No time to play nice for US women's soccer team

Amy rodriguez Heidy Salazar

updated 4:08 p.m. ET Jan. 21, 2012

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It's hard not to look like a bully when the final score is 14-0. The U.S. women's soccer team had never beaten anyone that badly, not even in the days of Mia Hamm.

But this is no time for sympathy. This wasn't a friendly. This was the first game of qualifying for the London Olympics.

The non-competitive blowout of the Dominican Republic on Friday night left no doubt whatsoever that the Americans have banned complacency from the roster.

Coach Pia Sundhage says her team almost took qualifying for granted when it was upset by Mexico en route to last year's World Cup. Forward Abby Wambach wanted as many goals as possible in case goal-differential is needed as a tiebreaker in the tournament.

The Americans next play Guatemala on Sunday.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46083719/ns/sports-olympic_sports/

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Snake Camouflage: Japan Gets Exclusive Metal Gear Solid 3DS System

mgsResident Evil isn’t the only big video game series that made the news in Nippon today: Konami announced [JP] the so-called METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D PREMIUM PACKAGE for the Japanese market. The set includes a special 3DS system, a copy of Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, and two clear files in MGS design. Here’s the so-called “Snake Camouflage”-style 3DS:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/OHtki5Wz21M/

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Stocks set to dip amid earnings, Europe

By Reuters

Stocks are set to dip Friday, indicating the S&P 500 may snap a three-day win streak after Google results fell short of expectations and as investors eyed Greek debt talks for signs of progress.

Google Inc shares slumped 7.6 percent to $591 in premarket trading after quarterly profit and revenue for the No. 1 Internet search engine missed Wall Street expectations on declining search advertising rates.

Greece and its private bondholders inched closer to reaching a long-awaited debt swap deal that would prevent the nation from spiraling toward bankruptcy and ratchet up fears about the euro zone's economic stability.

General Electric Co fell 3.3 percent to $18.52 after the largest U.S. conglomerate reported roughly flat profit from continuing operations.

But a strong outlook from International Business Machines Corp and decent results from Intel Corp and Microsoft Corp indicated corporate leaders were shaking off nervousness about economic growth and boosting spending on technology.

Microsoft shares were up 2.1 percent to $28.70, and Intel edged up 0.2 percent to $25.69 premarket. IBM gained 2.4 percent to $184.92 in light premarket trade.

European shares slipped 0.3 percent early Friday after hitting 5-1/2 month highs in the previous session as major indexes neared "overbought" territory. Asian shares rose to fresh two-month highs as solid euro zone sovereign debt sales.

Economic data on existing home sales was due from the National Association of Realtors for December at 10 a.m. ET. Economists forecast a 4.65 million annual rate in December, versus 4.42 million in November.

Chinese factory activity likely fell for a third successive month in January, an early indicator showed, suggesting Beijing's pro-growth policies will remain in place despite early signs a downward drift was slowing.

U.S. stocks rose Thursday, sparked by results from Bank of America Corp and Morgan Stanley and as the latest jobless claims dropped to a near four-year low.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/20/10198316-stocks-set-to-dip-amid-earnings-europe

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Top Ten Female Badasses Tougher Than Their Male Co-Stars

With the release of "Haywire" and "Underworld: Awakening" this weekend, the box office is in for a heaping helping of badass women. Both Gina Carano and Kate Beckinsale play the role of strong, female protagonist that make the men around them look like little boys. If they get stabbed or shot at, they barely even [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/01/20/topten-female-badasses/

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Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke dead at 29

FILE - In this March 17, 2006, file photo, Sarah Burke of Canada, smiles as she celebrates her gold medal in the halfpipe FIS world Cup event Friday, March 17, 2006 at Apex Mountain in Penticton, British Columbia. Burke died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah. She was 29. Burke was injured Jan. 11 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot)

FILE - In this March 17, 2006, file photo, Sarah Burke of Canada, smiles as she celebrates her gold medal in the halfpipe FIS world Cup event Friday, March 17, 2006 at Apex Mountain in Penticton, British Columbia. Burke died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah. She was 29. Burke was injured Jan. 11 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot)

FILe - In this Oct. 15, 2007, file photo, honoree Sarah Burke arrives at the Women's Sports Foundation's 28th Annual Salute to Women in Sports at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Burke died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah. She was 29. Burke was injured Jan. 11 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

FILE - In this March 12, 2008, file photo, Sarah Burke, of Canada, celebrates on the podium after winning the women's halfpipe freestyle title at the World Cup finals in Valmalenco, Italy. Burke died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah. She was 29. Burke was injured Jan. 11 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

FILE - In this March 12, 2008, file photo, Sarah Burke, of Canada, celebrates on the podium after winning the women's halfpipe freestyle title at the World Cup finals in Valmalenco, Italy. Burke died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah. She was 29. Burke was injured Jan. 11 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2011, file photo, Sarah Burke, of Canada, competes in the women's halfpipe finals at the freestyle skiing world championships in Park City, Utah. Burke died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah. She was 29. Burke was injured Jan. 11 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

(AP) ? Sarah Burke was an X Games star with a grass-roots mentality ? a daredevil superpipe skier who understood the risks inherent to her sport and the debt she owed to it.

The pioneering Canadian freestyler, who helped get superpipe accepted into the Olympics, died Thursday after a Jan. 10 crash during a training run in Park City, Utah.

Burke, who lived near Whistler, in British Columbia, was 29.

Tests revealed she sustained "irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest," according to a statement released by her publicist, Nicole Wool, on behalf of the family.

A four-time Winter X Games champion, Burke crashed on the same halfpipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce sustained a traumatic brain injury during a training accident on Dec. 31, 2009.

Wool said Burke's organs and tissues were donated, as she had requested before the accident.

"The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude for the international outpouring of support they have received from all the people Sarah touched," the statement said.

A four-time Winter X Games champion, Burke will be remembered as much for the hardware she collected as the legacy she left for women in superpipe skiing, a sister sport to the more popular snowboarding brand that has turned Shaun White, Hannah Teter and others into stars.

Aware of the big role the Olympics played in pushing the Whites of the world from the fringes into the mainstream, Burke lobbied to add superpipe skiing to the Winter Games program, noting that no new infrastructure would be needed.

Her arguments won over Olympic officials and the discipline will debut at the Sochi Games in 2014, where Burke likely would have been a favorite for the gold medal.

"Sarah, in many ways, defines the sport," Peter Judge, the CEO of Canada's freestyle team, said before her death. "She's been involved since the very, very early days as one of the first people to bring skis into the pipe. She's also been very dedicated in trying to define her sport but not define herself by winning. For her, it's been about making herself the best she can be rather than comparing herself to other people."

She was, Judge said, as committed to the grass roots of the sport ? giving clinics to youngsters and working with up-and-coming competitors ? as performing at the top levels.

"She was a great, positive person for the whole team, the whole sport," said David Mirota, the Canadian team's high performance director. "She enlightens the room, and she's great."

News of Burke's death spread quickly through the action-sports world, where the Winter X Games are set to start next week in Aspen, Colorado, without one of their biggest and most-beloved stars.

"She's probably one of the nicest people I've known in my life, and that's about the only thing I have to say about it," said American superpipe skier Simon Dumont, a multiple X Games medalist.

Jeremy Forster, the program director for U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding, said freeskiers would remember Burke "first, as a friend, and then as a competitor who constantly inspired them to do greater things."

"She was a leader in her sport, and it's a huge loss for the freeskiing community," Forster said.

"Shocked and saddened," former freestyle Olympian Jeremy Bloom said on Twitter. "Sarah was a true champion in everything that she did."

Burke's death is also sure to re-ignite the debate over safety on the halfpipe.

Pearce's injury ? he has since recovered and is back to riding on snow ? was a jarring reminder of the dangers posed to these athletes who often market themselves as devil-may-care thrillseekers but know they make their living in a far more serious, and dangerous, profession.

The sport's leaders defend the record, saying mandatory helmets and air bags used on the sides of pipes during practice and better pipe-building technology has made this a safer sport, even though the walls of the pipes have risen significantly over the past decade. They now stand at 22 feet high.

Some of the movement to the halfpipe decades ago came because racing down the mountain, the way they do in snowboardcross and skicross, was considered even more dangerous ? the conditions more unpredictable and the athletes less concerned with each other's safety.

But there are few consistent, hard-and-fast guidelines when it comes to limiting the difficulty of the tricks in the halfpipe, and as the money and fame available in the sport grew, so did the tricks. In 2010, snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton told The Associated Press that much of this was self-policed by athletes who knew where to draw the line.

"If the sport got to the point where halfpipe riding became really dangerous, I think riders would do something about it," Burton said. "It wouldn't be cool anymore."

His opinion is shared by many.

"There are inherent risks in everything," Judge said. "Certainly, freestyle skiing has one of the greatest safety records of almost any sport. Freestyle is a very safe sport in large part because we had to build a safe sport in order to get into the Olympics."

In 2009, Burke broke a vertebra in her back after landing awkwardly while competing in slopestyle at the X Games. It was her lobbying that helped get the X Games to include women's slopestyle ? where riders shoot down the mountain and over "features" including bumps and rails.

It wasn't her best event, but she felt compelled to compete because she pushed for it.. She came to terms with her injury quickly.

"I've been doing this for long time, 11 years," she said in a 2010 interview. "I've been very lucky with the injuries I've had. It's part of the game. Everybody gets hurt. Looking back on it, I'd probably do the exact same thing again."

She returned a year after that injury and kept going at the highest level, trying the toughest tricks and winning the biggest prizes.

A native of Midland, Ontario, Burke won the ESPY in 2007 as female action sports athlete of the year.

In 2010, she married another freestyle skier, Rory Bushfield, and they were headliners in a documentary film project on the Ski Channel called "Winter."

In her interview with AP two years ago, Burke reflected on the niche she'd carved out in the action-sports world.

"I think we're all doing this, first off, because we love it and want to be the best," she said. "But I also think it would've been a great opportunity, huge for myself and for skiing and for everyone, if we could've gotten into the (Vancouver) Olympics. It's sad. I mean, I'm super lucky to be where I am, but that would've been pretty awesome."

A little more than a year later, with Burke's prodding, her sport was voted in for the next Winter Games.

___

AP National Writer Eddie Pells contributed to this story from Denver.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-19-Obit-Sarah%20Burke/id-2414f46b435f49c69d12a392511037e5

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Pulse Jumped From 1 Million To 11 Million Downloads In 2011; Now Seeing Download Every 2 Seconds

screen-shot-2011-11-15-at-11-05-20-pmIn November, Amazon began shipping its new Kindle. At the time, even though reactions were varied, though Amazon hoped for the best, as some projected it would sell as many as 5 million by the end of 2011. Though the indications are that it didn't get there. However, the media hype and early Kindle sales have still been a boon for a young startup that you're probably by now familiar with: Pulse.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/AtVjCLJC2YU/

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'The Artist' Wins Three at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards (ContributorNetwork)

On Sunday, January 15, 2012, the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards presented trophies to the best in film and television. Ricky Gervais returned for a third time, even after he caused controversy at last year's celebration. Celebrities waited with their breaths held to see what the comedian would say this time. Though "The Artist" won the most awards, the Golden Globe Awards was basically an equal opportunity giver on this night.

Ricky Gervais opened the Golden Globes by asking the audience if they were nervous. He immediately said the Golden Globes was second place to the Academy Awards. He pulled out a list of rules, supposedly of what was expected of him. Some of the audience seemed amused, with a few trying not to laugh. He mentioned celebrity scandals of past year. In a backhanded sort of way, he thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press for inviting him back.

"The Artist" topped the night with three Golden Globes. Jean Dujardin won best actor in a musical or comedy, and the movie won in the best original score and best motion picture - musical or comedy categories. "The Descendants" followed "The Artist" with two wins. George Clooney took home the trophy for best actor, and the movie won for motion picture - drama.

Other standouts in the motion picture categories included Christopher Plummer, who won for best supporting actor, Octavia Spenser for best supporting actress and Meryl Streep for best actress in a drama. Veteran actor Christopher Plummer humbly acknowledged his fellow nominees and his costar Ewan McGregor. He thanked his wife of 43 years, saying her bravery and beauty still haunts him.

The television categories spread trophies all over network television and cable. Laura Dern won for best actress in a television comedy. She beat past winner Tina Fey and veteran comedienne Amy Poehler. With all of the hype behind "New Girl," I thought Zooey Deschanel would pull the upset. First-time Golden Globe winners included Indris Elba for best actor for the television mini-series "Luther" and Matt LeBlanc for best actor in a comedy series.

Kelsey Grammar, who won Golden Globes for his comedic work, received the trophy for best actor in a drama for his work on "Boss." With two Golden Globes, "Homeland" took home the most television awards. Claire Danes won for best actress in a drama, and the show won for best drama series.

The Golden Globes presented the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Morgan Freeman. Golden Globe and Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier introduced Freeman, receiving a standing ovation when he came on stage. Pointier called Freeman a prince in his chosen profession. Helen Mirren introduced a montage of his 50 films, even joking that she only got to play in one of them.

The night was full of surprises. Gervais was generally contained during the ceremony. Occasionally, he said something that was right on the boundary that could be funny or offensive. The Golden Globes also distributed the awards across the board, not letting one television production or movie dominate the categories. It was refreshing to hear different names being read and people being honored for stepping away from characters that became emblazoned on the minds of the public. Hopefully, audiences will hear new names next year.

List of Nominees and Winners:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Kenneth Branagh - "My Week with Marilyn"

Albert Brooks - "Drive"

Jonah Hill - "Moneyball"

Viggo Mortensen - "A Dangerous Method"

Christopher Plummer - "Beginners" (winner)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical

Laura Dern - "Enlightened" (HBO) (winner)

Zooey Deschanel - "New Girl" (FOX)

Tina Fey - "30 Rock" (NBC)

Laura Linney - "The Big C" (SHOWTIME)

Amy Poehler - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

"Cinema Verite" (HBO)

"Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS) (winner)

"The Hour" (BBC America)

"Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

"Too Big to Fail" (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Romola Garai - "The Hour" (BBC America)

Diane Lane - "Cinema Verite" (HBO)

Elizabeth McGovern - "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS)

Emily Watson - "Appropriate Adult" (ITV)

Kate Winslet - "Mildred Pierce" (HBO) (winner)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi - "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad" (AMC)

Kelsey Grammer - Boss" (STARZ) (winner)

Jeremy Irons - "The Borgias" (SHOWTIME)

Damian Lewis - "Homeland" (SHOWTIME)

Television Series - Drama

"American Horror Story" (FX)

"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

"Boss" (STARZ)

"Game of Thrones" (HBO)

"Homeland" (SHOWTIME) (winner)

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

"The Artist" - Ludovic Bource (winner)

"W.E." - Abel Korzeniowski

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

"Hugo" - Howard Shore

"War Horse" - John Williams

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

"Gnomeo and Juliet" - "Hello Hello" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

"Machine Gun Preacher" - "The Keeper" by Chris Cornell

"Albert Nobbs" - "Lay Your Head Down" by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close"

"The Help" - "The Living Proof" by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas

"W.E." - "Masterpiece" by Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry (winner)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hugh Bonneville - "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS)

Idris Elba - "Luther" (BBC One) (winner)

William Hurt - "Too Big to Fail" (HBO)

Bill Nighy - "Page Eight Masterpiece" (PBS)

Dominic West - "The Hour" (BBC America)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Jodie Foster - "Carnage"

Charlize Theron - "Young Adult"

Kristen Wiig - "Bridesmaids"

Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn" (winner)

Kate Winslet - "Carnage"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Peter Dinklage - "Game of Thrones" (HBO) (winner)

Paul Giamatti - "Too Big to Fail" (HBO)

Guy Pearce - "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Tim Robbins - "Cinema Verite" (HBO)

Eric Stonestreet - "Modern Family" (ABC)

Best Animated Feature Film

"The Adventures of Tintin" (winner)

"Arthur Christmas"

"Cars 2"

"Puss in Boots"

"Rango"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris" (winner)

George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon - "The Ides of March"

Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne, Jim Rash - "The Descendants"

Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian - "Moneyball"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jessica Lange - "American Horror Story" (FX) (winner)

Kelly MacDonald - "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

Sofia Vergara - "Modern Family" (ABC)

Evan Rachel Wood - "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Maggie Smith - "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS)

Best Foreign Language Film

"The Flowers of War" (China)

"In the Land of Blood and Honey" (United States"

"The Kid with a Bike" (Belgium)

"A Separation" (Iran) (winner)

"The Skin I Live In" (Spain)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama

Claire Danes - "Homeland" (SHOWTIME) (winner)

Mireille Enos - "The Killing" (AMC)

Julianna Margulies - "The Good Wife" (CBS)

Madeleine Stowe - "Revenge" (ABC)

Callie Thorne - "Necessary Roughness" (USA)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical

David Duchovny - "Californication" (SHOWTIME)

Johnny Galecki - "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)

Thomas Jane - "Hung" (HBO)

Matt LeBlanc - "Episodes" (SHOWTIME) (winner)

Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock" (NBC)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Berenice Bejo - "The Artist"

Jessica Chastain - "The Help"

Janet McTeer - "Albert Nobbs"

Octavia Spencer - "The Help" (winner)

Shailene Woodley - The Descendants"

Best Director - Motion Picture

Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris"

George Clooney - "The Ides of March"

Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"

Martin Scorsese - "Hugo" (winner)

Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical

"Enlightened" (HBO)

"Episodes" (SHOWTIME)

"Glee" (FOX)

"Modern Family" (ABC) (winner)

"New Girl" (FOX)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Jean Dujardin - "The Artist" (winner)

Brendan Gleeson - The Guard"

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - "50/50"

Owen Wilson - "Midnight in Paris"

Ryan Gosling - "Crazy, Stupid, Love"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Glenn Close - "Albert Nobbs"

Viola Davis - "The Help"

Rooney Mara - "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Meryl Streep - "Iron Lady" (winner)

Tilda Swinton - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

"50/50"

"The Artist" (winner)

"Bridesmaids"

"Midnight in Paris"

"My Week with Marilyn"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

George Clooney - "The Descendents" (winner)

Leonardo DiCaprio - "J. Edgar"

Michael Fassbender - "Shame"

Brad Pitt - "Moneyball"

Ryan Gosling - "The Ides of March"

Best Motion Picture - Drama

"The Descendants" (winner)

"The Help"

"Hugo"

"The Ides of March"

"Moneyball"

"War Horse"

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120118/en_ac/10840083_the_artist_wins_three_at_the_69th_annual_golden_globe_awards

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Misery-inducing Norovirus Can Survive for Months -- Perhaps Years -- in Drinking Water

Purple packages of pain: false colored (no, they?re not purple in real life) transmission electron micrograph of human norovirus. CDC/Charles D. Humphrey. CDC Public Health Image Library ID 10708, click for link.

If there is a central circle of hell, I now know what?s there: endless glasses of water spiked with norovirus that you must drink for eternity. Yet incredibly, some persons of Achilles-class bravery/stupidity actually signed up for this punishment of their own free will, and did so in the name of science. Brave souls, I salute you.

Because what these people helped discover is nothing short of spine-tingling: norovirus can survive at least 61 days in well water. Considering it takes only the number of virus particles that you can count on two hands to? make you wish for death for about 24-48 hours, this is not good news. However, there is some good news, too, in the world of norovirus defense. More on that in a minute.

OK, so many of you are no doubt wondering: What the heck is norovirus?

A Pain in the Gut

Norovirus is Norwalk Virus, named for the Ohio town which in 1968 was home to the virus?s first identified outbreak and which no doubt do not include this information in its Chamber of Commerce literature. Often called ?stomach flu? or ?24-hour flu?, this awful malady has no relation to influenza virus, but has gained a reputation no less sinister in recent years. It is the agent responsible for innumerable cruise-ship ?gastroenteritis? outbreaks and outbreaks at camps, state fairs, nursing homes, schools, and yes, even NBA locker rooms.

Anyone who?s experienced it can tell you it?s a bit like having all of your intestines? pain receptors activated at once, with uncontrollable nausea and/or diarrhea added as a special bonus. When I was in high school, every so often I?d experience twelve hours of intense pain along with nausea so powerful that I?d feel the urge to hurl even when nothing was left. This was followed by 12 hours of utter exhaustion. Then, I?d feel pretty much normal again and go right back to school, no doubt perpetuating the cycle since victims shed virus for several days after they recover. I?m pretty sure that it was norovirus.

I?ve never given birth, but if I ever do, it will be interesting to make the comparison. So far, the only other thing that?s come close to the pain of norovirus infection is an unfortunate incident in which I was told that some people didn?t need anaesthesia during their flexible sigmoidoscopy (aka colonoscopy lite) and I chose this option in a misguided money-saving move. Once they blew the air into my colon (I know, I know, TMI), it was like someone had flipped all the norovirus pain switches again. Needless to say, the next 5 minutes were among the longest of my life.

This virus is responsible for about nine out of 10 ?stomach flu? cases in the U.S., and is probably responsible for about 50% of the cases of what people call ?food poisoning?. It takes fewer than 10 virus particles to make you sick, and the virus can be spread by sick people handling your food or water, or shaking your hand, or by you touching surfaces they?ve touched, or even by (I know, ewwww) aerosolization of their bodily fluids when they flush the toilet after a visit to the necessary room.

At one Boy Scout Jamboree in the Netherlands, scientists calculated each sick person infected 14 others before anything was done. After strict hygeine was imposed, each sick person infected a mere two others, which, the scientists soberly noted, was still not few enough to contain such an outbreak. In the NBA outbreak mentioned above, the CDC concluded there were at least two occasions on which norovirus was likely to have been transmitted to a new victim during a game.

A Simple Formula for Suffering

Let?s back up a bit and look at what viruses are in general, so you can understand what noroviruses in particular actually are. Viruses are little packages of DNA or DNA?s henchman RNA wrapped in a protein and/or fatty lipid coat. The protein coat, if it exists, is referred to as a ?capsid?, and individual virus particles are ?virions?. When present, lipid coats are more or less like our own cell membranes, and are often stolen from them by the virus.

Noroviruses are in the family Caliciviridae, whose members seem to specialize in making hits on terrestrial vertebrates ? everything from frogs on up. Another calicivirus ? Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus ? has been used for bio-control in Australia and New Zealand, while other viruses in the family ? like the beautiful hexagonal icosohedral Sapovirus, below, cause other forms of gastroenteritis in people. Norovirus has a more or less amorphous spherical capsid. You can see this in the photo at the top, where a few viruses that happen to have been sliced in half during the preparation for microscopy reveal the cross section of the virus.

The ghostly, graceful icosahedrons of Sapporo Virus, also called Sapovirus, in the Calicivirus family. Creative Commons GrahamColm. Click image for source and license.

?Calicivirus?, which I so hope is pronounced ?ka-leaky-virus? ? not unlike the titular greeting in this totally unrelated but awesome ditty ? name comes from calyx, which means a cup or goblet. The botanists in the room will recognize the term as the same one that refers collectively to the sepals of a flower, the sometimes, but not always, cup-shaped green leaves at the base of a flower. Some species apparently have a cup-shaped depression on their capsid surfaces.

Caliciviruses contain one single piece of single-stranded RNA in a protein capsid with no lipid envelope. Norovirus is the same, and its RNA encodes a mere two proteins, both used in making the capsid. It is utterly amazing to me that something so inconsequentially small and simple could cause such profound misery from such an efficient little package. If someone calculated a misery per base pair per person infected index, I think norovirus would be right at the top, considering Ebola virus clocks in at just under 19,000 RNA base pairs and might cause a few hundred cases a year at most (thank god), while norovirus contains a mere 7,500 but infects 21 million, hospitalizes 70,000 and kills more than 500 people in the U.S. alone every year. In developing countries, the virus kills about 200,000 children under age five annually. Not Cool, norovirus, Not Cool.

Unfortunately, norovirus also has a high mutation rate even by RNA-virus standards. The further bad news here is that having no fatty-lipid membrane means that the virus isn?t killed very well by alcohol or detergents (which break down fats), though bleach and old-fashioned handwashing supposedly work well (Oh, old-fashioned handwashing, is there anything you can?t do?). This is not good news for those that rely on alcohol-based hand sanitizers and wipes (something to think about next time you blithely swipe an alcohol-based wipe across the handle of your grocery cart or rub your hands with hand sanitizer). Obviously, this is one insidious virus.

Which brings us to the findings of two new studies.

Norovirus. Bar=50 nm. F.P. Williams, U.S. EPA

Viral Survivor

Scientists wondered how long well water ? from which about half the U.S. population draws its water ? would support noroviruses. The viruses could and have gotten into such water through leaking septic tanks or sewer lines, and in fact, when I was a reporter in Wyoming, I covered just such a case at a remote kids? camp. The results of this study were jaw-dropping. The scientists spiked water from an Atlanta well with a known quantity of the virus. Then they had (the sado-masochistic?) volunteers drink this water on day one, 4, 14, 21, 27, and 61. Volunteers were sickened by the water on each of these days, including day 61.

They didn?t have enough money to subject the poor people to ?testing? longer than that. But they did store and test the water for viral RNA contained in intact capsids up to 1,266 days later. That?s nearly 3 1/2 years after spiking the water. There was no change in RNA levels over a year later, and only a small reduction after 3 1/2. That is one tenacious virus.

Since most ground and well water in the U.S. isn?t treated prior to drinking, the scientists suggested we might want to start doing that.

In lieu of that (this country is home to a hatred of government regulation neatly encapsulated in New Hampshire?s motto ?Live Free or Die?), scientists are working on another approach: a vaccine. This is also important, as I?ve already mentioned, because a lot of people pick up the virus in other places, and seniors with weakened immune systems in long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable.

As covered in Science late last year (original New England Journal of Medicine paper here), scientists have discovered that when one of the two viral proteins is produced by cultured cells, they spontaneously assemble (as they do in nature) into ?virus-like particles? that contain no viral RNA payload and are thus non-infectious. But they look like norovirus from the outside (check out the photo in the Science article), and apparently look enough like it to our immune system that they can generate a partially-effective response.

Symptoms of norovirus infection appeared in just over two out of three of people exposed to both the virus and a placebo vaccine, but in only one in three of people given the real vaccine. Their symptoms were also less intense and took longer to develop. Well, it ain?t perfect, but it?s a good start. Porcelain-god worshipers everywhere will no doubt greet the news with the greatest relief.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=1477a2fa1739c3ed9724ed7b59fa8ed4

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International Development - Leasing Finance Specialist

?Leasing Finance Specialist

About the Assignment: IESC is recruiting for an experienced Jordanian or Jordanian American Leasing Finance Specialist for the anticipated USAID Jordan Competitiveness Program. IESC is a subcontractor, responsible for the Access to Finance component of the program, to a large prime contractor that is submitting a proposal to USAID Jordan. The Jordan Competitiveness Program (JCP), a two-year base period and three one-year options Program aims to enhance Jordan?s competitiveness, promote sustainable economic growth, and increase employment. USAID/Jordan expects that the program will result in:

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  • A Jordanian business enabling environment that is supportive of business development, growth, investment and innovation;
  • Improved Jordanian workforce skills that are necessary to competitively support growth and innovation in the clusters targeted by this program;
  • Measureable increases in the competitiveness of the targeted clusters which will include but not be limited to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), clean technologies and health sciences/medical services; and
  • Increased access to finance for Jordanian businesses and entrepreneurs.

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If IESC?s Team is awarded this contract, the Leasing Finance Specialist will serve as IESC?s full-time employee responsible for leasing financing under the Access to Finance Component of the program. The Leasing Finance Specialist will undertake the following activities:

  • Support the increased capacity of SMEs to produce the financial documents and business plans required to attract lending and equity investment.
  • Deliver services in a way that is inclusive, sustainable and that supports increased industry-wide competitiveness.

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Duration of Assignment: The assignment is expected to begin in the second half of 2012 and last for up to five years. ?The proposal to USAID is due February 12, 2012. ??

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Location of work: The project office will likely be in Amman, Jordan. The Leasing Finance will report to the Access to Finance Component Lead on a day to day basis.

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About IESC: IESC is a Washington, DC based not for profit international economic development organization that has been promoting stability and prosperity through private enterprise development for nearly 50 years. We design, implement, manage and evaluate economic growth programs under contracts and cooperative agreements with organizations like the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of State as well as for private companies and foreign governments. IESC has a long history in Jordan, including serving as the prime implementer of the USAID Jordan funded Jordan US Business Partnership Program.

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Experience and Qualifications for the Leasing Finance Specialist:

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  • Master?s degree or higher in the financial services field and at least 5 years of relevant experience or a BA/BS in related field with 7 years of experience.
  • Relevant experience in leasing finance.
  • Strong writing and oral presentation skills.
  • Excellent English is mandatory and Arabic desirable.
  • Experience in promoting access to finance for youth and women is desirable. ?

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Compensation: If the IESC team is awarded this contract by USAID, the selected Leasing Finance Specialist will be hired as an IESC employee at a salary level negotiated with IESC prior to proposal submission. The salary level for the assignment will be based upon the selected applicant?s salary history.

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How to Apply: Please submit a detailed resume and a brief message summarizing your interest and qualifications

'+'jobs'+'@'+'iesc.org'+'
jobs(at)iesc.org with ?Jordan Leasing Finance Specialist? in the subject line.

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Only finalists will be contacted.

No phone calls please.

IESC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.?

Source: http://www.devex.com/en/jobs/leasing-finance-specialist-2476

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