures posted the biggest weekly climb in more than two years on expectations a strengthening Chinese economy will boost demand.

Rebar for May delivery rose 1.7 percent to close at 3,656 yuan ($587) a metric ton on theShanghai Futures Exchange. Futures climbed 4.6 percent this week, the biggest such gain since the week ended Oct. 15, 2010.

Higher infrastructure investment plans, pro-growth policies are providing momentum to iron ore, steel prices. Steel production in China has averaged 1.9 mn tons per day since October, compared with .6 million tons last year as mills record higher margins, Bloomberg quoting Yu Yang of Shenyin Wanguo Futures Co said.

The average spot price of rebar, used in housing construction and infrastructure projects, fell 0.1 percent to 3,548 yuan a ton today, according to data from Beijing

Source: http://www.commodityonline.com/news/iron-ore-china-steel-rebars-gain-strength-on-positive-china-data-51723-3-51724.html

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Supreme Court Agrees to Hear California Gay Marriage, DOMA Cases (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/269190436?client_source=feed&format=rss

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The cashew efficacy and role - Health and Fitness Tips

The cashew is a nutrient-rich, sweet flavor of dried fruit can be when the snack food, but also made delicious dishes.

The cashews in fat ingredients mainly unsaturated fatty acids, soften blood vessels, go a long way to protect the blood vessels, prevent cardiovascular benefits.

Rich in grease, laxative, soothing beauty, anti-aging.

Regular consumption of cashew nuts can improve the body?s resistance to disease, increase libido, weight gain.

After sesame and peanut cashew vitamin B1 content, add strength to eliminate the effect of fatigue, tired easily human consumption.

The cashews also has galactagogue efficacy benefit women postpartum milk secretion.

The fat in the cashew mainly composed of unsaturated fats, rather than saturated fat by monounsaturated fatty acid composition, mono-unsaturated fatty acids can lower blood cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein levels, increased high-density lipoprotein levels, no multi-unsaturated fatty acids carcinogenic promote lipid peroxidation potential adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular great benefit.

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    1. Do not drink empty stomach. Fasting rapid absorption of alcohol, and fasting on gastrointestinal injury drinking large. The best prevention is to: eat oily food or drinking milk before drinking. ...
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    We know that human blood alkaline under normal circumstances; if over-use brain on, or after overdraft physical, the blood acidic; if the long-term partial eclipse acidic foods, but also make the bloo...
Tags: cashew efficacy, cashew role, nutritional value of the cashew, what about cashew
This entry was posted on Friday, December 7th, 2012 and is filed under Health Tips, Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.hhtip.com/the-cashew-efficacy-and-role-the-nutritional-value-of-the-cashew/

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Friday, December 7, 2012

TSA screener accused of stealing passengers' iPads

By NBCNewYork.com

NEW YORK -- A Transportation Security Administration screener was arrested on charges he swiped iPads and other electronic devices from passengers' luggage at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, authorities said.

Port Authority spokesman Steven Coleman said Wednesday that 32-year-old Sean Henry, of Brooklyn, was nabbed in a sting operation using decoy bags in cooperation with the TSA.

Coleman said Henry was arrested after leaving work carrying in his backpack two planted iPads and other electronic devices. Coleman said stolen items were also found in Henry's home.

Read more news on NBCNewYork.com

The 10-year veteran of the federal agency was arrested on charges of grand larceny and official misconduct.

Information on his lawyer was not immediately available.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/06/15722725-tsa-screener-accused-of-stealing-ipads-from-passengers-bags-at-jfk-airport?lite

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Thursday, December 6, 2012

US home prices rise in October by most in 6 years

In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, photo, a for-sale sign is posted in Lincolnwood, Ill. A measure of U.S. home prices rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006. The jump adds to signs of a comeback in the once-battered housing market. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, photo, a for-sale sign is posted in Lincolnwood, Ill. A measure of U.S. home prices rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006. The jump adds to signs of a comeback in the once-battered housing market. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, photo, an under contract sign sits outside a home in Glen, Ill. A measure of U.S. home prices rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006. The jump adds to signs of a comeback in the once-battered housing market. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

(AP) ? A measure of U.S. home prices rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006. The jump adds to signs of a comeback in the once-battered housing market.

Core Logic also said Tuesday that prices declined 0.2 percent in October from September, the second drop after six straight monthly increases. The monthly figures are not seasonally adjusted. The real estate data provider says the decline reflects the end of the summer home-buying season.

Steady price increases are helping fuel a housing recovery. They encourage more homeowners to sell their homes. And they entice would-be buyers to purchase homes before prices rise further.

Home values are rising in more states and cities, according to the report. Prices increased in 45 states in October, up from 43 the previous month. The biggest increases were in Arizona, where prices rose 21.3 percent, and in Hawaii, where they were up 13.2 percent.

The five states where prices declined were: Illinois, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Alabama.

In 100 large metro areas, only 17 reported price declines. That's an improvement September, when 21 reported declines.

Mortgage rates are near record lows, while rents in many cities are rising. That makes home buying more affordable, pushing up demand.

And more people are looking to buy or rent a home after living with relatives or friends during and immediately after the Great Recession.

At the same time, the number of available homes is at the lowest level in 10 years, according to the National Association of Realtors. The combination of low inventory and rising demand pushes up prices.

Last week, an index measuring the number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes in October jumped to the highest level in almost six years. That suggests sales of previously occupied homes will rise in the coming months.

Builders, meanwhile, are more optimistic that the recovery will endure. A measure of their confidence rose to the highest level in six and a half years last month. And builders broke ground on new homes and apartments at the fastest pace in more than four years in October.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-04-Home%20Prices/id-b615bece47e14e2b87831fa50142b509

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Study of social network 'check-ins' shows we still make friends face-to-face

ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2012) ? The closer you live to another person, the more likely you are to be friends with them despite the growing use and impact of social media, according to a study that drew on data from the location-based social network provider Gowalla. The study, by researchers within the Social Cognitive Network Academic Research Center (SCNARC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, also showed that people tend to move in groups of friends, and that two people chosen at random at a specific event (like a concert or at a particular store) are unlikely to be friends.

While the findings are seemingly common-sense, the study -- and continued research on social networks -- holds a powerful message for a broad range of applications that rely on accurate predictions of how people move, such as emergency planning, infrastructure development, communications networks, and disease control.

"The ramifications are extremely important because if we assume that people are moving randomly, we are wrong, and therefore we will not be prepared for what people actually do," said Boleslaw Szymanski, director of SCNARC and the Claire and Roland Schmitt Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Rensselaer. "Where you live really matters: Most of your friends are concentrated in the place where you live, and as the distance increases, this concentration rapidly drops."

The findings also indicate that, even in the digital age, humans still form friendships based on personal interactions, said Tommy Nguyen, a Rensselaer graduate student and member of SCNARC.

"Even though, thanks to the Internet, you can be friends with anyone on the planet, the likelihood that a person will be friends with someone in a distant location chosen at random is far lower than the likelihood that this person will be friends with someone who lives in close proximity," said Nguyen. "Proximity creates a strong boundary for who will be your friends."

The study, titled "Using Location-Based Social Networks to Validate Human Mobility and Relationships Models," was awarded the best paper award at the Second Workshop on Social Network Analysis in Applications held earlier this year in Istanbul, Turkey, and has been published in the Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining. The work continues the group's recent investigations into social networks. Last year, the group published a landmark paper showing that when just 10 percent of the population is committed to an opinion without comparable committed opposition, their opinion will quickly be adopted by the majority of the society.

The current study drew on the public profiles (friends and check-ins) of 391,223 users of Gowalla collected between mid-September and late-October of 2011. Gowalla (which has since been purchased by Facebook, and is no longer available) allowed its users to share their geographic location with their friends through their smart phones in a process known as "checking in." The users accumulated a total of around 26 million "check-ins" and 8 million friendship links. Data was provided to researchers without individual identifications to protect the privacy of users.

"When a detective wants to solve a crime, they use clues to draw the big picture," Nguyen said. "Gowalla provided the discrete location of the movements of hundreds of thousands of people -- those are clues."

The data immediately revealed that the likelihood of friendship between two people decreases as distance increases. Researchers found that 80 percent of friends of a particular person live within 600 miles of that person's home.

"You may have a few distant friends who are holdovers from a time when you lived elsewhere, or who share a common trait like family connections or a particular activity, but in general, the likelihood of friendship decreases as distance increases," Szymanski said. "That tells us an important thing which our findings highlight: Friendship requires constant interactions, maybe physical presence (making proximity important) because we prefer to rely on verbal and body language to invoke feelings of trust in people. That's very important in friendship."

The researchers also found that friends tend to move together.

"If we see two people traveling together, we know first of all that social relations very much dictate our itinerary when moving over time. We cannot assume that people move randomly," Szymanski said.

Then, the researchers used the data to inform a data-driven mathematical model predicting the movement of people. Starting with a model that predicted the movements of individuals at random, then they refined the model based on the premise that each individual had friends who lived nearby, and that each individual frequently moved with their friends.

The "friends" model produced a dramatically different pattern of movement, and one far more consistent with the data they studied -- data which tracked the actual movements of Gowalla users.

"If you look at the frequency of movement among people, the area, and distance they traveled, the model we have developed reasonably describes their movement," Nguyen said.

The "friends" model can be used in emergency management, development of infrastructure, disease control, and can also help in building friendlier communities, with initiatives like bicycle sharing, or planning the location of recreational facilities.

"People travel together, so knowing their social groups enables us to predict where they move," Szymanski said. "In other words, our infrastructure should reflect our social ties because then it would be aligned with the movements people would make. That is a helpful insight."

The researchers are already planning their next project, which looks at whether the pattern of movement endures through friends of friends, or further down the chain -- what might be called the "transmissibility" of friendship. Early results seem to indicate that by the third generation (friend of friend of friend) all structure has broken down.

"In other words, friend of friend has some value in terms of movement," said Szymanski. "But friend of friend of friend shows not more pattern than a random person."

Szymanski said the study is also an early indication of the power that social networks hold not just for users, but for researchers.

"Gowalla was this super memory of the 100,000 people. Of course, the users checked in because they hope to meet their friends. But for us, social media has created new tools to observe social interactions. It's unobtrusive, but it is so powerful that I can't imagine how we could replicate this study without this social media tool," Szymanski said. "For us, it is invaluable."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

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


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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/computers_math/information_technology/~3/gn-bGM4Y17Y/121206141325.htm

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Treat nutrition and cancer research cautiously: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Studies suggesting that everything from cinnamon to lobster either raises or lowers a person's risk of cancer may sometimes be a bunch of baloney, a new report suggests.

Researchers created a list of 50 random food items, then found studies from the last 35 years that claimed risks or benefits for the majority them. But most of the claims were based on weak evidence.

"We have seen a very large number of studies, just too many studies, suggesting that they had identified associations with specific food ingredients with cancer risk," said Dr. John Ioannidis from the Stanford Prevention Research Center in California, who worked on the analysis.

"People get scared or they think that they should change their lives and make big decisions, and then things get refuted very quickly," he told Reuters Health.

That back-and-forth can distract the public from associations that do have solid evidence behind them, such as the increased cancer risk tied to smoking or the beneficial effects of fruits and vegetables, he said.

"There's very strong evidence, and pretty strong expectation, that some nutrients in some foods would be related to cancer risk - either protecting or increasing the risk - but it's very hard to believe that almost anything would be associated with cancer," Ioannidis added.

For their study, he and Dr. Jonathan Schoenfeld from Harvard Medical School in Boston selected the first 50 ingredients they found in randomly-chosen cookbook recipes.

That list included meats and fish, vegetables, dairy products, bread and spices.

The researchers then ran each ingredient through a medical journal database search to see if there were any studies tying how much of it people consumed to their risk for some type of cancer.

For 40 out of the 50 ingredients - including veal, celery, cheese and mustard - there were a total of 264 such studies. Of those, 103 suggested the ingredient was tied to an increased risk of cancer, and 88 to a decreased risk.

Studies on some ingredients, such as onions, carrots and tea, almost all showed a decreased cancer risk, and for others, like bacon and sugar, most or all findings showed a higher risk. But for many foods, study results were all over the map.

The average effect shown in each study was about a doubling of cancer risk or a halving of risk, depending on which direction the association went for a particular ingredient in a particular report. However, the data backing those claims was usually unconvincing, Schoenfeld and Ioannidis said.

In larger reviews that included multiple studies, the links between each particular food item and cancer risk were typically smaller or nonexistent, according to the pair's findings, which are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"You have all these individual studies, and people are not getting together and trying to figure out what is going on in terms of the entire picture," said Teresa Fung, a professor of nutrition at Simmons College in Boston.

"It's a system problem. It's also how science is reported," Fung, who also has an adjunct appointment at the Harvard School of Public Health, told Reuters Health.

"I agree with their point that there's room for improvement in the way nutrition and cancer is researched and reported to the public," said Marjorie McCullough, strategic director of nutritional epidemiology at the American Cancer Society.

"These individual results often get taken out of context," said McCullough, who like Fung wasn't involved in the new analysis.

"I would caution people not to over-interpret individual studies and look to guidelines that have been published" based on more comprehensive reviews, she added.

Of course, none of this means nutrition isn't important for cancer risk and general health. McCullough told Reuters Health the evidence is building that extra weight plays a role in many cancers, and maintaining a healthy body weight is an important part of ACS's guidelines.

But when it comes to diet itself, it may be more important to focus on larger patterns, rather than specific foods, she added.

"Sometimes we need to take a step back and look at things from a different perspective," Fung said.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/THXED0 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online November 28, 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/treat-nutrition-cancer-research-cautiously-study-212034748.html

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Is Your Clay Matthews Jersey Firm Shedding Vapor Online? Set ...

Having an excellent internet site is very important to your internet business. It?s not the only thing that you need however. You need to make sure Clay Matthews Jersey people will find your web site through great marketing. This is why online marketing will come in. Unsure where to start from it? Don?t worry this information has helpful website marketing tips to help you get started.

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Yes, a good web site is vital to an online business, but while you have read, it must be effortlessly identified employing a great web marketing strategy. This cannot be accomplished without proper website marketing. So, what are you waiting around for? Use the previously mentioned suggestions to make web marketing work with your organization!

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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

No Deposit Mobile Casino Bonuses Encouraging Mobile Gambling ...

Mobile casino gaming is actually a growing industry in the internet gaming industry.? Several people are now accessing internet gaming sites through their mobile devices and thus benefiting from mobile casino games betting in this little package is helpful to them.

If you want to take advantage of casino mobile gaming and wish to find out if you want to know some good info relative to almost all casino bonuses accessible, we will provide herewith some helpful tips that?ll be beneficial to you.

Much like their big brother, online gambling entertainment, mobile betting websites also provides no deposit mobile casino bonuses to new players among the sizzling incentives offered. These casino mobile no deposit required bonuses are given to the new customers of the house assisting them try the games and also the services on offer by the house.

Whenever gamers enjoy their game while using free cash supplied, then, the chance of making a deposit to go on playing the mobile casino games will probably be expected.

It is important to know that these types of no deposit mobile casinos are reputable to give the perks. The idea behind these casino mobile no deposit required bonuses is the fact that these mobile betting sites don?t have real physical gambling houses as well as employees to pay and therefore, the savings from their operational expenses may be provided to the brand new players.?

It?s a form of marketing that when clients discover the site fun to try out with; they will deposit their own cash and therefore keep playing the games on offer by the house.

One thing to keep in mind however is that money added by the house to your bank account as no deposit mobile casino bonuses can?t be withdrawn.? It is totally free money and also you cannot pocket that. You of course, may use any kind of winning to wager on more games however, because it did not come from money that you simply placed, you cannot withdraw them directly.

Just in case, you are very good with your mobile casino games and you win a few house cash rewarded, you might want to deposit your own personal money to receive even more incentives increasing you bankroll. Then, you will be able to get more if the fortune will be in your site.

Another rule relative to the winning withdrawals is the fact that there are limits on withdrawing from your gambling websites accounts. In cases like this, it?s important that you browse the guidelines being implemented by no deposit mobile casinos regarding the withdrawal limits. Remember that it works just like full-sized online gambling sites with the exception that the games are offered in a small screen.

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Source: http://artsandentertainment.emilie.org/uncategorized/no-deposit-mobile-casino-bonuses-encouraging-mobile-gambling/

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Targeting neurotransmitter may help treat gastrointestinal conditions

ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2012) ? Selective targeting of the neurotransmitter that differentially affects brain cells that control the two distinct functions of the pancreas may allow for new medication therapies for conditions such as diabetes, dyspepsia and gastro-esophageal reflux, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

"This study differs from what's been reported previously about brain neurons that control the gastrointestinal tract," said R. Alberto Travagli, professor, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, and lead investigator. "It provides further support to the idea that separate nerve pathways regulate the diverse functions of organs along the upper gastrointestinal tract."

The pancreas has two functional parts: one that releases digestive enzymes, and one that releases hormones like insulin and glucagon. The vagus nerve, which originates in the brain, regulates both of these pancreatic functions. This nerve detects chemical and biological changes that occur along the gastrointestinal tract and interprets and integrates these signals before sending appropriate responses back to the organs. In the brain, these signals tell the nerves controlling each specific organ what the proper response is -- for example, digestive processes and insulin release -- according to the signals detected in the GI tract.

Neurotransmitters in the brain and in organs like the pancreas control the nerve networks that receive these signals. Neurotransmitters are chemicals released from nerves that allow them to communicate with each other as well as with organs of the body. One of these neurotransmitters is glutamate, which acts on specific proteins called receptors that are present on the nerve cells. There are different classes and types of receptors that glutamate can act upon; one major class of these receptors is metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). This class is further divided into three subgroups -- I, II or III -- depending on their location and function on the nerve cells.

"The aim of this study was to investigate how these mGluRs are organized on nerve synapses -- the specialized structures that allow a signal to pass from one cell to another cell," Travagli said. "The second aim of the study was to see whether pancreatic insulin and enzyme secretions are controlled by different types of vagal motoneurons -- the cells of the nervous system that control motor functions of the pancreas through the vagus nerve."

Group II and III mGluRs are present in synapses that can either excite or inhibit the vagal nerve cells that send signals to the pancreas, and different outcomes can be seen depending on which group of mGluRs glutamate acts upon. When glutamate acts upon either group II or group III mGluR, insulin secretion is decreased. Pancreatic enzyme secretion is increased only by activation of group II mGluR by glutamate.

"The data shows mGluRs on brainstem vagal nerve circuits that regulate pancreatic functions are organized in a very specific manner," Travagli said. "This type of separation in their organization may allow for development of selective drugs that target very specific vagal neurocircuits in patients with such conditions as gastrointestinal reflux disorders, functional dyspepsia, gastroparesis and pancreatic exocrine or endocrine dysfunctions."

Researchers published results in a recent issue of The Journal of Physiology. This research was funded through grants from National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. T. Babic, K. N. Browning, Y. Kawaguchi, X. Tang, R. A. Travagli. Pancreatic insulin and exocrine secretion are under the modulatory control of distinct subpopulations of vagal motoneurones in the rat. The Journal of Physiology, 2012; 590 (15): 3611 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.234955

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/1eJcbkMZ5D4/121204145822.htm

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Monday, December 3, 2012

Record high for global carbon emissions

ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2012) ? Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are set to rise again in 2012, reaching a record high of 35.6 billion tonnes -- according to new figures from the Global Carbon Project, co-led by researchers from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

The 2.6 per cent rise projected for 2012 means global emissions from burning fossil fuel are 58 per cent above 1990 levels, the baseline year for the Kyoto Protocol.

This latest analysis by the Global Carbon Project is published December 2 in the journal Nature Climate Change with full data released simultaneously by the journal Earth System Science Data Discussions.

It shows the biggest contributors to global emissions in 2011 were China (28 per cent), the United States (16 per cent), the European Union (11 per cent), and India (7 per cent).

Emissions in China and India grew by 9.9 and 7.5 per cent in 2011, while those of the United States and the European Union decreased by 1.8 and 2.8 per cent.

Emissions per person in China of 6.6 tonnes of CO2 were nearly as high as those of the European Union (7.3), but still below the 17.2 tonnes of carbon used in the United States. Emissions in India were lower at 1.8 tonnes of carbon per person.

Prof Corinne Le Qu?r?, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and professor at UEA, led the publication of the data. She said: "These latest figures come amidst climate talks in Doha. But with emissions continuing to grow, it's as if no-one is listening to the entire scientific community."

The 2012 rise further opens the gap between real-world emissions and those required to keep global warming below the international target of two degrees.

"I am worried that the risks of dangerous climate change are too high on our current emissions trajectory. We need a radical plan," added Prof Corinne Le Qu?r?.

The analysis published in Nature Climate Change shows significant emission reductions are needed by 2020 to keep two degrees as a feasible goal.

It shows previous energy transitions in Belgium, Denmark, France, Sweden, and the UK have led to emission reductions as high as 5 per cent each year over decade-long periods, even without climate policy.

Lead author Dr Glen Peters, of the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research in Norway, said: "Scaling up similar energy transitions across more countries can kick-start global mitigation with low costs. To deepen and sustain these energy transitions in a broad range of countries requires aggressive policy drivers."

Co-author Dr Charlie Wilson, of the Tyndall Centre at UEA, added: "Public policies and institutions have a central role to play in supporting the widespread deployment of low carbon and efficient energy-using technologies, and in supporting innovation efforts."

Emissions from deforestation and other land-use change added 10 per cent to the emissions from burning fossil fuels. The CO2 concentration in the atmosphere reached 391 parts per million (ppm) at the end of 2011.

These results lends further urgency to recent reports that current emissions pathways are already dangerously high and could lead to serious impacts and high costs on society. These other analyses come from the International Energy Agency, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank, the European Environment Agency, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of East Anglia, via AlphaGalileo.

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


Journal References:

  1. Glen P. Peters, Robbie M. Andrew, Tom Boden, Josep G. Canadell, Philippe Ciais, Corinne Le Qu?r?, Gregg Marland, Michael R. Raupach, Charlie Wilson. The challenge to keep global warming below 2 ?C. Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1783
  2. C. Le Qu?r?, R. J. Andres, T. Boden, T. Conway, R. A. Houghton, J. I. House, G. Marland, G. P. Peters, G. van der Werf, A. Ahlstr?m, R. M. Andrew, L. Bopp, J. G. Canadell, P. Ciais, S. C. Doney, C. Enright, P. Friedlingstein, C. Huntingford, A. K. Jain, C. Jourdain, E. Kato, R. F. Keeling, K. Klein Goldewijk, S. Levis, P. Levy, M. Lomas, B. Poulter, M. R. Raupach, J. Schwinger, S. Sitch, B. D. Stocker, N. Viovy, S. Zaehle, N. Zeng. The global carbon budget 1959?2011. Earth System Science Data Discussions, 2012; 5 (2): 1107 DOI: 10.5194/essdd-5-1107-2012

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/qRduY-wJMqY/121202164059.htm

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Negotiating a Credit Card Relief with Finance Companies in ...

Carrying cash money in today?s fast moving world has not only become risky but also burdensome, as one has too many limitations to face with it. Credit cards are, and have been, one of the most revolutionary creations of the credit systems, for they have taken day to day transacting in life to a much easier and convenient level. Credit cards are now used by people belonging to almost all parts of life. Not only do they remove the need to carry large amount of cash, they have also provided people with portable debt facilities with accommodating payment plans. However, with the passage of time, the economic conditions, particularly in countries like Canada, have changed and the credit system has experienced several setbacks, due to which people are facing a lot of trouble keeping up with their payments to their debt providers. Although, it might not be the sole reason, but one of the major causes of such difficulties for Canadian credit card holders is the reason that several local companies are charging too high interest rates in the their payment plans, which is causing great disturbance to the card holders. There are a number of ways to solve this kind of situations, but one of the most effective ways is to re-negotiate the terms of credit with the debt providing companies.

Negotiating Credit Card Debt Relief

High interest rates make it more difficult for people to keep up with their minimum payments to the credit card companies. Getting a lower rate of interest allows people to discharge their debts more regularly, as the portion of the principal amount becomes more than the mark-up part in the payment. The person can request there credit providers for a lower interest rate by negotiating with them a credit card debt relief proposal.

Negotiating a credit card debt relief proposal in Canada involves considerable amount of skills and using carefully composed reasons. In order to request one?s credit card company to lower the interest rate on their credit payments, one needs to be fully prepared to tackle any expected and unexpected responses of the companies. There are a number of ways, depending on the condition of each person?s case, to approach this option. A person can either directly approach the credit companies, or can hire a qualified and experienced agent to assist them in taking such a step. Both situations can be recommended in individually different circumstances.

One-on-One Negotiations with the debt companies

A credit card holder can decide to negotiate such relief personally with the finance companies. In order to do this, they can follow a number of ?expert recommended? steps to increase their chances in striking a relief deal.

According to financial experts, the most appropriate time for negotiating a credit card debt relief is when a person is regularly making his minimum payments. In this way, the credit card holder is in a better position to bargains than the finance company. There are several ways to approach these negotiations. One can either march in directly at the credit supervisor?s office and discuss a relief proposal, or can contact online customer care officers for such purposes. In both situations, the person first needs to provide them proof that he has been their customer for a long time and deserves such attention. After that, using the comparison approach is well recommended by experts.

A comparison approach means to compare the low interest rates provided by other finance companies with the high one that the person?s company is giving. There is always a fifty percent chance of this succeeding. However, in case the proposal gets rejected, experts suggest acting with persistence and maintaining one?s efforts with regular intervals, as a rejection does not necessarily signify impossibility. If this doesn?t work, than it is a sign that it?s time to bring in professional assistance into the situation.

Negotiating Credit Card Debt Relief through an Agent

In Canada, an agent can always be hired by credit card holders, to assist them in re-negotiating their interest rate with local credit card companies. This option is most appropriate when either the proposal has been rejected multiple times, or the credit card holder does not have a mentionable history of minimum payments.

Experts have recommended that such assistance is most beneficial when required in the initial stages of the arrangement. It means that the sooner the assistance arrives, the better it is for the person. An agent can help present the case in a most professional and convincing manner to the credit card providers, probably in return for some remuneration. There are a number of agency services available for Canadians in this regard and include:

  • Debt management programs (DMP),
  • Debt settlement programs,
  • Orderly Payment of Debt Program (OPD), and
  • Debt relief options for insolvents

A person in Canada can choose from any of the above listed programs, suitable to their own individual cases. Timely acquisition of such services can prove to be of great benefit for a person?s relief proposal. Only certified credit counselors should be hired in such cases, for the fate of the credit facilities of the people depend on their authenticity.

Source: http://www.mycashdiary.com/negotiating-a-credit-card-relief-with-finance-companies-in-canada

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