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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Amazon Gives Netflix Nasty Holiday Gift - Business Insider

Netflix went down last night and Amazon's cloud was to blame, according to a lot of tweets sent out by @Netflixhelps.

Netflix said users across the U.S. were affected.

"There is a partial outage that impacts some, but not all devices that can stream from Netflix. Our teams are working hard, with Amazon Web Services, to address the issue and hope to have streaming available for everyone again soon," Netflix tweeted.

Amazon's competing movie streaming service, Amazon Prime, was not affected by the outage. It was working just fine.

Amazon was experiencing trouble at its infamous East Coast, North Virginia data center, according to its status page. The popular North Virginia data center is implicated in a lot of Amazon outages.

Amazon is far-and-away the leader in cloud computing but it doesn't have the best reputation for uptime.?

Interestingly, Amazon recently showcased its partnership with Netflix at is first-ever user conference last month.? Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, a vocal critic of Amazon Prime, even appeared on stage for a keynote where he said that by the end of 2013, he wants Netflix to be 100% hosted on Amazon's cloud. He expected Netflix to be the biggest business entirely hosted on AWS apart from Amazon's own retail operations.

That's an interesting business strategy, to rely completely on your biggest competitor.

Hastings, we have three words of advice for you: Google Compute Engine.

Don't miss: Guess When These 20 Sci-Fi Technologies Are Coming To Your Phone Or PC

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-gives-netflix-nasty-holiday-gift-2012-12

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Thousands enjoy merry Christmas in Bethlehem

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal waves to the crowds before Christmas celebrations in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. Twal, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, has celebrated the United Nations' recent recognition of a Palestinian state in his annual pre-Christmas remarks.(AP Photo/Adel Hana)

People walk inside the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, ahead of Christmas, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

A man dressed as Santa Claus distributes Christmas trees to Christians outside Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Ilean)

Catholic priests attend Christmas celebrations in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

A Christian worshipper prays inside the Grotto at the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. Thousands of Christian worshippers and tourists arrived in Bethlehem on Monday to mark Christmas at the site many believe Jesus Christ was born. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) ? Thousands of Christians from the world over packed Manger Square in Bethlehem Monday to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the ancient West Bank town where he was born.

For their Palestinian hosts, this holiday season was an especially joyous one, with the hardships of the Israeli occupation that so often clouded previous Christmas Eve celebrations eased by the United Nations' recent recognition of an independent state of Palestine.

Festivities led up to the Midnight Mass at St. Catherine's Church, next to the fourth-century Church of the Nativity, built over the grotto where tradition says Jesus was born.

"From this holy place, I invite politicians and men of good will to work with determination for peace and reconciliation that encompasses Palestine and Israel in the midst of all the suffering in the Middle East," said the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal in his annual address. "Please continue to fight for a just cause to achieve peace and security for the people of the Holy Land."

In his pre-Christmas homily, Twal said the road to actual freedom was still long, but this year's festivities were doubly joyful, celebrating "the birth of Christ our Lord and the birth of the state of Palestine."

"The path (to statehood) remains long, and will require a united effort," added Twal, a Palestinian citizen of Jordan, at the patriarchate's headquarters in Jerusalem's Old City.

Then he set off in a procession for the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace. There, he was reminded that life on the ground for Palestinians has not changed since the U.N. recognized their state last month in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Twal had to enter the biblical town through a massive metal gate in the barrier of towering concrete slabs Israel built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem during a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings in the last decade. The Israeli military, which controls the crossing, said it significantly eased restrictions for the Christmas season.

Israel, backed by the United States, opposed the statehood bid, saying it was a Palestinian ploy to bypass negotiations. Talks stalled four years ago.

Hundreds of people greeted Twal in Manger Square, outside the Church of Nativity. The mood was festive under sunny skies, with children dressed in holiday finery or in Santa costumes, and marching bands playing in the streets.

After nightfall, a packed Manger Square, resplendent with strings of lights, decorations and a 17-meter (55-foot) Christmas tree, took on a festival atmosphere, as pilgrims mixed with locals.

A choral group from the Baptist Church in Jerusalem performed carols on one side of the square, handing out sheets of lyrics and encouraging others to sing along with songs such as "We Wish You A Merry Christmas."

Vendors sold balloons, cotton candy and corn on the cob, bands played Christmas songs and tourists packed cafes that are quiet most of the rest of the year. Pilgrims from around the world wandered the streets, singing Christmas carols and visiting churches.

Devout Christians said it was a moving experience to be so close to the origins of their faith.

"It's a special feeling to be here, it's an encounter with my soul and God," said Joanne Kurczewska, a professor at Warsaw University in Poland, who was visiting Bethlehem for a second time at Christmas.

Pastor Al Mucciarone, 61, from Short Hills, New Jersey, agreed.

"We come here to celebrate Jesus. This is a very important town. Great things come from small events. The son of God was born in this small village. We hope all will follow Jesus," he said.

Audra Kasparian, 45, from Salt Lake City, Utah, called her visit to Bethlehem "a life event to cherish forever. It is one of those events that is great to be a part of."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also visited Bethlehem and said "peace will prevail from the birthplace of Jesus, and we wish everyone peace and happiness," according to the official Palestinian Wafa news agency.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a special Christmas greeting too, wishing Christians "a year of security, prosperity and peace."

Christmas is the high point of the year in Bethlehem, which, like the rest of the West Bank, is struggling to recover from the economic hard times that followed the violent Palestinian uprising against Israel that broke out in late 2000.

Tourists and pilgrims who were scared away by the fighting have been returning in larger numbers. Last year's Christmas Eve celebration produced the highest turnout in more than a decade, with some 100,000 visitors, including foreign workers and Arab Christians from Israel.

The Israeli Tourism Ministry predicted a 25 percent drop from that level this year, following last month's clash between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, which put a chill on tourist arrivals. Foreign tourists heading to Bethlehem must pass through Israel or the Israel-controlled border crossing into the West Bank from Jordan.

Outside the town's quaint Manger Square, Bethlehem is a drab, sprawling town with a dwindling Christian base - a far cry from the pastoral village of biblical times.

About 22,000 Palestinians live in Bethlehem, according to the town council, but combined with several surrounding communities has a population of some 50,000 people.

Overall, there are only about 50,000 Christians in the West Bank, less than 3 percent of the population, the result of a lower birthrate and increased emigration. Bethlehem's Christians make up only a third of its residents, down from 75 percent a few decades ago.

Elias Joha, a 44-year-old Christian who runs a souvenir store, said even with the U.N. recognition, this year's celebrations were sad for him. He said most of his family has left, and that if he had the opportunity, he would do the same.

"These celebrations are not even for Christians because there are no Christians. It is going from bad to worse from all sides ... we are not enjoying Christmas as before."

Located on the southeastern outskirts of Jerusalem, Bethlehem has the highest unemployment in the West Bank, but the tourist boom of Christmas offered a brief reprieve. Officials say all 34 hotels in the town are fully booked for the Christmas season, including 13 new ones built this year.

Israel turned Bethlehem over to Palestinian civil control a few days before Christmas in 1995, and since then, residents have been celebrating the holiday regardless of their religion. Many Muslims took part in celebration Monday as well.

Christians across the region marked the holiday.

In Iraq, Christians gathered for services with tight security, including at Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church, the scene of a brutal October 2010 attack that killed more than 50 worshippers and wounded scores more.

Earlier this month, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, who is responsible for the Vatican's outreach to the Middle East's Catholic communities, traveled to Iraq and presided over a Mass to rededicate the church following renovations. In his homily, he remembered those who were killed and expressed hope that "the tears shed in this sacred place become the good seed of communion and witness and bear much fruit," according to an account by Vatican Radio.

The exact number of Christians remaining in Iraq is not known, but it has fallen sharply from as many as 1.4 million before the U.S.-led invasion nearly a decade ago to about 400,000 to 600,000, according community leaders cited by the U.S. State Department.

In the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI lit a Christmas peace candle set on the windowsill of his private studio.

Pilgrims, tourists and Romans gathered below in St. Peter's Square for the inauguration Monday evening of a Nativity scene and cheered when the flame was lit.

Later, the pope led Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to pray for strife-torn Syria as well as Lebanon and Iraq.

The ceremony began at 10 p.m. local time Monday with the blare of trumpets, meant to symbolize Christian joy over the news of Christ's birth in Bethlehem. The basilica's main bell tolled outside, and the sweet voices of the Vatican's boys' choir wafted across the packed venue.

Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican traditionally began at midnight, but the start time was moved up years ago so as to give the 85-year-old pontiff more time to rest before his Christmas Day speech. That address is to be delivered at midday Tuesday from the basilica's central balcony.

____

Associated Press writer Adam Schreck in Baghdad and Frances D'Emilio in Vatican City contributed..

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-24-Holy%20Land-Christmas/id-e83ab5971b6b4edaa58b85783e8fc922

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Russian opposition leader faces new probe

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny arrives at an unauthorized rally in Lubyanka Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. Thousands of opposition supporters gathered Saturday in central Moscow for an unauthorized rally to mark a year of a wave of massive protests against Vladimir Putin and the government. Several prominent opposition figures were detained in the course of the gathering, which was not sanctioned by authorities. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)

FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 file photo police officers detain opposition leader Alexei Navalny during an unauthorized rally in Lubyanka Square in Moscow. Navalny, who helped organized the largest anti-Kremlin rallies in Russia's post-Soviet history, was charged with fraud and money-laundering Thursday. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

MOSCOW (AP) ? A prominent Russian opposition leader faces his third investigation in five months as authorities intensify pressure on the opposition.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement on Monday that they launched a new probe against Alexei Navalny, who was already charged with theft and with fraud and money laundering in two separate cases.

Investigators now say they also suspect Navalny of defrauding the Union of the Right Forces, a now defunct liberal party, of 100 million rubles ($3.2 million) in 2007.

Navalny, a charismatic 36-year-old lawyer, made his name exposing corruption in state-controlled companies. Last winter, he spearheaded a series of street rallies in Moscow that drew up to 100,000 people before March's vote that handed Putin a third presidential term.

In July, the lawyer was charged with the theft of half a million dollars from a state-owned timber company. Earlier this month, Navalny and his brother were charged with defrauding a transportation company of about $1.8 million.

The opposition leader dismissed the accusations as politically motivated, and pointed to the fact that there was no injured party in either of the cases.

Leonid Gozman, a former senior figure at the Union of the Right Forces, was quoted by the Interfax news agency, as denying reports of fraud at his party.

"This is another provocation, total nonsense," he said.

Navalny tweeted "that's enough," referring to the slew of criminal cases against him.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-24-Russia-Opposition/id-3d24fb7a06ad458b90212e7811f9b47f

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Monday, December 24, 2012

Easy Techniques For Network Marketing And Mentoring | Jim ...

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Posted by Administrator on Dec 24, 2012 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

The more informed you are about network marketing, the more likely you are to succeed. Use this information to educate yourself and be more successful.

If you have decided to embark upon a MLM campaign, it is important to consider the overall compensation package that is available to you and whom ever you have partnered or teamed up with. It is key to know the compensation you should expect before you enter into any agreement so that you do not waste your time with an organization that has little to offer.

Keep meetings under an hour. If you talk for more than an hour, you are trying to cram in too much information and will end up overwhelming your prospect.

TIP! When deciding what type of network marketing to do, pick a company with products that are of interest to you. Your passion for the products will rub off on your customers, and in turn, your customers will be more interested in the products as well.

Consider outsourcing your MLM. This will keep you from having to hire additional people to keep those advertising efforts top-notch. You can use the time you gain by outsourcing for more important business matters and still get a good return on your advertising.

Continually bring new prospects to your website. This could possibly be the hardest part of successful multilevel marketing; however, it?s absolutely essential. Once you get people to your web page, they will have more of an idea of what it is you are selling, and it will help them to make up their mind.

TIP! Network marketing should be seen as a battle to sign up more people. Focus on different ways that you can help people through your work, then move forward.

Have a business plan in place that is very solid, but allow for enough room to falter that one missed deadline will not throw the whole thing out the window. Have a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished every week, and then be realistic about how much you can really get done. The business plan you have created for yourself will help to marry these two together and, hopefully, steer you towards a profitable business.

You should treat multi-level marketing as a business rather than a hobby. In order to achieve success, you need the drive and determination of a working professional.

Your network marketing efforts will succeed if you are able to emulate those independent distributors who are great leaders. This will help you emulate the effective techniques and thought processes of these people, which will lead you to greater success.

TIP! One key to success in any business is patience. Many people are discouraged after too short a time.

Promote conversation among your network contacts. The more you learn about your contacts through various social media outlets, the better equipped you are to successfully promote your products. You know their needs, wants, fears and dreams, so you can direct your market to them.

To succeed as a network marketer you need to be open-minded. Staying open-minded all the time will allow you to be in a better place to do better business.

There are a lot of people who want to teach you what they know about multi-level marketing; listen to what they have to say! A great way you can do this is by listening to podcasts. You may find something quite worthwhile to you if you just take the time to sample listen to some.

TIP! Research and apply the best methods for finding new clients. Your ultimate goal is to find new leads and customers.

Duplicate success at every opportunity. Look to your upline or leaders in the organization. Watch their success and try to have the same approach and attitude. Imitating them can help you get to the top. You should learn from other people?s successes and from your mistakes.

You have to keep learning new things if you want your MLM company to flourish. Read up on some techniques to help with multilevel marketing, as well as other topics like business, social media marketing, and anything else that might give you an edge. You can learn a lot from webinars conducted by successful network marketers who are from your company or from other organizations. The greater your arsenal of marketing knowledge and techniques, the greater your success.

Begin by putting your monthly budget in writing and commit to staying within that budget. It is important to know exactly how much money you can safely invest in your business. You have to remember that your business is not going anywhere if you do not think about investing in new things regularly.

TIP! Recognize that the first impression you make on clients may be made by the message on your phones? answering machine. You should be very clear on your answering machine message.

With all of the knowledge you just learned, your success rate should improve. Your goal, ultimately, is make as high a profit as you can. Apply this information the best you can in order to improve all aspects of your multilevel marketing.

Are you ready to have success in the home based business industry and build it on autopilot? Click below to register for free today. See how it works here. Also check out our team benefits here

Source: http://leucabiz.com/blog/easy-techniques-for-network-marketing-and-mentoring/

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NRA?s defiant LaPierre dismisses critics of school gun plan

The NRA's Wayne LaPierre speaks at Friday's press conference. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Two days after suggesting a "good guy with a gun" be stationed at every school in the country in response to the deadly shootings in Newtown, Conn., National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre blasted critics of his plan.

In an interview broadcast on Sunday's "Meet The Press," LaPierre reiterated the statements he made Friday at a press conference in Washington, when he said the answer to preventing shootings like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary Sch00l is armed security in every school--in effect, protecting children with guns.

?If it?s crazy to call for putting police in and securing our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said. ?I think the American people think it?s crazy not to do it."

At one point during the often contentious exchange, host David Gregory held up a high-capacity magazine clip that carries 30 bullets, asking if the NRA would support a federal limit on the capacity of such clips.

"Isn't it just possible that we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?" Gregory asked.

"I don't believe that's going to make one difference," LaPierre responded.

"You're telling me that it's not a matter of common sense that if you don't have an ability to shoot off 30 rounds without reloading, that, just possibly, you could reduce the loss of life?" Gregory asked.

"I don't buy your argument for a minute," LaPierre said. "There are so many different ways to evade that, even if you had that."

?Is there no new gun regulation you would support?? an exasperated Gregory asked. LaPierre refused to answer.

At Friday's press conference, LaPierre--who did not take questions from reporters--argued that had someone at the school been armed, "innocent lives might have been spared."

"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/nra-meet-press-lapierre-gregory-guns-video-165018609.html

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Monti says he is open to leading next government

Italian Premier Mario Monti gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Italy's caretaker Premier Mario Monti said Sunday he won't run in February elections, but if political parties that back his anti-crisis agenda ask him to head the next government he would consider the offer. Monti ruled out heading any ticket himself, saying "I have no sympathy for 'personal' parties." At a news conference, Monti made clear he was spurning an offer from his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to run on a center-right election ticket backed by the media mogul, citing Berlusconi's heavy criticism of his economic policies. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Italian Premier Mario Monti arrives to take part in the Italian State TV RAI's show "In Mezz'ora" (In half an hour) in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. After keeping the country wondering for weeks, caretaker Premier Mario Monti on Sunday ruled out running in February elections, but offered to willingness to head the next government if political forces sharing his austerity and reform-focused agenda ask him to do so. Monti ruled out heading any ticket himself, saying "I have no sympathy for 'personal' parties." But he coyly made himself available to serve as premier while Italy works to shore up its finances and struggles to emerge from recession. (AP Photo/Mauro Scrobogna, Lapresse)

PDL party representatives Maurizio Gasparri, left, and Fabrizio Cicchitto leave after a meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at Rome's Quirinale presidential palace Saturday Dec. 22, 2012. Italy's president is meeting with political leaders to set the stage for general elections early next year as Premier Mario Monti weighs whether to run for office after having handed in his resignation. Monti, appointed 13 months ago to steer Italy away from a Greek-style debt crisis, stepped down Friday after ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi's party yanked its support for his technical government. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

The shadow of a courassier presidential guard is cast on the wall at Rome's Quirinale presidential palace Saturday Dec. 22, 2012. Italy's president has dissolved parliament following Premier Mario Monti's resignation, formally setting the stage for general elections in February in which Monti's participation remains unclear. President Giorgio Napolitano signed the decree Saturday after consulting with political leaders. Monti, appointed 13 months ago to steer Italy from a Greek-style debt crisis, stepped down Friday after ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi's party withdrew its support for his technical government. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

ROME (AP) ? After keeping Italians, and the rest of Europe, in suspense for weeks, caretaker Premier Mario Monti on Sunday ruled out campaigning in February elections, but said he would consider leading the next government if politicians who share his focus on reform request it.

The decision positions him to take the helm again without having to get into the political nitty-gritty of an election ? preserving his image as someone above the fray who can make tough decisions on imposing austerity. His previous measures have boosted confidence in Italy's finances, and fellow European leaders have made no secret they want to keep them in place.

Silvio Berlusconi, the scandal-tainted ex-premier considering another run, commented scathingly on Monti's openness to another term.

"I had a nightmare ? still having a government with Monti," the media mogul said in an interview on state TV. He has said in the past that he would run again if Monti did not, but made no commitment Sunday about his own political future.

Monti, who after his resignation Friday is continuing in a caretaker role, ruled out heading any ticket ? even a center-right grouping that Berlusconi said he would be willing to back.

But the 69-year-old economist made it clear he was willing to take another turn in power.

"If one or more political forces is credibly backing (my) agenda or even has a better one, I'd evaluate the offer," Monti said during a news conference.

"To those forces who demonstrate convincing and credible adherence to the Monti agenda, I am ready to give my appreciation, encouragement, and if requested, leadership, and I am ready to assume, one day, if the circumstances require it, the responsibility that would be entrusted to me by Parliament."

Monti refused to head any ticket himself, saying "I have no sympathy for 'personal' parties."

Italy is struggling to shore up its finances and emerge from recession, a challenge made harder by its volatile politics. The country has had dozens of governments over the years that let tax evasion spread, avoided unpopular reforms like raising the retirement age, and allowed public spending to balloon.

Monti was appointed in November 2011 to head a non-elected government with the goal of saving Italy from a Greece-style debt debacle after financial markets lost faith in his populist predecessor, Berlusconi.

Berlusconi triggered Monti's resignation last week, a few months ahead of the term's end, when he yanked his Freedom Party's support in Parliament for the government. Parliament was then sent packing last week by Italy's president, and elections scheduled for Feb. 24-25.

Monti's announcement Sunday pleased some parties but irked others.

"Yet again, Monti shows himself to be arrogant and (Pontius) Pilate-like," said Antonio Borghesi, a leader of the small center-left party that refused to back him during Monti's 13 months at the head of a non-elected government. "He won't directly commit himself, but he doesn't rule out that his name be used by others who share his agenda and he gives his willingness, if asked, to again be leader the country."

The tiny centrist Italy Future party, meanwhile, hailed Monti as a "great political leader and international statesman," and said in a statement: "We reiterate our willingness to back with pride the agenda of Premier Monti."

The party's leaders include pro-Vatican politicians and industrialists, notably Luca di Montezemolo, president of Ferrari, the Italian Formula One racing team.

Monti said he was spurning Berlusconi's offer to sit out the election if Monti would head a center-right ticket. He expressed bewilderment at Berlusconi's sharp condemnation of his economic policies and his seemingly contradictory offer to back another Monti-led government.

"Yesterday, we read that he assessed the work of the (Monti) government to be a complete disaster. A few days earlier I read flattering things," Monti said of his predecessor. The logic "escapes me" Monti said, drawing chuckles.

Berlusconi has said he would try for a fourth term as premier if Monti doesn't run, even though he continues to face several legal and sex-related scandals.

Monti praised Parliament for backing his government's recipe of spending cuts, new taxes and pension reform, which he said saved Italy from the debt crisis.

"Italians as citizens can hold their heads up high in Europe," Monti said, noting Italy had avoided the bailouts that Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Cyprus have had to take.

Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved Parliament after Monti resigned Friday following approval of the country's national budget law. Monti noted that as a senator-for-life, he remains in Parliament and doesn't need to run for a seat in the legislature.

Voter opinion polls indicate a centrist ticket backing Monti would take about 15 percent of the vote, meaning any government he heads would need support from either of Italy's two largest political groupings: the center-right, led by Berlusconi, or the center-left, led by Pier Luigi Bersani.

After Monti's announcement Sunday, Bersani, whose forces turned out to be Monti's staunchest proponent this past year, vowed to keep up the premier's anti-crisis efforts.

By declining to directly campaign for February's balloting, Monti avoids a direct clash with him. On Sunday, Monti would only would say that Bersani is a highly "legitimate candidate for premier of a coalition."

In an interview on state TV later Sunday, Monti declined to say if he thought his agenda would get more backing from Bersani's or from Berlusconi's supporters.

Some had speculated that Monti had his sights set on the Italian presidency, since Napolitano's term ends this spring. But Monti ruled that out.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-23-Italy-Monti/id-f9a586139d8840a6bd73b7149fa87f7a

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

First goat genome sets a good example for facilitating de novo assembly of large genomes

Dec. 23, 2012 ? In a collaborative study published online today in Nature Biotechnology, researchers from Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BGI, and other institutes, have completed the first genome sequence of domestic goat by a robust approach integrated with next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-genome mapping (WGM) technologies. The goat genome is the first reference genome for small ruminant animals and may help to advance the understanding of distinct ruminants' genomic features from non-ruminant species. This work also yields a valuable experience for facilitating the de novo assemblies of large, complex genomes in the future.

Goats are recognized as an important member of the world livestock industry, and with many unique biological features. They are an important economic resource in many developing countries around the world, especially in China and India. However, despite their agricultural and biological importance, breeding and genetic studies of goats have been hampered by the lack of a high quality reference genome sequence. The goat genome sequence will be useful for facilitating the identification of SNP markers for marker-assisted breeding, and improving the utility of the goat as a biomedical model and bioreactor.

With the availability of next-generation sequencing (NGS), draft assemblies are easy to generate nowadays. However, to finish a sequence to the chromosome level remains a hard nut to crack. In this study, the results show that a single NGS platform, when combined with whole-genome mapping technology, could produce a finished assembly much faster and with high quality than other currently available mapping strategies such as BACs or FISH. Through this integrated approach, researchers obtained the ~2.66 Gb goat reference genome from a female Yunnan black goat.

Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of mammalian genomes and contribute to gene and/or genome evolution. The TEs in goat genome are similar to those of cattle, and contain large numbers of ruminant-specific repeats, such as SINE-tRNA and SINE-BovA. It is reported that SINE-BovA repeat expanded primarily in the cattle genome. However, in this study, researchers found the SINE-tRNA repeat expanded specifically in the goat genome.

Through constructing a phylogenetic tree among goats, cattle, horses, dogs, opossums and humans, researchers found the goat shared a common ancestor with cattle about 23 million years ago. Further comparison analysis revealed 44 rapidly evolving genes under positive selection, seven of which are immune-related genes and three are pituitary hormone or related genes. The immune-related genes identified also exist in cattle. The findings suggest that the rapid evolution of pituitary hormones may be related to the different features between goat and cattle in milk production, development rates of the fetus and/or hair variation.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays an important role in the immune system. In this study, the goat MHC was found to be located on chromosome 23 and contains two regions with length of 2.25 Mb and 360 kb, respectively. With the high quality genome assembly, further understanding of the goat MHC will be useful for immunological studies and vaccine development.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of mammals is the protective growth known as hair. It is produced by hair follicles within the skin, which could provide either protection (guard hairs) or insulation (underfur). The two major hair follicles include the primary hair follicle that produces only coat hair in all mammals, and the secondary hair follicle that can produce the cashmere or "fine hair" in certain mammals, including goats and antelopes. Despite a 2,500-year history and the extent of raw cashmere production, people are lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cashmere formation and development.

Researchers conducted transcriptomic analysis on the primary and secondary follicles of a cashmere goat, revealing 51 genes that are differentially expressed between the two types of hair follicles. Keratin and keratin-associated proteins are the main structural proteins of hair fibers, determining the quality of fiber together. In the study, 29 keratin genes and 30 keratin-associated protein genes were detected in both types of follicles. Interestingly, they found two keratin genes and ten keratin-associated protein genes were consistently differentially expressed between primary and secondary hair follicles, suggesting that the keratin-associated protein genes may be more important in determining the structure of cashmere fibers. In addition to the keratin genes and keratin-associated protein genes, researchers also found several enzymes of amino acid biosynthesis, with implications in regulating primary hair growth and hair cycle.

Xun Xu, Deputy Director of BGI, said, "The goat reference genome is an important stepping stone in the molecular breeding of cashmere goats, and will help to advance the comparative studies on ruminants. The transcriptomic analysis on the primary and secondary follicles will open a new way for better improving the quality cashmere wool."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BGI Shenzhen, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Journal Reference:

Yang Dong, Min Xie, Yu Jiang, Nianqing Xiao, Xiaoyong Du, Wenguang Zhang, Gwenola Tosser-Klopp, Jinhuan Wang, Shuang Yang, Jie Liang, Wenbin Chen, Jing Chen, Peng Zeng, Yong Hou, Chao Bian, Shengkai Pan, Yuxiang Li, Xin Liu, Wenliang Wang, Bertrand Servin, Brian Sayre, Bin Zhu, Deacon Sweeney, Rich Moore, Wenhui Nie, Yongyi Shen, Ruoping Zhao, Guojie Zhang, Jinquan Li, Thomas Faraut, James Womack, Yaping Zhang, James Kijas, Noelle Cockett, Xun Xu, Shuhong Zhao, Jun Wang, Wen Wang. Sequencing and automated whole-genome optical mapping of the genome of a domestic goat (Capra hircus). Nature Biotechnology, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2478

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/CNn97tXK9DU/121223152629.htm

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