The amphibious vehicle sank in Lake Garda, killing 23 US soldiers just days before the end of the fighting in Europe. But the boat, and the remains of the soldiers, were lost until this week.
By Nick Squires,?Correspondent / December 13, 2012
More than 70 years after it sank in a lake in northern Italy causing the loss of 24 American soldiers? lives, a US amphibious vehicle has been found lying on the lake bed.
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Amateur historians had been searching for months for the relic ? a six-wheel, two-ton amphibious DUKW vehicle that sank during a storm on Lake Garda on the night of April 30, 1945 ? but were only able to confirm their find on Monday.
The DUKW, pronounced ?duck,? was carrying supplies and ammunition to an American military camp near the town of Torbole, at the northern tip of the lake, but sank as a result of gale force winds that were battering the area that night.
The truck was carrying 24 US soldiers aged between 18 and 25 from the 10th Mountain Division, only one of whom survived the accident. The men who died were from the division's 605th Field Artillery Battalion, as well as a driver from the Quartermaster Corps.
Days before armistice
The sinking happened just days before the end of fighting in Europe and the armistice with the Germans, on May 8, 1945.
?It was the biggest disaster to happen in modern times on Lake Garda,? said Mauro Fusato, the leader of the team that found the DUKW.?
The wreck of the vehicle was found with sonar lying at a depth of 905 feet ? one reason why it had not been located before.
?On Sunday, the sonar gave us an initial image, but it wasn?t clear enough to be able to say for sure that it was the DUKW,? Mr. Fusato told Ansa, an Italian news agency.
?On Monday, though, we used a remote-controlled camera and we saw it. It is intact and sitting upright.?
The next step is to try to identify any human remains that may still be lying around the wreck, as well as military equipment, insignia, and personal possessions. ?There are lots of objects around it, which could be the skeletons or remains of the soldiers who drowned,? said Fusato.
Any operation to recover them would be highly complex and technically challenging, however. The wreck lies too deep for divers, and there are old fishing nets and other debris on the lake bed that could snag underwater subs. Ultimately it will be up to the US government to decide whether to proceed with a recovery, the researchers said, adding that they had informed American diplomats of the discovery.
Think of it as the calm before the storm...CES 2013 is happening in just over a week from now and there is bound to be tons of news coming out from that.
2.Piotrek007posted on2 hours ago13
As you can see... no1 cares :P I hope samsung will show something BIG at CES :))
3.eisenbricherposted on1 hour ago01
Maybe the big is already here?
4.darkkjediiposted on1 hour ago00
That's sad, cuz it looks pretty sweet n black.
6.KingKurogiiiposted on1 hour ago00
oh man, that sucks. i would've gotten one of these for my dad.
Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to a closed-door GOP caucus as Congress meets to negotiate a legislative path to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that could kick in Jan. 1., at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to a closed-door GOP caucus as Congress meets to negotiate a legislative path to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that could kick in Jan. 1., at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The top leaders in both parties on the House and Senate Agriculture committees have agreed to a one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill that expired in October, a move that could head off a possible doubling of milk prices next month.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., indicated the House could vote on the bill soon, though House leaders have not yet agreed to put the bill on the floor. In addition to the one-year extension that has the backing of the committees, the House GOP is also considering two other extension bills: a one-month extension and an even smaller bill that would merely extend dairy policy that expires Jan. 1.
Expiration of those dairy programs could mean higher prices at the grocery store within a few weeks. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Americans face the prospect of paying $7 for a gallon of milk if the current dairy program lapsed and the government returned to a 1948 formula for calculating milk price supports.
A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday that Republican leaders had not decided how they would proceed on the farm extension, though a vote could come as soon as Monday. Boehner has pushed back on passage of a new five-year farm bill for months, saying there were not enough votes to bring it to the House floor after the House Agriculture Committee approved it in July. The Senate passed its version of a farm bill in June.
The prospect of higher milk prices has motivated some action. The bipartisan extension also includes disaster assistance to farmers affected by a lingering drought this year, along with extensions to other farm programs that expired in October.
Instead of just extending current dairy policy, the extension bill includes an overhaul of dairy programs that was included in both the Senate and House committee bills. The new dairy programs include a new, voluntary insurance program for dairy producers. Those who choose that new program also would have to participate in a market stabilization program that could dictate production cuts when oversupply drives down prices ? an idea that hasn't gone over well with Boehner.
In July, he called the current dairy program "Soviet-style" and said the new program would make it even worse. Large food companies that process and use dairy products have backed Boehner, saying the program could limit milk supplies and increase their costs.
Stabenow blamed Boehner for getting to the point where an extension is the only option. "The lack of action by the House Republican leadership has put us in a situation where we risk serious damage to our economy unless we pass a temporary extension," she said.
One of the reasons Boehner has balked at bringing up a farm bill is disagreement within his caucus over how much money should be cut from food stamps, which make up roughly 80 percent of the half-trillion-dollar bill's cost over five years. House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has unsuccessfully pushed his leadership for months to move on the legislation despite the disagreement over food aid.
On Sunday, Lucas said he hoped the extension would pass both chambers quickly as GOP leadership mulled their options.
"It is not perfect ? no compromise ever is ? but it is my sincere hope that it will pass the House and Senate and be signed by the president by Jan. 1," he said.
A shortage of a cancer drug used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma has been linked to increased cancer relapses among children with this type of lymphoma, or cancer of the lymph glands, according to a report released today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Chemotherapy drug shortages have been in the news a lot this year, with heart-wrenching reports focusing on families who were told their children?s chemo might become unavailable. So far, most chemotherapy shortages have been resolved in time to give patients the treatment they needed, but the drug shortages continue to threaten the treatment of many pediatric and adult patients.
The finding implies that some pediatric cancer patients [experienced] more acute and long-term side effects than they would have had the mechlorethamide shortage not occurred
The mechlorethamine shortage, which began in 2009 and ended recently, was different. The drug, one of a group of chemotherapy medications typically used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma, was completely unavailable for more than two years. In its absence, doctors had no choice but to substitute a different drug, cyclophosphamide, into the chemo regimens of their patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. This substitution seemed very reasonable because the two drugs are close relatives and work by similar mechanisms.? In fact, cyclophosphamide has been used to treat patients with Hodgkin lymphoma for many years.
Three pediatric cancer researchers, including scientists at St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Stanford?s Michael Link, MD, analyzed the consequences of the substitution. Initially, they thought the two drugs would work equally well, but they found something quite different.
Using a chemotherapy regimen that included mechlorethamide, 88 percent of patients were cancer-free two years after completing therapy; among patients who received the same regimen but with cyclophosphamide instead of mechlorethamide, only 75 percent were cancer-free two years after therapy ended. The patients who developed relapse required additional, intensive therapies, including bone marrow transplants to treat recurrence. Although doctors gave the best treatments they had available and all patients are still living, the finding implies that some pediatric cancer patients?received additional therapy associated with more acute and long-term side effects than they would have had the mechlorethamide shortage not occurred.
From our press release about the findings:
?This is a devastating example of how drug shortages affect patients and why these shortages must be prevented,? said Monika Metzger, MD, an associate member of the St. Jude Department of Oncology and the study?s principal investigator. ?Our results demonstrate that, for many chemotherapy drugs, there are no adequate substitute drugs available.?
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?This puts a face on the problem of drug shortages and shows that the problem is real, not theoretical. This is about a curative therapy that we were unable to administer because the drug we needed was not available,? Link said. ?Despite heroic efforts by the drug shortage office of the Food and Drug Administration to solve the shortages of a number of medically necessary drugs, it is clear that patients are still suffering from the unavailability of life-saving drugs. A more systematic solution to the problem is needed.?
Previously: A Q&A on cancer-drug supply shortage; An in-depth look at the even-deeper problem of drug supply?and Childhood leukemia patient on methotrexate shortage
From Dec. 24 to Jan. 7, Scope will be on a limited holiday publishing schedule. During that time, it may also take longer than usual for comments to be approved.
2013 was an exciting year for the Abramson Cancer Center. We are featuring blogs featured on the Focus On Cancer blog that highlight cancer treatment breakthroughs, coping tips and ideas, education and inspiration. Today, we are highlighting the brain cancer treatment at Penn.
There are new treatments for brain cancer at Penn. In this article, writer and cancer survivor Chris Wilson discusses new treatments in surgery, radiation and targeted therapies for brain cancer.
New Treatments for Brain Cancer
Christine Wilson, cancer survivor, shares her experiences from the Abramson Cancer Center?s 2012- Focus on Brain Cancer Conference: Discovery to Recovery. In this blog, she discusses treatments for brain cancer.
Neurosurgery:? The Crux of Treatment for Brain Cancer
"The neurosurgeon's goal is take out as much of the tumor as possible safely, " says Steven Brem, MD, conference chair, and director of neurosurgical oncology.
"Personalized medicine has become something of a buzz work in medicine, but it is true for brain cancer patients,? says? Donald O'Rourke, MD, associate professor of neurosurgery.
Penn neurosurgeons are using improved imaging techniques for "neuronavigation."? This approach provides real-time, 3D views for the surgeon as he operates - allowing for maximum safe resection of the tumor and avoiding normal tissue.? This is particularly crucial in preserving language function and motor skills.
Radiation Therapy:? The Full Spectrum of Options
"Penn has the largest, most advanced proton facility in the world, one of only 10 in the United States.? We also have the unique advantage of having all of our radiation facilities integrated under one roof, " Robert Lustig, MD, professor of radiation oncology.
Radiation therapy plays a key role in the treatment of most brain cancers.? Penn offers the full range of treatment modalities including one of only 10 proton facilities in the country.? Patients often are unsure of the relative benefits or indications for different kinds of radiation therapy, for example, protons vs. the gamma or cyber knife.?
Radiation therapy treatment decisions for brain tumors are highly individualized and need to be made in the context of multidisciplinary planning.
Briefly stated, protons:
Are more precise than conventional radiation therapy and do less damage to normal tissue
Reduce side effects both short and long term?
Deliver slightly more radiation to the tumor on a dose by dose basis
Are effective in treating tumors near sensitive structures such as the spinal cord
Can be used to "retreat" some patients with brain cancers
Dr. Lustig noted that Penn is now conducting clinical trials using protons for high-grade glioblastomas, grade III astrocytomas and pituitary adenomas, and will participate in an NCI-RTOG national study on protons for glioblastomas expected to begin soon.
He also noted that many patients encounter insurance issues in trying to get approval for proton therapy, although Medicare pays for most indications.
Stereotactic radiosurgery using the Gamma Knife? is another option for treating brain cancers.? Michelle Alonso-Basanta, MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology, explained that the original Gamma Knife was not designed to treat cancers, but that advances in technology and technique have made this a useful therapy for some patients with brain cancers.
"As with protons," she says, "we can deliver a very high dose of radiation to the target with little or no exposure of normal tissue to the radiation.? And, as with protons, the decision as to who will benefit from this approach is very individual."
Both stereotactic radiosurgery and protons offer the possibility of retreatment for patients who have undergone a previous course of radiation therapy and whose tumors have recurred.? In the past, these patients were not eligible for additional radiation therapy.?
Targeted Therapies: Changing Cancer Treatment
Penn Medicine has been a leader in immunotherapy research and in developing targeted vaccines for cancer for many years.? Bruce Levine, PhD, facility director, clinical cell and vaccine production facility describes work currently underway that involves activating T-cells, one of the mainstays of the body's defense system, to fight cancers.?
"If I could design T-cells to fight cancer," he says, "they would be potent, have a good memory, be persistent and numerous."
A new approach, developed at Penn, known as CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy promises to be all of those things.? CAR uses a complex process to remove cells from the patients and own body and activate them to attack the tumor.? Penn is now in the process of developing clinical trials that will study the effects of CAR T cell therapy on glioblastomas with the EGRF v III mutation.
That mutation is the focus of work aimed at improving brain cancer treatment using chemotherapy as well.? Arati Desai, MD, MAS, is using bevacizumab (Avastin), a drug that inhibits blood vessel formation, in combination with another drug in patients with recurrent glioblastomas.? Phase II studies have demonstrated improved response rates and survival, although Desai acknowledges that some controversy exists about what those responses mean in terms of actual survival times.
Other clinical trials are aimed at attacking cancer cells from both the inside of the cell and the outside.
These include approaches using
Immunotherapy
Combinations of drugs that target multiple pathways
Drugs that affect the environment around the tumor
Drugs that block the critical M Tors pathway
Drugs that target factors known to influence prognosis, such IDH1 and MGMT
"There isn't going to be a single drug or agent that is going to work for everyone," says Desai.? "It's not going to be the same answer for every patient."
Cancer Information From a Reliable Source
Thank you for a fantastic 2012. The Focus On Cancer blog is committed to provide people with cancer and their caregivers educated information from a reliable source, the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine. Please subscribe to our blog to get updates about new cancer treatments at Penn, credible information from cancer experts at Penn, and inspiration from other people with cancer.
Teenagers look forward to having their proms. During this time, everyone usually comes together to celebrate that cool school fever. The prom night reflects how girls and boys wish to flaunt their sense of style and fashion.
If you wish to display a cool, classy front during the prom, make sure you follow these tips to get you ready for that big party event you are extremely excited about:
Wear something stunning yet comfortable. One tip for you:avoid getting a suit or a dress a few days before the prom. If you want to look perfect on that day, search for your preferred wardrobe months and weeks ahead of time.
Get prom tickets ahead of time. This ensures that you have the best seats. How cool is it to be seated on the first row!
Coordinate with your date. Chat about color preferences and decide which color you should go for. Contrasting ensemble colors can be a bit of an eyesore.
What else might be missing? Well, you certainly need a car, a luxurious one that is. If you wish to experience the opulence of travel at its finest, then you hire limousine services. Renting a luxury vehicle is classy, an amazing choice for those who want to party hard and travel with a sense of luxury, security and fun.
Luxury vehicles like Limousine MPV and the maxicab singapore are often for rent in Singapore. These cars come with exceptional chauffeur services. When you go for a luxury vehicle, expect to be driven by skilled, veteran drivers. Limousine packages in Singapore suit different travelling needs and purposes, which can range from Singapore airport transfer service to road shows and parties.
Starting in 2014, President Barack Obama's health care law will expand coverage to some 30 million uninsured people. At the same time, insurers no longer will be allowed to turn away those in poor health, and virtually every American will be required to have health insurance ? through an employer or a government program or by buying it on their own.
For the vast majority of people, the health care law won't mean sending more money to the Internal Revenue Service. But the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans will take the biggest hit, starting next year.
And roughly 20 million people eventually will benefit from tax credits that start in 2014 to help them pay insurance premiums.
A look at some of the major taxes and fees, estimated to total nearly $700 billion over 10 years.
? Upper-income households. Starting Jan. 1, individuals making more than $200,000 per year, and couples making more than $250,000 will face a 0.9 percent Medicare tax increase on wages above those threshold amounts. They'll also face an additional 3.8 percent tax on investment income. Together these are the biggest tax increase in the health care law.
? Employer penalties. Starting in 2014, companies with 50 or more employees that do not offer coverage will face penalties if at least one of their employees receives government-subsidized coverage. The penalty is $2,000 per employee, but a company's first 30 workers don't count toward the total.
? Health care industries. Insurers, drug companies and medical device manufacturers face new fees and taxes. Companies that make medical equipment sold chiefly through doctors and hospitals, such as pacemakers, artificial hips and coronary stents, will pay a 2.3 percent excise tax on their sales, expected to total $1.7 billion in its first year, 2013. They're trying to get it repealed.
The insurance industry faces an annual fee that starts at $8 billion in its first year, 2014.
Pharmaceutical companies that make or import brand-name drugs are already paying fees; they totaled $2.5 billion in 2011, their first year.
? People who don't get health insurance. Nearly 6 million people who don't get health insurance will face tax penalties starting in 2014. The fines are estimated to raise $6.9 billion in 2016. Average penalty in that year: about $1,200.
? Indoor tanning devotees. The 10 percent sales tax on indoor tanning sessions took effect in 2010. It's expected to raise $1.5 billion over 10 years.
The 28 million people who visit tanning booths and beds each year ? most of them are women under 30, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ? are already paying.
Tanning salons were singled out because of strong medical evidence that exposure to ultraviolet lights increases the risk of skin cancer.
Spiritual awakening is not about self improvement but about discovering and realizing who and what we really are. (Which is beyond mind).
When Truth takes over,?there?s a lot that has to to be unlearned and relinquished and the ego?will?resist it.
The spiritual path to awakening is not about becoming someone, a ?better? version of yourself or anything like that, but about relinquishing who we think we are are, and with that realization also let go of all it?s opinions about how life ?should be?, which is always something different than what is right now.
It requires your?uttermost commitment and desire to know Truth, come what may, and it has nothing to do with feeling better (which is avoidance of Life), it means to face what is with openness and to have the willingness to completely surrender to the process.
It?s about being truthful with yourself, trusting your intuition and following your own inner flow, and in that process your ego, ideas and beliefs will be challenged, and with that great suffering can come up that causes severe distress and inner turmoil.?
Suffering is oftentimes the portal to spiritual awakening and awareness is the key.
The more Light you encounter within yourself, the more the ego will resist the transformation, and the more ego we see and understand by our awareness of it, the faster it vanishes, because it only?exists?in the mind.
When the relief comes with the letting go, or surrendering to what is happens, then the distorted thoughts about being held captive by some invisible force also disappears. There was no force there to begin that held you captive, it was all mental. A story.
I can support and assist you on your spiritual journey and shed light on the process of spiritual awakening and transformation via Skype and/or email.?
***Until the end of the year (December 31, 2012 New Year?s Eve) I?m offering spiritual guidance via Email***
Contact me today if you feel it?resonates?with your heart.
After new year?s eve spiritual guidance sessions via email will only be available for those who purchase?4?45 min. Skype sessions with me. (That option includes unlimited email correspondence between sessions).
More information can be found on my sessions page:?http://mariaerving.com/sessions/
Banner advertising is effective and it can be tracked, both of which can help a business tremendously when attempting to gain a large audience on the web. Simply putting a web site up and waiting for traffic to find it rarely works well. Banner ads link customers to a site from many other web pages.
This type of web advertising is a method using an ad on a web page to bring potential customers to another site, generally to initiate a sale. It is usually a small rectangular or square ad, commonly at the top, bottom or side of the page advertising a product or service. It often contains animation to attract the most attention and largest audience. The animation encourages the viewer to ?click on? a button, which takes them via a hyperlink to another page where they are presented with the product or service to purchase. Some banner ads are targeted by key word or site category and some are ROS (run of site) which means the banner ad is displayed throughout the website or banner network.
The times a viewer actually ?clicks? on the link is counted and the times a shopper actually purchases something is called a ?conversion rate?. When the viewer visits the website or puts a product into the shopping cart a small file is written into the computer called a ?cookie?. This helps the advertiser track which banner ad a viewer saw that brought them to the site and aids in determining future ads.
With banner advertising, it is important to plan before beginning the process. What is the ad trying to accomplish? An increase in sales? Or to communicate information? Create buzz? Or simply drive traffic to a web site? The planning process also must take into consideration who is the targeted audience? Why are they specifically the target? What will they respond to? How will they be approached? How relevant is the message? Other factors include determining what size or style the ad will be? Where should placement be? On which web sites should the ad be positioned?
There are many aspects of banner advertising to consider in order to gain the most from this method of advertising. What is being advertised; whom is it directed to and why, and how will the design methods support it? It can work very well, and help a site gain a tremendous new audience.
In tis Oct. 14, 1986, file photo, New York Mets' Gary Carter celebrates his 12th inning game-winning hit against the Houston Astros in Game 5 of baseball's National League Championship Series in New York.
Gene Bartow - 1/3/12
In this June 16, 2003 file photo, Gene Bartow, former basketball coach at Memphis State, UCLA and UBA, answers a question at a news conference in San Diego, where he was named the interim athletic director of San Diego State. Bartow, who succeeded John Wooden at UCLA and later began UAB's program, has died, UAB officials said. He was 81.
Ron Caron - 1/9/12
This Dec. 19, 1996 file photo shows St. Louis Blues general manager Ron Caron speaks during a news conference in St. Louis. Caron, a longtime assistant general manager with the Montreal Canadiens who went on to become GM of the Blues, has died. He was 82.
Jim Stanley - 1/12/12
In this photo provided by Oklahoma State University, former Oklahoma State head football coach Jim Stanley is shown in Stillwater, Okla. Stanley died Thursday morning, Jan. 12, 2012, in Arizona after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 77.
Sarah Burke - 1/19/12
Sarah Burke, of Canada, holds her gold metal after winning the Women's Superpipe event at Winter X Games 13 at Buttermilk Ski Area, near Aspen, Colo. 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.
Joe Paterno - 1/22/12
Penn State coach Joe Paterno stands on the field before his team's NCAA college football game against Northwestern, in Evanston, Ill.
Don Fullmer - 1/28/12
In this Sept. 12, 1964, file photo, former middleweight champion Dick Tiger, left, shakes up Don Fullmer with a hard left to the chin in a boxing bout in Cleveland. Fullmer, a former middleweight boxer who fought nine world champions and came within a fight of a world title himself, has died in Utah at the age of 72. His sons told the Deseret News that he died after suffering from lymphocytic leukemia for 15 years.
Alex Webster - 3/3/12
In this Sept. 3, 1963, file photo, New York Giants running back Alex Webster poses at the team's NFL training camp in Fairfield, Conn. The Giants say Webster, who also coached the team for four years, has died at age 80, Saturday, March 3, 2012, at a hospital in Florida.
Mel Parnell - 3/20/12
In this June 9, 1949 file photo, Boston Red Sox pitcher Mel Parnell warms up before a game in St. Louis. Parnell, the left-handed pitcher who faced the infamous Green Monster at Fenway Park and some of the best hitters of the 1940s and early 1950s, has died at age 89.
Mark Lenzi - 4/9/12
This July 29, 1996 file photo of Mark Lenzi, of Bloomington, Indiana, winner of the bronze medal smiling after medal ceremony for the Olympic men's 3-meter springboard competition at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. A former Olympic diving champion, Lenzi has died. He was 43, and had been hospitalized for two weeks after suffering fainting spells.
William "Moose" Skowron - 4/27/12
In this March, 1956, file photo, New York Yankees infielder William "Moose" Skowron is shown during spring training baseball in St. Petersburg, Fla. Skowron, a four-time All-Star first baseman who helped the Yankees win four World Series titles in the 1950s and 1960s, died Friday, April 27, 2012, at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill. He was 81.
Alexander Dale Oen - 5/1/12
Norway's Alexander Dale Oen shows the gold medal he won in the men's 100m Breaststroke event at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China. The Norwegian Swimming Federation said Tuesday May 1, 2012, world champion Alexander Dale Oen has died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Junior Seau - 5/2/12
This July 28, 2007 file photo shows New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau smiling during NFL football training camp in Foxborough, Mass. Seau shot and killed himself at his home in May, authorities said.
Stacy Robinson - 5/8/12
In this Jan. 25, 1987 photo, New York Giants wide receiver Stacy Robinson (81) catches a pass and races for a 36-yard gain during the fourth quarter of the Giants 39-20 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. Robinson, a wide receiver who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants before working with the players' union, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 50.
Kevin Hickey - 5/16/12
Hickey, who pitched in six major league seasons with the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles, has died. He was 56. The team said Hickey died Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Hickey had been the White Sox's pre-game instructor since 2004.
Bob Boozer - 5/19/12
In this 1968 photo provided by the Chicago Bulls, Bulls' Bob Boozer poses in uniform. Former NBA star and 1960 Olympic gold medalist Boozer has died. He was 75.
Bill Stewart - 5/21/12
West Virginia coach Bill Stewart smiles during an NCAA college football game against Villanova in Morgantown, W.Va. Stewart, the former West Virginia coach, died Monday, May 21, 2012, of what athletic department officials said was an apparent heart attack.
Jack Twyman - 5/30/12
This Oct. 29, 1960 file photo shows Cincinnati Royals basketball player Jack Twyman posing for photographers in St Louis. Basketball Hall of Famer Jack Twyman has died at 78. Twyman was one of the NBA's top scorers in the 1950s who became the guardian to a paralyzed teammate. Jay Twyman, of Rye, N.Y., said that his father died at a Cincinnati hospice of complications from an aggressive form of blood cancer.
Orlando Woolridge - 5/31/12
This May 1, 1989 file photo shows Los Angeles Lakers' Orlando Woolridge dunking over Portland's Kevin Duckworth during an NBA game in Inglewood, Calif. Former NBA standout Orlando Woolridge has died at his parents' home in Mansfield, La. He was 52. He had been under hospice care for a chronic heart condition.
LeRoy Ellis - 6/2/12
In this Feb. 13, 1976, file photo, Houston Rockets' Kevin Kunnert (20) knocks the ball away from Philadelphia 76ers' LeRoy Ellis (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Philadelphia. St. John's announced that Ellis, who played 14 years in the NBA after a standout career at St. John's, had died of prostate cancer in Portland, Ore. He was 72.
Pedro Borbon - 6/4/12
This 1971 file photo shows Cincinnati Reds pitcher Pedro Borbon, who pitched 10 years for the Reds and helped the Big Red Machine win back-to-back World Series titles. Borbon has died of cancer. He was 65.
Teofilo Stevenson - 6/11/12
Cuban champion Teofilo Stevenson Soviet Pyotr Zaev and German Republic Democratic Jurgen Fanghanel wave on the podium of the Olympic heavyweight 81+ boxing event that won Teofilo Stevenson. Stevenson --who won 301 of the 321 fights he took part-- died of a heart attack at the age of 60 in Havana.
Garrett Reid - 8/5/12
Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, right, stands on the field as sign shows a photo of his son Garrett Reid before an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012, in Philadelphia.
Michael Dokes - 8/11/12
This Dec. 11, 1982 file photo shows new World Boxing Association heavyweight boxing champion Michael Dokes gesturing after defeating Mike Weaver, with a first round TKO, in Las Vegas. The Rhoden Memorial Home in Akron, Ohio said Dokes died Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012. The Akron Beacon Journal reported that the boxer died in an Akron hospice from liver cancer.
Johnny Pesky - 8/13/12
Boston Red Sox great Johnny Pesky, center, is flanked by team president Larry Lucchino, left, and owner John Henry as they look past Pesky's Pole where Pesky's No. 6 adorns the upper deck. Pesky, who spent most of his 60-plus years in pro baseball with the Red Sox and was beloved by the team's fans, has died on Monday, Aug. 13, 2012, in Danvers, Mass. He was 92.
Simon Gourdine - 8/16/12
This July 22, 1995 file photo shows Buck Williams, left, president of the NBA Players Association, and Simon P. Gourdine, executive director of the players' association, during a news conference in New York. Gourdine, who became deputy commissioner of the NBA in 1974 and went on to work for and lead the players' association in the 1990s, has died. He was 72.
Steve Van Buren - 8/23/12
In this 1947 file photo, Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles poses. Van Buren, the Hall of Fame running back who led the Philadelphia Eagles to NFL titles in 1948 and 1949, has died. He was 91. The Eagles said Thursday night, Aug. 23, 2012, that Van Buren died in Lancaster, Pa., of pneumonia.
Art Heyman - 8/27/12
In this 1960 photo, Duke basketball player Art Heyman plays in the Dixie Classic. Duke announces Heyman, the captain of the Blue Devils' first Final Four team, has died. The school said Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, family members say Heyman died Monday night in Florida. The cause of death was not available. He was 71.
Art Modell - 9/6/12
Owner and CEO of the Baltimore Ravens Art Modell talks with reporters at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. The Baltimore Ravens said Modell died early Thursday Sept. 6, 2012 at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he had been admitted Wednesday. A cause of death was not given.
Steve Sabol - 9/18/12
This Sept. 26, 2000 file photo shows NFL Films President Steve Sabol posed at his desk with an old 16mm movie camera at their headquarters in Mount Laurel, N.J. Sabol has died from brain cancer. He was 69. The NFL said Sabol died Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, 18 months after he was diagnosed with a tumor on the left side of his brain.
Corrie Sanders - 9/23/12
South African Corrie Sanders throws a left hook at Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko on April 24, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Sanders died after being shot at a restaurant. He was 46.
Alex Karras - 10/10/12
Detroit Lions football player Alex Karras, who gained fame in the NFL as a fearsome defensive lineman and later as an actor, has died. He was 77. Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney, said Karras died at home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, surrounded by family. (AP Photo/File)
Darrell Royal - 11/7/12
In this Dec. 5, 1970, file phot, Texas coach Darrell Royal is carried from the field on the shoulders of his Longhorns following Texas' 42-7 triumph over Arkansas in Austin, Texas. Royal, who won two national championships and turned the Longhorns program into a national power, died Nov. 7, 2012, at age 88 of complications from cardiovascular disease. Royal also had suffered from Alzheimer's disease. (AP Photo/File)
Hector 'Macho' Camacho - 11/24/12
Hector "Macho" Camacho, a boxer known for skill and flamboyance in the ring, as well as for a messy personal life and run-ins with the police, has died, after being taken off life support on November 24, 2012. He was 50. (AP Photo/Elias, File)
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The Patriots don?t appear to be peaking as they head toward the playoffs. But after a week in which they lost a great game, they?ll take a win in an ugly game.
That?s exactly what New England got on Sunday against the Jaguars, falling behind early but then coming back to win, as the Patriots managed to escape with a victory in a much tougher game than anyone expected the Jaguars to give them.
New England?s suspect secondary had a rough time against Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne in the early going, as Henne led two scoring drives and the Jaguars jumped out to a 10-0 lead. But eventually the Patriots? defense began to settle down, and in the second half the Jaguars couldn?t do much offensively.
The Patriots? offense didn?t make many big plays, but they did have five different sustained scoring drives, each of them covering at least nine plays and at least 52 yards. Short passes from Tom Brady and runs from Stevan Ridley were enough.
Still, the Patriots had a hard time putting the Jaguars away: With less than five minutes remaining and New England leading 23-16, the Jaguars had a huge opportunity to tie the game, with the ball inside the 1-yard line. But tight end Zach Potter false started to move the Jaguars back five yards, and on the next play Henne was sacked, and on the play after that Patrick Chung intercepted Henne, and that stopped that opportunity. Jacksonville would then get the ball back one more time and again threaten to send the game into overtime, but the Jaguars again fell short again as Henne was intercepted in the end zone on the last play of the game.
So the Patriots got the win they needed to improve to 11-4, on a day they played just well enough to beat the 2-13 Jaguars. They didn?t play well enough on Sunday to beat a playoff team.
CHICAGO ? A new nonprofit organization called Land of Lincoln Health is taking steps to offer health insurance coverage in Illinois in 2014 when President Barack Obama's health overhaul law goes into full effect.
The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council announced Friday that an application it submitted has received approval for a $160 million federal low-interest loan. The loan will be used to develop Land of Lincoln Health as a so-called Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan, or "co-op."
The Affordable Care Act created co-ops as a new type of private nonprofit health insurer. The co-ops will be directed by customers.
Land of Lincoln Health is now applying for a state license to offer health insurance to individuals and small businesses in Illinois.
There are 16 hours, 50 minutes remaining to comment on this story.
Dec. 23, 2012 ? Acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children under the age of 14 years. With optimum treatment, approximately 75 percent of children are currently cured, but the treatment consists of severe chemotherapy with many side effects. In collaboration with international research teams, scientists at VIB, KU Leuven and UZ Leuven have identified new genetic mutations that lead to T-ALL, a variant of ALL. They have unmasked the ribosome -- the molecular machine in the cell that is involved in the production of proteins -- as a weak spot in leukemia cells.
Their research has also shown that there is a difference in T-ALL between adults and children. Both findings can be important in the search for improved treatments for T-ALL.
Jan Cools (VIB/KU Leuven): "We have discovered that there is a clear genetic difference between T-ALL in children and in adults. This could be an explanation why adults do not respond as well to the current therapy."
Stein Aerts (KU Leuven): "This is a beautiful example of the power of genome sequencing in cancer research. New technologies and large-scale bio-informatics allow us to study a lot of data simultaneously. This allows us to discover links that would have been impossible to find in the past."
T-cell acute lymphatic leukemia (T-ALL)
The formation of white blood cells is disrupted by leukemia. The cells in the bone marrow that should mature into white blood cells multiply unchecked without maturing completely. These immature blood cells compromise the production of normal blood cells. This makes patients more susceptible to infections. Leukemia occurs in different forms; in the case of T-ALL, there is an accumulation of immature white blood cells over a very short period of time. With optimum treatment -- involving chemotherapy -- approximately 75 % of children are currently cured. For adults, the chance of a cure is below 50 %. Chemotherapy is associated with many side effects. The search for a more specific treatment can only start once we know what causes T-ALL.
7 new genes with a key role in T-ALL identified
T-ALL only occurs if errors in various genes occur simultaneously. It is important to determine which genes play a key role. Kim De Keersmaecker, Zeynep Kalender Atak, Jan Cools and Stein Aerts have identified a series of defects in 15 important genes, of which 7 have not previously been associated with T-ALL. They used next-generation sequencing to analyze the 20,000+ genes of 67 T-ALL patients. This technique allows for very fast analysis and comparison of the complete DNA sequence of healthy and sick individuals.
A difference between adults and children
The investigators from Leuven also discovered a difference between T-ALL in children and in adults. T-ALL in adults contains significantly more mutations than in children. The leukemia cells in adults also contain mutations in other genes than in children. This genetic difference could be a possible explanation why adults do not respond as well to the current therapy.
A weak point in leukemia cells exposed
RPL5 and RPL10 -- two newly identified genes -- form part of the ribosome: this is the complex in the cell that produces proteins. The scientists hereby demonstrated for the first time that defects in the ribosome can also play a role in cancer activation. Experiments in yeast cells confirm that mutations in RPL10 cause a change in the ribosome.
Kim De Keersmaecker (VIB/KU Leuven): "This could be a weak point of the leukemia cells: all cells need properly functioning ribosomes to survive and to grow. These 'defective' ribosomes in the leukemia cells could be a new suitable target for the development of targeted therapies."
Patient information
As this study may raise many questions in patients, we would like to refer you to the e-mail address that the VIB has set up for this purpose. Anyone with questions about this research and other medical research can submit their questions on patients@vib.be. Please submit your question in Dutch or English only.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by VIB, via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Kim De Keersmaecker, Zeynep Kalender Atak, Ning Li, Carmen Vicente, Stephanie Patchett, Tiziana Girardi, Valentina Gianfelici, Ellen Geerdens, Emmanuelle Clappier, Micha?l Porcu, Idoya Lahortiga, Rossella Luc?, Jiekun Yan, Gert Hulselmans, Hilde Vranckx, Roel Vandepoel, Bram Sweron, Kris Jacobs, Nicole Mentens, Iwona Wlodarska, Barbara Cauwelier, Jacqueline Cloos, Jean Soulier, Anne Uyttebroeck, Claudia Bagni, Bassem A Hassan, Peter Vandenberghe, Arlen W Johnson, Stein Aerts, Jan Cools. Exome sequencing identifies mutation in CNOT3 and ribosomal genes RPL5 and RPL10 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nature Genetics, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/ng.2508
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.
NEW YORK (AP) ? Khalif Wyatt scored 33 points and Anthony Lee had 21 ? both career highs ? and Temple, despite not making a field goal over the final 5 1-2 minutes, upset No. 3 Syracuse 83-79 on Saturday in the Chevrolet Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Owls (9-2), coming off a 10-point home loss to Canisius, used the combination of Wyatt from the outside and Lee inside to keep Syracuse at bay. The Orange led by two at halftime but never took a lead in the second half even though there were four ties, the last at 59-59 with 10:23 to play.
C.J. Fair had a career-high 25 points for Syracuse (10-1), which had its 52-game regular-season nonconference winning streak snapped. Jim Boeheim remained at 900 wins, two behind Bob Knight for second place all-time among Division I men's coaches. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has 938 wins.
Temple hit three 3-pointers in an 11-3 run that gave it the lead for good. Scootie Randall started the run with a 3 that broke the 59-all tie. He closed the run with another 3, his only points of the game.
Wyatt and Lee took care of the rest. Wyatt finished 8 of 17 from the field and was 15 of 15 from the free throw line. Lee was open time and again on the baseline and worked hard on the boards. He had nine rebounds, five offensive, and was 11 of 14 from the free throw line.
The Owls were 29 of 36 from the free throw line compared to Syracuse's 19-of-34 effort, including point guard Michael Carter-Williams going 7 of 15.
The 3-point line also hurt the Orange, who were 2 of 12 from behind the arc while Temple was 8 of 24.
Temple's last field goal was an offensive rebound by Quenton DeCosey with 5:41 left that gave the Owls a 72-66 lead.
Syracuse did get within 74-72 on a 3 by Fair with 3:01 left but the Owls went 11 of 15 from the free throw line over the final 2:30.
Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson had four points and 10 rebounds for the Owls.
Brandon Triche had 17 points for Syracuse. Baye Moussa Keita added 12 and Carter-Williams, who leads the nation in assists at 10.7 per game, had 13 points and six assists.
Temple missed 10 of its first 12 shots in falling behind 19-10. The Owls, behind Wyatt who had 20 points in the first half, started hitting shots against the Orange's zone defense and they made nine of their next 14 shots and tied the game at 35. Syracuse scored five straight points but Wyatt capped his big half with a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left and Temple was within 40-38 at halftime.)
?? I think we have discussed all sorts of things about homes, rents, Facebook, Zinga, Minga, Chinga and whatever, I am just imagining words.
?
? But, when I see Redfinnians throwing questions after we/they sign the paperwork and become homeowners, I wonder where's that guy who lead us/them to the front of such home and like what everybody imagines "he/she" opens the home or makes you open the home and with that gallant attitude shows you the home that's going to be yours for the years to come. Your wife, or your girlfriend or your husband draws some tears like a Magdalena, even 911 is dialed to call the ambulance because such emotion is taking its toll on one of you
?
? Wait, rewind back that movie please! I am going to start to tell our own story. Such movie doesn't exist or perhaps we are the exemption and not the rule.
?
? After a month of anguish, we are exactly a year ago mad because the city had closed its offices due to the furlough. Then we hear there's going to be an additional % added to sales closed next year 2012, so in my stupidity we need to close now!
?? ?I call our realtor, he says he hasn't heard anything but it's in the news.
?
?? We have had a amicable relationship with him. I think him and I are alike. We crack jokes, we tell stories about what we have witnessed in the RE market and so much. And, like me, I noticed he speaks more than what he knows.
?
?? I remember we were offering on properties that weren't short sales or REO's but we were mentioning as a loan contingency a down payment assistance from the county which in its statues?said only to be used on those properties. He could have known that, right?
?
? So, during the inspection, I noticed not only the walls on the kitchen peeling off (fresh paint, remember?) but I think?the inspectors, 2 of them, walked on the roof even though they put a disclaimer that they wouldn't risk their lives doing that and somehow walked on the carpets, leaving a trail of stains. Of course I made a video of that and the response from the seller agent was "no aesthetics/cosmetics" delivered in that property, something that threw me under the bus. Well I said, me a painter, easy job. But, I make sure my realtors knows the carpets need to be cleaned. He promises to let the other agent know they need to be cleaned.
?
? So, January comes, in the middle of the month, Escrow has asked my wife to sign the paperwork, only waiting for the city to fund. It's a Wednesday, on Friday, I call our realtor and tell him to remind the seller's agent that the carpets are all messed up and need some cleaning. He promises to do so. Monday, right in the middle of the day I get the call from the realtor. My friend, he says, you own it, congratulations! Even though, I don't remember him saying that......Then, he says do me a favor, can you go to the house and pick up the keys, the code to open the box is xxxxxx. Then he tells me that being?our home from now on,?we needed to remember that some realtors still haven't gotten the idea of what "pending" means and they may be still showing the homes to others. So, thinking of any intentional damage by some delusional buyer, I go from our rental, 4-5 miles away to pick up the keys. I call my wife and she says she was called by him already. No surprise here, so, I keep the keys so we can go at 6:00 PM and take the famous "walk through" in the house with?our realtor. ?
?
?? We show up at six, we wait, wait, wait, he shows up, his wife is in the front seat, she doesn't come down, she is kind of mad?even though she was all smiles when I used to see her at the office or at the flea market where I met them.
?
? He doesn't say anything, I feel entitled to open the home, I am acting as the realtor you know. My wife walks in, then he does, he is 3 feet, in the middle of the landing place where the stairs are and next to the door going to the kitchen. Well, he says, how you like it? He doesn't move, he is there with his arms crossed over his chest. I say, let me see, and walk on the stairs, see the same spot I saw before and then the next and the next. We are talking about a quarter size coin stains, black, that bothered you if you saw them. Not a big deal, but a new carpet is a new carpet if you know what I mean.
?
? So, he is still there, standing, tapping the floor with his shoe. He doesn't do any move showing us the will to symbolically walk through the home saying anything, I wouldn't care if it was the car salesman mantra. We knew what the house was, I think. So, he stays there, I go and right in front of him I asked him "what happened"? I go, I thought I called you to remind the seller that the carpet needed some cleaning? He makes this gesture of "what? They didn't do it"? So, after a few words of amicable tone, he promised to send his cleaning crew tomorrow to clean the stains.
?
? Tuesday, I start to move things into the garage, I start to sand and prep the walls in the Kitchen, living room and the upstairs bathroom. The stains? Well, still there!
?
? Same thing Wednesday, stains there! I called him and he, with this "cara dura" straight face tells me "sorry, my cleaning crew told me they can't clean brand new carpets".? Not a single promise, not a "I will pay you for the cost to clean it". We are still waiting for him to fulfill his promise. He has come twice to the house, once to see some issues, and second time for a big issue that's still is pending.
?
? Last conversation we had is that they are willing to pay above $400K for this home, that's because I called him to find out how is the market. So, we didn't get a picture, an ornament, nothing as a token of appreciation nor a souvenir from him.
?
? I opened this topic to remind you that's some times there's not that agent, realtor that they say it's going to stick?with you until the day you die. He will take care of you buying and selling, and in between he would come to cut the grass, feed the cat, and check for any problems at your home?when you're on vacation.
?
? Of course, this is when you watch too many movies.
?
?? Let's hear from you, shall we?
?
?? Merry Christmas! no matter what your story or your experience!
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia refuses to act as an intermediary trying to talk Syrian President Bashar al-Assad into fleeing, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments released on Friday.
Russia is at loggerheads with the West and some Arab states who accuse Moscow of shielding Assad, a long-term buyer of Russian arms, in the Syrian conflict that has already claimed more than 40,000 lives since it erupted in March 2011.
"We are not in the business of regime change. Some of the regional players were suggesting to us 'Why don't you tell President Assad to leave? We will arrange for some safe haven for him'," Russia's veteran Foreign Minister told the state-owned Russia Today English-language TV channel in an interview.
"My answer is very simple: if indeed those who suggested this to us have this in mind, they should take it directly to President Assad. Why should they use us as a postman? If President Assad is interested, this must be discussed directly with him," he said in comments recorded on Wednesday.
Russia, along with China, has blocked three U.N. Security Council resolutions that would have pressed Damascus to end the bloodshed.
It has insisted it is not protecting Assad, but wants to ensure that Syrians themselves can decide their fate without any external meddling, especially foreign military intervention.
Moscow says it will not allow a repeat of last year's events in Libya, where NATO helped rebels topple Muammar Gaddafi after Russia let through a Security Council resolution that was used as a pretext for military action.
On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin also said any solution to the crisis must ensure the rival parties in Syria do not just swap roles and fight on.
Russia has sent warships to the Mediterranean in case it needs to evacuate its citizens trapped in the Syrian civil war, a naval source was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
Some analysts and Western diplomats in Moscow say Russia realizes Assad is likely to fall eventually, but that it will uphold its stance on Syria to make clear its broad rejection of what it sees as attempts to oust rulers the West dislikes.
(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
The success of the Red One in South Africa increased Iberia and Sol Melia shares by one percentPublic release date: 19-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Juan L.Nicolau jl.nicolau@ua.es FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
It is no new concept that the sponsor of a world football championship benefits from an improved image. A study at the University of Alicante has proven that the winner can also bring about tourism benefits for its country. The study leading to such conclusions is the first of its kind to date and focuses on the triumph of the Spanish team in the 2010 world championships in South Africa, which brought about a 1% increase in the market value of Spain's national tourism companies, such as Iberia and Sol Meli.
"More specifically, an increase of 1% in market value was observed, suggesting an increase of 10,000,000 euros in the market value of Sol Meli and 22,000,000 euros for Iberia," as explained to SINC by Juan Luis Nicolau, lecturer in the School of Economics of the University of Alicante and author of the study.
Like the Olympic Games, the world championships fill their host cities with tourists and publicise their host country in the world media. According to the experts, these mega-events have a positive impact on the place where they are held.
As Nicolau explains, after Spain's success, proposals were made "to study the affects of winning a world football championship on the winning country in tourism terms." An empirical study was therefore carried out on two leading sectors: aviation and hotels.
"The study applies to Sol Meli and Iberia as they are the two most representative companies in each sector and are listed in the stock market," states Nicolau. Presence in the stock market was an absolutely necessary requisite to be able to analyse the market value and thus relate it to sports results of the selection.
In this way, the researcher was able to analyse the stock market reaction of share prices when the Red One won games, when they lost and then after their final victory against Holland.
The result of each game was felt in the stock market
Data shows that "the days following Spain's win in the world championship final saw abnormally high profits in both companies." This proves that winning games "brings about an increase in the value of Spanish tourism companies, whereas losing causes a drop in value," explains Nicolau.
Victory in any game, not just the final, also translated into an increase in the market value of each company. When the selection won, profits increased and vice versa.
As the study concludes, "the effect on the value of tourism companies not only varies according to the result of the final but also according to the results of each game."
The case of Sol Meli is very characteristic as it fulfils a property known as 'loss aversion'. "This involves a psychological effect which, in this case, means that losing games has a greater effect on the stock market than a victory, although the difference in goals, whether it be negative or positive, is the same," adds Nicolau.
According to this condition, the negative impact on the Sol Meli market value after the Red One lost a game was four times higher than the positive impact when they won.
The data show that when a national team was victorious, the market value of the hotelier increased by 3,669,422 euros, whereas when it lost, its value decreased by 16,002,760 euros.
The importance of Spain as a brand
In order to understand the direct relationship between the result of games and the value of stocks, we must bear in mind that the emotions attached to a football team can be passed onto the host country and that the concept of success can be attached to the winning country.
According to Nicolau, after the 2010 world championship victory, "Spain as a brand has been and is remembered more frequently meaning it is more easily recognised and chosen as a possible travel destination."
The researcher believes that a possible limitation of the study is that this effect "could not be universal for all tourism companies" and ensures that in the future "it would be of interest to analyse if these results are also obtained for other less popular sports."
###
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The success of the Red One in South Africa increased Iberia and Sol Melia shares by one percentPublic release date: 19-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Juan L.Nicolau jl.nicolau@ua.es FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
It is no new concept that the sponsor of a world football championship benefits from an improved image. A study at the University of Alicante has proven that the winner can also bring about tourism benefits for its country. The study leading to such conclusions is the first of its kind to date and focuses on the triumph of the Spanish team in the 2010 world championships in South Africa, which brought about a 1% increase in the market value of Spain's national tourism companies, such as Iberia and Sol Meli.
"More specifically, an increase of 1% in market value was observed, suggesting an increase of 10,000,000 euros in the market value of Sol Meli and 22,000,000 euros for Iberia," as explained to SINC by Juan Luis Nicolau, lecturer in the School of Economics of the University of Alicante and author of the study.
Like the Olympic Games, the world championships fill their host cities with tourists and publicise their host country in the world media. According to the experts, these mega-events have a positive impact on the place where they are held.
As Nicolau explains, after Spain's success, proposals were made "to study the affects of winning a world football championship on the winning country in tourism terms." An empirical study was therefore carried out on two leading sectors: aviation and hotels.
"The study applies to Sol Meli and Iberia as they are the two most representative companies in each sector and are listed in the stock market," states Nicolau. Presence in the stock market was an absolutely necessary requisite to be able to analyse the market value and thus relate it to sports results of the selection.
In this way, the researcher was able to analyse the stock market reaction of share prices when the Red One won games, when they lost and then after their final victory against Holland.
The result of each game was felt in the stock market
Data shows that "the days following Spain's win in the world championship final saw abnormally high profits in both companies." This proves that winning games "brings about an increase in the value of Spanish tourism companies, whereas losing causes a drop in value," explains Nicolau.
Victory in any game, not just the final, also translated into an increase in the market value of each company. When the selection won, profits increased and vice versa.
As the study concludes, "the effect on the value of tourism companies not only varies according to the result of the final but also according to the results of each game."
The case of Sol Meli is very characteristic as it fulfils a property known as 'loss aversion'. "This involves a psychological effect which, in this case, means that losing games has a greater effect on the stock market than a victory, although the difference in goals, whether it be negative or positive, is the same," adds Nicolau.
According to this condition, the negative impact on the Sol Meli market value after the Red One lost a game was four times higher than the positive impact when they won.
The data show that when a national team was victorious, the market value of the hotelier increased by 3,669,422 euros, whereas when it lost, its value decreased by 16,002,760 euros.
The importance of Spain as a brand
In order to understand the direct relationship between the result of games and the value of stocks, we must bear in mind that the emotions attached to a football team can be passed onto the host country and that the concept of success can be attached to the winning country.
According to Nicolau, after the 2010 world championship victory, "Spain as a brand has been and is remembered more frequently meaning it is more easily recognised and chosen as a possible travel destination."
The researcher believes that a possible limitation of the study is that this effect "could not be universal for all tourism companies" and ensures that in the future "it would be of interest to analyse if these results are also obtained for other less popular sports."
###
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 19-Dec-2012
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