Tornado warning sends people scrambling to safety

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EDMONTON - Had it been a little bit warmer out, ?it could have been a lot uglier,? an Edmonton meteorologist said Wednesday after tornado warnings that sent people scrambling for safety for much of the afternoon were dropped.

A fast-moving thunderstorm produced hail, wind, heavy rains and lightning as it moved through the Capital Region.

The storm also spawned at least one tornado near Pigeon Lake.

The afternoon was ripe for tornadoes because high wind rotation within the storm and cloud bases close to the ground, CTV meteorologist Josh Classen said.

Environment Canada also labelled the storm ?a dangerous and life-threatening situation? and recommended people take cover in a sturdy permanent building or underground.

The storm took shape in southwestern Alberta and increased in severity as it moved toward Edmonton.

Troy Monea was outside his farm near Pigeon Lake shortly after 1 p.m. when he snapped a picture of an apparent tornado on the north side of the lake.

?I?ve seen cold funnels before, but nothing like this,? Monea said. ?This was the biggest one I?ve ever seen.

Based on the photo Monea took, Classen believes the tornado did touch the ground, resulting in a waterspout on the lake. There are typically 10 to 12 tornadoes reported in Alberta each year. Most are in July and August but it is not uncommon to have tornadoes in June.

Classen said the worst part of the storm was heavy downpours and localized flooding.

Chris Ward, manager of drainage services with the City of Edmonton, said the city received 90 reports during and immediately after the storm of flooded roads and popped manhole covers.

Ward said extra crews were called in to deal with the situation Wednesday evening, and are dealing first with the most serious problems, such as flooded catch basins and missing manhole covers.

He said no damage or residential flooding has been reported and he encouraged residents of the city to call 311 to report any storm related problems, such as downed tree branches, flooded trails, or flooded basements.

Liquor International manager Ivan Yousif described the scene on Stony Plain Road as ?crazy,? with water lapping at his door.

He said other businesses in the block got water, but the liquor store stayed dry.

?I got lucky,? he said. ?I was just hoping that it would not go inside the business, and luckily it didn?t. I?ve never seen anything like that before.?

Police asked drivers to stay away from the area around 107th Avenue and 163rd Street after reports that cars and trucks were stalling in the area.

Edmonton Public Schools sent an alert to schools at 3 p.m. warning principals to evaluate the weather before sending kids home, said spokeswoman Jane Sterling.

Edmonton Catholic Schools spokeswoman Lori Nagy didn?t send students home by bus until the tornado warning was lifted.

Both the Catholic and Edmonton Public Schools districts indicated that their responses were unprecedented.

The airport was able to resume regular operations around 4:30 p.m., after being stopped for more than an hour due to lightning warnings. Most flights were subsequently delayed.

With files from Andrea Sands and Jana Pruden

asiekierska@edmontonjournal.com

Twitter.com/alicjawithaj

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F264/~3/2ouEJWjqUU0/story.html

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Ohlendorf's Washington debut a winning one

DENVER -- Ross Ohlendorf pitched six strong innings in his Washington debut, Ian Desmond drove in three runs and the Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 Wednesday night.

The win was the Nationals' third in their last 12 road games.

Recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Syracuse, Ohlendorf (1-0) allowed one run on two hits in his first start since last Aug. 17 against San Francisco while with San Diego.

Signed by Washington over the winter as a minor league free agent, Ohlendorf became the eighth different starting pitcher used by the Nationals this season, matching their total for all of last season. Starters Stephen Strasburg and Ross Detwiler remain on the disabled list.

Desmond extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games with an RBI single in the fourth to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead.

The Nationals struck for three more in the sixth and chased Rockies starter Jorge De la Rosa (7-4), beating him for the first time in their past five meetings.

De La Rosa, who has been dealing with a nagging cut on the middle finger of his pitching hand, went 5 1-3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked three. De La Rosa had gone 3-0 with a 4.44 ERA in his previous four starts against the Nationals.

Jeff Kobernus began Washington's burst with a one-out walk in the sixth and Ryan Zimmerman doubled to the wall in deep left-center, scoring Kobernus.

Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and center fielder Dexter Fowler both converged on Zimmerman's drive, banging into each other as Fowler jumped at the wall. The ball dribbled on to the ground and Fowler threw it back in. Both players, though shaken up, remained in the game.

Adam Ottavino relieved De La Rosa and Wilin Rosario replaced catcher Yorvit Torrealba in a double switch. One out later, Adam LaRoche was walked intentionally and took second on a wild pitch before Desmond singled up the middle, scoring Zimmerman and LaRoche.

Gonzalez tripled in a run for Colorado in the bottom of the sixth but Washington got it back in the eighth on an RBI double by Anthony Rendon, who has a hit in seven straight games.

NOTES: Nationals C Wilson Ramos re-injured his left hamstring running first-to-third drills two days ago at the club's facility in Viera, Fla. Manager Davey Johnson termed it a slight setback but said it would be "a long shot" for Ramos to return before the All-Star break. ... The Nationals made room for Ohlendorf by optioning RHP Nathan Karns to Double-A Harrisburg. ... The Rockies announced prior to the game that they had signed their top draft pick, Oklahoma pitcher Jonathan Gray. The third overall selection in last week's draft, Gray is the highest draft pick so far to sign with his team. ... OF Eric Young Jr. was designated for assignment by the Rockies, and RHP Chris Volstad recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... OF Michael Cuddyer missed a fifth straight game for the Rockies because of a right ribcage strain but is expected to return for Thursday's series finale against Washington.

Source: http://www.modbee.com/2013/06/12/2760093/ohlendorfs-washington-debut-a.html

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PS+ Not Required For Free-to-Play Online Games - The Escapist

Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida said that Sony won't force free-to-play titles into PS+, leaving the decision up to publishers.

Earlier we reported perhaps the only bit of "bad news" from Sony's E3 press conference: online play of PS4 games will require a PlayStation Plus subscription. Sony executives, in an round-table with JoyStiq talked a little bit more on the how the service will work with its upcoming console, confirming that it won't be required for video streaming services, will remain the same price, and will only apply to free-to-play titles at the publisher's discretion.

"As far as free-to-play games are concerned," said Shuehei Yoshida, Sony Worldwide Studios President, "it's the publisher's decision whether they put it inside or outside of PS Plus." "All video services [on the PS4] will be outside of Plus," added SCE America VP of Publisher & Developer Relations Adam Boyes, going on to assure us the price of the PlayStation Plus service would remain $50 annually in North America.

The Sony PlayStation Plus service currently offers users a selection of free games every month, among other enhanced community features. $50 annually works out to around $5 a month, which puts the service about on par with Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold subscription, which is currently required to play Xbox 360 games online. Existing PlayStation Plus subscriptions will extend onto the new console when it launches this holiday season.

So this is kind of a good news, bad news situation. It's good that Sony won't personally enforce the PlayStation Plus paygate on free-to-play titles, but leaving it "up to the publisher" is a tad worrisome, as a lot of recent "monetization" decisions from certain publishers have left me somewhat, unwilling to trust them when it comes to trying to bleed the customer dry.

Source: JoyStiq

Source: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124956-PS-Not-Required-For-Free-to-Play-Online-Games

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Boeing, Bell win multibillion-dollar contract for 99 V-22s

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co and Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc , on Wednesday won an additional $4.9 billion contract for work on 99 V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, on top of a $1.4 preliminary contract awarded in December.

The deal, which has a combined value of around $6.3 billion, calls for construction of 92 MV-22 aircraft for the Marine Corps and 7 CV-22 tiltrotor aircraft for the Air Force, the Pentagon said in its daily digest of major arms contracts.

Work on the five-year contract, first reported by Reuters on Monday, must be completed by September 2019, the Defense Department said.

Marine Corps Colonel Gregory Masiello told Reuters on Monday that the multiyear contract, the second one signed for the V-22 program, included options for 22 additional aircraft. He said the government's decision to sign the five-year agreement underscored its confidence in a program that had once been threatened with cancellation.

Boeing and Bell Helicopter jointly build the V-22 aircraft, or Osprey, which can fly as fast as a plane but lands like a helicopter. The program is getting good reviews for its performance in combat after a rocky start that saw 23 Marines killed during flight testing in 2000. Two more Marines were killed during a training exercise in Morocco last year.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-bell-win-multibillion-dollar-contract-99-v-012345313.html

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Spain police dog wins British award for bravery

Police dog Ajax looks on as by his handler, Civil Guard Sergeant Juan Carlos Alabarces Munoz, 3rd left embraces a colleague after the dog won a medal in Mostoles, just outside of Madrid, Spain Tuesday June 11, 2013. The Spanish police dog has received an award by a British animal defense group in recognition of his bravery on detecting a bomb on the Spanish island of Mallorca allowing police to explode it. Ajax,?a bushy-coated gold and black 12-year-old German Shepherd? was presented with the award Tuesday at a ceremony on the outskirts of the Spanish capital by representatives of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.(AP Photo/Paul White)

Police dog Ajax looks on as by his handler, Civil Guard Sergeant Juan Carlos Alabarces Munoz, 3rd left embraces a colleague after the dog won a medal in Mostoles, just outside of Madrid, Spain Tuesday June 11, 2013. The Spanish police dog has received an award by a British animal defense group in recognition of his bravery on detecting a bomb on the Spanish island of Mallorca allowing police to explode it. Ajax,?a bushy-coated gold and black 12-year-old German Shepherd? was presented with the award Tuesday at a ceremony on the outskirts of the Spanish capital by representatives of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.(AP Photo/Paul White)

Police dog Ajax, right sits as by his handler, Civil Guard Sergeant Juan Carlos Alabarces Munoz makes a speech after the dog won a medal in Mostoles, just outside of Madrid, Spain Tuesday June 11, 2013. The Spanish police dog has received an award by a British animal defense group in recognition of his bravery on detecting a bomb on the Spanish island of Mallorca allowing police to explode it. Ajax,?a bushy-coated gold and black 12-year-old German Shepherd? was presented with the award Tuesday at a ceremony on the outskirts of the Spanish capital by representatives of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.(AP Photo/Paul White)

Police dog Ajax is applauded by Civil Guards and officials as he walks with by his handler, Sergeant Juan Carlos Alabarces Munoz, right to collect a medal in Mostoles, just outside of Madrid, Spain Tuesday June 11, 2013. The Spanish police dog has received an award by a British animal defense group in recognition of his bravery on detecting a bomb on the Spanish island of Mallorca allowing police to explode it. Ajax,?a bushy-coated gold and black 12-year-old German Shepherd? was presented with the award Tuesday at a ceremony on the outskirts of the Spanish capital by representatives of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. (AP Photo/Paul White)

MOSTOLES, Spain (AP) ? Ajax has a nose for trouble.

The retired Spanish police dog has received a prestigious award by a British animal charity group in recognition of his bravery and skill.

The bushy-coated, black-and-gold German Shepherd detected a bomb on the Spanish island of Mallorca only hours after two officers were killed in a terror attack on July 30, 2009.

The 12-year-old dog found the bomb planted under a car by the armed Basque group ETA in the town of Palma Nova.

He was decorated with the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals' Gold Medal at a ceremony Tuesday on the outskirts of Madrid.

Ajax is the 22nd dog to receive the award.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-06-11-Spain-Brave%20Dog/id-7634f587d7034a3cad1daf93c511c693

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Understanding the heart's rhythm

June 11, 2013 ? The heart's regular rhythm is crucial to the delivery of oxygenated blood and nutrients to all the organs of the body. It is regulated by a bundle of cells called "the pacemaker," which use electrical signals to set the pace of the heart. Dysfunction in this mechanism can lead to an irregular heartbeat, known as arrhythmia, and often necessitates the implantation of an artificial pacemaker.

Previously, scientists found that many cases of inherited arrhythmias originating in the pacemaker could be attributed to functional defects in the channels responsible for the flow of sodium and calcium. Now Prof. Bernard Attali of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and his fellow researchers have discovered a previously unidentified potassium channel in the cardiac pacemaker which helps to regulate the heartbeat. He hypothesizes that some cases of unexplained arrhythmia could be traced back to irregularities in this channel.

Developing therapies to target this potassium channel could be a significant step towards circumventing artificial pacemakers in favor of biological options, says Prof. Attali. This research has been reported in the journal PNAS.

A cellular heart model

To further investigate the workings of the biological pacemaker, Prof. Attali and his fellow researchers turned to embryonic stem cells isolated from human subjects. Once coaxed into differentiating into cardiac tissue, these cells began to beat automatically, like a small human heart.

While observing and recording the cells' electrical activity, researchers discovered the existence of a new channel in the pacemaker. Facilitating the flow of potassium from the pacemaker cells, this channel triggers the repolarization of the cells -- returning the cell membrane from a "beating" to a "resting" state -- and automatically renews or "restarts" the cycling of the heart.

Since discovering this channel in the embryonic heart, the researchers have shown that the channel exists in the adult heart as well. This finding deepens medicine's understanding of the heart's pacemaker function, which has been the subject of scientific research for over a century.

Screening for mutations

The next step is to conduct screening for mutations in the gene encoding the potassium channel, a process already underway at the TAU-affiliated Sheba Medical Center. "We would like to understand if there are genetic diseases linked to this channel," such as a previously unknown cause of arrhythmia, explains Prof. Attali. If a mutation is found, researchers can begin the hunt for drug compounds, which target this channel. The ultimate goal, he adds, is to be able to treat heart arrhythmias biologically by altering the properties of the pacemaker bundle, rather than relying on a human-made electric pacemaker.

One possible solution could be transplanting healthy pacemaker cells -- developed from a patient's own stem cells -- to replace dysfunctional cells and restore proper heart rhythm. This method would circumvent a common risk of the body rejecting a mechanical transplant.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/u_8MrtbcoXU/130611122105.htm

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Discovery of gene responsible for multiple intestinal atresia in newborns

June 11, 2013 ? Physicians and researchers from Sherbrooke, Montreal and Quebec City have conducted a study that has led to the discovery of a gene that causes multiple intestinal atresia (MIA), a rare and life-threatening hereditary disorder that affects newborns. In addition to exploring novel therapeutic treatments for children with the disease, the discovery of the gene TTC7A will make it possible to develop a prenatal diagnostic test and a screening test for parents who are carriers.

The Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS) should offer the tests. MIA is a congenital disease characterized by multiple obstructions all along the digestive tract -- from the stomach to the small intestine and colon -- often associated with severe immune deficiency. By studying the DNA of children with MIA, the research team identified mutations in the TTC7A gene, including one that turns out to be relatively common in the French-speaking population of Quebec.

A devastating and life-threatening disease While the disease is rare, about thirty cases have been recorded in Quebec over the last 30 years. Even today, it remains a devastating and fatal condition. "Multiple surgeries, intestinal transplants and bone marrow transplants have not led to any real solutions for the disease. Even after such interventions, the newborns' digestive tract does not always work the way it should. The life expectancy of these children is about two to three months. With the discovery of the gene responsible for the disease, it will now be possible to confirm an MIA diagnosis in newborns using genetic tests," states Dr. Bruno Maranda, who is a physician-geneticist at the CHUS, an investigator at the CHUS' Centre de recherche clinique ?tienne-Le Bel (CRCELB) as well as a professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universit? de Sherbrooke (UdeS).

Heredity thought to be the cause

Although the disease is very rare, it nevertheless seems to occur at a higher frequency in the French-Canadian population of Quebec. According to the research, this population is affected more than any other population group in the world. The condition seemed to be most probably of genetic origin, since in some families more than one child is born with the condition. This suggests recessive heredity, which is carried by the parents. "We have discovered that a number of children born with MIA carry the same genetic mutation from both parents. This finding confirms the recessive disease hypothesis that the mutation is inherited from both the father and the mother. As they do not suffer from the disease and do not know that they can transmit the mutation. The identification of the defective gene (TTC7A) makes it possible for us to know the cause of the condition. This is excellent news both for Quebec families with the disease and families around the world where the mutation is present," confirms Vincent Raymond, co-author of the study and a researcher at the CHU de Qu?bec Research Center.

Screening tests for pregnant women and family members who are potential carriers

Couples with an MIA child have a 25% risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies. "The concept of prenatal diagnosis allows couples to proceed with tests at the beginning of the pregnancy to determine whether the child they are expecting will be affected. We can also, within the same family, determine whether, for example, siblings are carriers of this genetic condition, and eventually, whether their partner is at risk in order to predict the risk of recurrence in the following generations," stresses Dr. Maranda, the study's principal investigator and Head of the Department of Medical Genetics at the CHUS.

The CHUS will offer the prenatal diagnostic test and the screening test for MIA carriers in the summer of 2013. Further research will help to prevent MIA in children and support carriers of the gene. Prescription procedures, implementation dates and the conditions under which the tests will be carried out will be made known in the weeks to come by the CHUS. The test will fall within an overall research offer on genetic diseases.

The CHUS will offer the prenatal diagnostic test and the screening test for MIA carriers in the summer of 2013. Further research will help to prevent MIA in children and support carriers of the gene. Prescription procedures, implementation dates and the conditions under which the tests will be carried out will be made known in the weeks to come by the CHUS. The test will fall within an overall research offer on genetic diseases.

Novel therapeutic avenues

"The discovery of the gene opens the way to potential treatments for children with MIA, since it will help us understand the pathways of the disease, including the modulation of the immune system, in which the gene seems to be involved," explains the study's lead author Dr. Mark Samuels, a researcher in genetics at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and a professor at the University of Montreal. "Why do certain patients also suffer from severe immune deficiency?" asks co-author Dr. Elie Haddad, a Sainte-Justine physician and researcher in immunology and University of Montreal professor. "The discovery of the gene will allow us to better understand the link between abnormal development of the digestive tract and abnormal development of the immune system."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/49RFSccHGsw/130611122101.htm

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