Suicide bomber kills 2 at Somali president's villa

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) ? A suicide bomber Tuesday detonated explosives outside the prime minister's home in Somalia's presidential palace compound, killing two people, security officials said. Al-Qaida-linked militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

The man blew himself up in the morning when questioned by soldiers at a checkpoint in the palace complex known as Villa Somalia, said Mohamed Ali, a police officer at the official residence in Mogadishu, the capital.

Villa Somalia has a large compound with several buildings and checkpoints. The bomber was four more checkpoints away from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's home, Ali said. The president is said to be out of the country on state business.

The checkpoint where the blast took place is near the home of Prime Minister's Abdi Farah Shirdon, which is also in the compound, according to officials. Shirdon was at home but was not harmed, according to an official from the palace who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak with the press.

Shirdon later released a statement read by Somalia's information minister saying one soldier was killed in the attack and the attacker is believed to be an operative of the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab insurgent group. "This inhumane and barbaric attack shows once again the cruel twisted ideology of killing and destruction by the al-Shabab," Shirdon said.

Al-Shabab announced that it was behind the attack.

"One of our martyrs from the martyrdom brigade has carried out a successful attack on a house occupied by the intelligence apostates in the presidential palace," Sheik Abdiaziz Abu-Musab, the military spokesman for the Islamist militant group, told reporters.

He claimed the bomber killed seven soldiers. However, a military officer at the palace, Yusuf Abdi, said two soldiers died and three others were wounded in the explosion, backing what Ali had said.

"He killed two people and himself on the spot. His evil attempt has failed," Ali said.

Al -Shabab has opposed President Mohamud's election and government, saying the administration was being manipulated by Western powers. The president survived an assassination attempt on his second day in office in September when two suicide bombers blew themselves up while trying to gain access to a heavily guarded hotel serving as his temporary residence.

Mohamud, 56, who was previously an academic and activist, is expected to form the county's first functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Since 2004, Somalia had been represented by a U.N.-approved leadership structure called the Transitional Federal Government that until recently only controlled small parts of Mogadishu. That government accomplished little, but since African Union and Somali troops pushed al-Shabab extremists out of the capital and other areas in the past two years, there's renewed hope for stability.

International supporters say Mohamud's government is a step toward moving the country out of its failed-state status, but that much more remains to be done in a country bloodied by two decades of war. In a sign of progress, the United States last week officially recognized the Somali government for the first time since Barre's fall in 1991.

Mohamud faces an uphill task unifying a fractious country in the face of the Islamist radicals' insurgency. Much of Somalia's infrastructure is in ruins, and corruption is rampant.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suicide-bomber-kills-2-somali-presidents-villa-083633570.html

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Great Ideas! 8 Hearty Dishes Your Kids Will Love

From roast tomato soup and baked eggs to shrimp and grits, Brooklyn Supper bloggers (and real life couple!) Brian Campbell and Elizabeth Stark share their yummy, easy-to-make recipes.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/r1bJvBof2Us/

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Arrests made in Brazil fire, funerals begin

AAA??Jan. 28, 2013?9:20 AM ET
Arrests made in Brazil fire, funerals begin
AP

A woman cries over the coffin of a victim at a gymnasium where bodies were brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Flames raced through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing more than 230 people as panicked partygoers gasped for breath in the smoke-filled air, stampeding toward a single exit partially blocked by those already dead. (AP Photo/Nabor Goulart)

A woman cries over the coffin of a victim at a gymnasium where bodies were brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Flames raced through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing more than 230 people as panicked partygoers gasped for breath in the smoke-filled air, stampeding toward a single exit partially blocked by those already dead. (AP Photo/Nabor Goulart)

A man stands around coffins containing the remains of victims after the bodies were identified at a gymnasium in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. A fast-moving fire roared through the crowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, within seconds filling the space with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers who gasped for breath and fought in a stampede to escape.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Relatives and friends mourn on the coffin containing the remains of a fire victim at a gymnasium where bodies were brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. A fast-moving fire roared through the crowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, within seconds filling the space with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers who gasped for breath and fought in a stampede to escape.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Relatives and friends carry the coffin of a victim out of a gymnasium where bodies where brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. A fast-moving fire roared through the crowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, within seconds filling the space with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers who gasped for breath and fought in a stampede to escape.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

A man carries an injured man, victim of a fire at the Kiss club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, early Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Firefighters say that the death toll from a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil has risen to 180. Officials say the fire broke out while a band was performing. At least 200 people have been injured. (AP Photo/Agencia RBS)

SANTA MARIA, Brazil (AP) ? Brazilian police say they've made three arrests and are seeking a fourth person in connection with a nightclub fire that killed more than 230 people.

Inspector Ranolfo Vieira Junior said at a Monday press conference that the arrests are for investigative purposes. He says the detentions have five-day limits.

He declined to identify those arrested or the fourth person sought.

More than 230 people died early Sunday during the fire at a university party in southern Brazil. Police have said they think a band's pyrotechnics show ignited sound insulation on the ceiling, causing the blaze.

The Zero Hora newspaper quotes lawyer Jader Marques as saying his client Elissandro Spohr, a co-owner of the club, was arrested. The paper also says two band members were arrested.

Funerals began Monday in the city of Santa Maria, Brazil, where the blaze took place.

Associated PressNews Topics: General news, Commercial fires, Arrests, Bar and night club operators, Fires, Funerals and memorial services, Accidents and disasters, Law and order, Crime, Food services, Consumer services, Consumer products and services, Industries, Business
People, Places and Companies: Brazil

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-28-Brazil-Nightclub%20Fire/id-70db273f9bc74642b4c5b0dfe825f7a0

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Newtown expands scope of planned children's museum

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) ? Months before she was killed in a gunman's rampage, Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Dawn Hochsprung wrote a letter expressing her excitement over an effort to bring a children's museum to Newtown.

At the time, the proposal was fairly modest: a building of perhaps 20,000 square feet would provide art and science programs for area children.

Since last month's massacre, the plan has become more ambitious, with museums around the country collecting donations and organizers looking to renovate a 52,000-square-foot building to host the new learning center. A capital campaign that was to begin in the spring will start right away, with hopes of raising $10 million instead of the original $4 million.

"The need for the children's museum, which everyone thought was a great idea before, became almost a necessity," said Kristin Chiriatti, the museum's president. "People understood that the children will need a place to heal. We have so many children who are scared to go to school now and may have lifelong poor associations with learning."

It will still be a community museum, Chiriatti said, but it will also be a destination point for southwestern Connecticut.

The museum, first proposed in 2011, was to feature rotating exhibits on such topics as electricity, sound and outer space. Chiriatti called it "Everwonder," a play on the wonder the museum is meant to evoke and her question as to whether it would be possible to build, she said.

The group had been involved in hosting programs at the local library and envisioned a place for children to draw and conduct experiments.

Hochsprung wrote to Chiriatti in March that she supported the idea to engage students with hands-on, interactive experiences.

"In order for students to learn, they must be invested in what we are teaching," she wrote.

On Dec. 14, Hochsprung was among the victims of the rampage that killed 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook. The 20-year-old gunman killed his mother before driving to the school, opening fire and then committing suicide as police arrived.

The museum building will include some type of memorial to Hochsprung and the other victims, Chiriatti said.

"These children were our children's friends," she said. "We haven't decided how it will be done, except that it will be done in a cheerful way that celebrates childhood and education. Because that's what this is about: creating a cheerful place, filled with learning and enjoyment."

Architects and other professionals have agreed to volunteer for the project, which is tentatively planned for the campus of Fairfield Hills Hospital in Newtown.

And Chiriatti is getting help from other museums across the country.

Robert Dean, the executive director of a children's museum in Grand Rapids, Mich., got involved the day of the shooting, after a 9-year-old son of his museum's board president asked how they might help the kids in Newtown. He called a board meeting to brainstorm.

"We talked a letter-writing campaign and other things, but when we learned they were trying to build a children's museum, I just thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if they could have the same thing we have?'" he said.

A dollar from each admission fee collected at that museum and two others in Grand Rapids last Saturday will be donated to the Everwonder project.

Dean contacted the Association of Children's Museums, which launched a national effort. Museums are being asked to set aside one day this year and donate $1 from each admission that day to Everwonder. Chiriatti said she has already heard from four ? the Children's Museum of Brownsville, in Texas; the Seattle Children's Museum; the Tucson Children's Museum, in Arizona; and the Bucks County Children's Museum, in Pennsylvania.

She said they are hoping to raise all they need without seeking any money from an $8.5 million fund set up by the United Way to support the community after the massacre.

"They need to identify where that money is really needed, what is most important," she said. "If they need a counseling center, that should be where that money goes. It would be great to get some help, but we're certainly not going to be actively seeking that funding if it's needed somewhere else."

Chiriatti said they hope to have their museum opened by the end of 2015.

___

Online:

Everwonder Children's Museum: http://www.everwondermuseum.com/

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/newtown-expands-scope-planned-childrens-museum-075810443.html

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After gun crime, weapon history takes time to find

WASHINGTON (AP) ? In the fictional world of television police dramas, a few quick clicks on a computer lead investigators to the owner of a gun recovered at a bloody crime scene. Before the first commercial, the TV detectives are on the trail of the suspect.

Reality is a world away. There is no national database of guns. Not of who owns them, how many are sold annually or even how many exist.

Federal law bars the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from keeping track of guns. The only time the government can track the history of a gun, including its first buyer and seller, is after it's used in a crime. And though President Barack Obama and numerous Democratic lawmakers have called for new limits on what kinds of guns should be available to the public and urged stronger background checks in gun sales, there is no effort afoot to change the way the government keeps track ? or doesn't ? of where the country's guns are.

When police want to trace a gun, it's a decidedly low-tech process.

"It's not CSI and it's not a sophisticated computer system," said Charles J. Houser, who runs the ATF's National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, W. Va.

When police trace a gun, the search starts by sending all the information they have about the gun ? including the manufacturer and model ? to an office worker in a low-slung brick building just off the Appalachian Trial in rural West Virginia, about 90 miles northwest of Washington.

ATF officials first call the manufacturer, who reveals which wholesaler the company used. That may lead to a call to a second distributor before investigators can pinpoint the retail gun dealer who first sold the weapon. Gun dealers are required to keep a copy of federal forms that detail who buys what gun and a log for guns sold. They are required to share that information with the ATF if a gun turns up at a crime scene and authorities want it traced. Often, gun shops fax the paperwork to the ATF.

That's where the paper trail ends.

In about 30 percent of cases, one or all of those folks have gone out of business and ATF tracers are left to sort through potentially thousands of out-of-business records forwarded to the ATF and stored at the office building that more closely resembles a remote call center than a law enforcement operation.

The records are stored as digital pictures that can only be searched one image at a time. Two shifts of contractors spend their days taking staples out of papers, sorting through thousands of pages and scanning or taking pictures of the records.

"Those records come in all different shapes and forms. We have to digitally image them, we literally take a picture of it," Houser said. "We have had rolls of toilet paper or paper towels ... because they (dealers) did not like the requirement to keep records."

The tracing center receives about a million out-of-business records every month and Houser runs the center's sorting and imaging operations from 6 a.m. to midnight, five days a week. The images are stored on old-school microfilm reels or as digital images. But there's no way to search the records, other than to scroll through one picture of a page at a time.

"We are ... prohibited from amassing the records of active dealers," Houser said. "It means that if a dealer is in business he maintains his records."

Last year the center traced about 344,000 guns for 6,000 different law enforcement agencies. Houser has a success rate of about 90 percent, so long as enough information is provided. And he boasts that every successful trace provides at least one lead in a criminal case.

"It's a factory for the production of investigative leads," Houser said of the tracing center.

A 1968 overhaul of federal gun laws required licensed dealers to keep paper records of who buys what guns and gave ATF the authority to track the history of a gun if was used in a crime. But in the intervening decades, the National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups lobbied Congress to limit the government's ability to do much with what little information is collected, including keeping track on computers.

"They (lawmakers) feel that the act of amassing those records would in essence go a step toward creating an artificial registration system," Houser said.

What the ATF can do is give trace information to the law enforcement agency that asked for it and in some cases uses the data to help point them in the direction of other crimes.

Houser said the "manually intensive process" can take about five days for a routine trace. In some cases, completing the trace can mean sifting by hand through paperwork that hasn't yet been scanned.

In more urgent situations, including the immediate aftermath of a mass shooting in Connecticut last year, ATF agents run a trace within about 24 hours. Oftentimes, that involves sending agents to the gun dealer that first sold the weapon to quickly find the paperwork listing its original buyer.

Despite having access to millions of records about gun purchases from dealers that have gone out of business, the ATF isn't allowed to create a database of what guns were sold to whom and when.

ATF does keep tabs on how many guns are manufactured and shipped out of the country every year, but only gun makers and dealers know for sure how many are sold. There are also strict limits on what the agency can do with the gun trace information. And that's just the way the gun lobby and Congress want it.

Various laws and spending bills have specifically barred the ATF from creating a national database of guns and gun owners. And due to the efforts of lawmakers, including former Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Kansas, ATF agents who trace the history of a gun can't share that information with anyone but the police agency that asked for it.

As it stands now, local law enforcement doesn't have access to regional data about gun traces. So if the police commissioner in New York City is trying to figure out where the guns are coming into the city from ? whether they're going to New Jersey first or upstate New York, for example ? that data is not available because of an amendment introduced by Tiahrt, said Mike Bouchard, a former ATF assistant director for Field Operations. ATF can tell police where most crime guns are traced from, by state. But it does not release information on gun shops or purchasers.

If police chiefs want that, they have to reach out to individual chiefs at other departments and ask.

"It's pretty ridiculous when we have an automated system that will do it for the chiefs," Bouchard said.

Tiahrt said he first proposed limiting access to trace data to make sure the information wasn't available under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. It was an issue of keeping undercover police, informants and innocent gun buyers and sellers out of the public eye, Tiahrt said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Knowing who legally buys guns won't prevent gun violence, the former Republican congressman said.

"We're chasing these wisps of smoke that won't solve the problem," Tiahrt said. "Get to the root cause. Put out the fire. Deal with mental illness. Deal with situational awareness."

Houser said he would prefer the tracing center's operations to be expanded and a center built that would use some technologies to help more easily trace a gun. But until the law changes, his staff will continue removing staples, turning pages right-side-up and taking digital pictures of records.

"Our job is to enforce the laws that are passed to us," Houser said. "What they give us is what we are required to work with."

___

Associated Press reporter Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report.

___

Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acaldwellap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-29-Tracing%20Guns/id-c61060a636994437afffebb3026faae8

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New online, open access journal focuses on microbial genome announcements

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

The American Society for Microbiology has published the first issue of its new online-only, open access journal, Genome AnnouncementsTM, focusing exclusively on reports of microbial genome sequences.

Genome Announcements features short manuscripts announcing the availability of recently sequenced genomes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes and viruses in public databases. These announcements inform readers of the availability of new genome sequences and provide the rationale for sequencing a particular organism, as well as details of the methodologies and protocols used in assembly of the genome sequence.

Although genome sequence data typically are deposited in GenBank or other shared databases, the rationale for sequencing a particular organism and the detailed methodologies and protocols used often are not readily available. In the past, several ASM journals published Genome Announcement article types, brief reports stating that the genome of a particular organism has been sequenced and deposited which provide a citable record of the corresponding GenBank submission. Over the years submissions for Genome Announcements have increased where they warrant a dedicated journal.

"The exponential increase in submissions and the usage of Genome Announcements has confirmed the value and service they bring to the scientific community. As a result, ASM will now publish all Genome Announcements in a single, dedicated, online-only, open-access journal starting January 2013," says Phil Matsumura of the University of Illinois at Chicago, editor of the new journal.

Manuscripts submitted to Genome Announcements must include an abstract, an acknowledgments section indicating the source of support for the work, and a nucleotide sequence accession number and are limited to 500 words (exclusive of the abstract and acknowledgments). Sequences must be made publicly available before a submission will be considered for publication, and the nucleotide sequence accession number(s) must be provided in a separate paragraph at the end of the text. Manuscripts may not include figures, tables, or supplemental material used to present data or analysis. However, multiple related sequences and their accompanying accession numbers and URL may be presented in tabular form. Publication of Sequence Read Archives (SRAs) is not permitted.

Genome Announcements manuscripts do not require peer review, but may be reviewed at the editor's discretion. Publication of an article in Genome Announcements does not preclude a later publication (e.g., a full comparative analysis) on the same organism in another ASM journal. Genome Announcements articles will be published continuously and will be collected into bimonthly issues throughout the year.

###

More information on the journal, including the first issue, can be found online at http://genomea.asm.org.

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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.

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

The American Society for Microbiology has published the first issue of its new online-only, open access journal, Genome AnnouncementsTM, focusing exclusively on reports of microbial genome sequences.

Genome Announcements features short manuscripts announcing the availability of recently sequenced genomes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes and viruses in public databases. These announcements inform readers of the availability of new genome sequences and provide the rationale for sequencing a particular organism, as well as details of the methodologies and protocols used in assembly of the genome sequence.

Although genome sequence data typically are deposited in GenBank or other shared databases, the rationale for sequencing a particular organism and the detailed methodologies and protocols used often are not readily available. In the past, several ASM journals published Genome Announcement article types, brief reports stating that the genome of a particular organism has been sequenced and deposited which provide a citable record of the corresponding GenBank submission. Over the years submissions for Genome Announcements have increased where they warrant a dedicated journal.

"The exponential increase in submissions and the usage of Genome Announcements has confirmed the value and service they bring to the scientific community. As a result, ASM will now publish all Genome Announcements in a single, dedicated, online-only, open-access journal starting January 2013," says Phil Matsumura of the University of Illinois at Chicago, editor of the new journal.

Manuscripts submitted to Genome Announcements must include an abstract, an acknowledgments section indicating the source of support for the work, and a nucleotide sequence accession number and are limited to 500 words (exclusive of the abstract and acknowledgments). Sequences must be made publicly available before a submission will be considered for publication, and the nucleotide sequence accession number(s) must be provided in a separate paragraph at the end of the text. Manuscripts may not include figures, tables, or supplemental material used to present data or analysis. However, multiple related sequences and their accompanying accession numbers and URL may be presented in tabular form. Publication of Sequence Read Archives (SRAs) is not permitted.

Genome Announcements manuscripts do not require peer review, but may be reviewed at the editor's discretion. Publication of an article in Genome Announcements does not preclude a later publication (e.g., a full comparative analysis) on the same organism in another ASM journal. Genome Announcements articles will be published continuously and will be collected into bimonthly issues throughout the year.

###

More information on the journal, including the first issue, can be found online at http://genomea.asm.org.

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/asfm-noo012813.php

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Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job

There is little debate that electronic technology including computers and the Internet are one of the most important developments of recent times. Tasks that took days to complete and that demanded hundreds of man hours to effectively execute can now be easily done at the touch of a button. But the growing importance of technology is not without its drawbacks with probably the most major one being internet and computer enabled crime.

The growing capability of computers and applications as well as the ever increasing level of interconnectivity and information sharing has made it easier for persons with malicious intent to use computers to plan terrorism attacks, conduct intellectual property theft, credit card fraud and hack computer systems to gain access to confidential information. The sophisticated nature of these crimes has seen the growing need for experts in computer forensics.

Computer forensics experts are law enforcement officers, private investigators or members of corporate audit teams whose core duties revolve around the identification, collection and analysis of electronic evidence that demonstrates the occurrence of a crime or lack thereof. Sometimes referred to as cyber cops, digital detectives or cyber investigators, their goal is not only reactive where they piece together pieces of computer data from a crime scene - it is also proactive where the computer forensics expert will recommend the best approaches that can be used to seal system security gaps and reduce the risk of computer based crime from materializing.

Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job

Computer forensic jobs will often be found in the military, law enforcement agencies, government intelligence outfits, private investigators office, technology security consultants and audit firms. To have better chances of being called up for a computer forensic job interview, one must have a degree in computer science, computer engineering, electronic engineering or a related discipline. Knowledge of the criminal justice system and especially laws around cyber crime and management of digital evidence including gathering and storing the evidence are key. Due to the sensitive nature of this role, persons working as computer forensic experts must obtain security clearance.

A good understanding of at least one major programming language with working knowledge of others is also important. Computer forensic experts must know the workings of computer storage devices and the major operating systems.

Many persons that end up in computer forensic careers do not necessarily start in this line. Working in the general IT industry or in the general IT security niche for at least two years provides a good foundation for understanding the core workings of computer systems and the areas of control weakness that cyber criminals may explore.

The details that these digital detectives have to sift through require that one have a keen eye for detail if they are not to miss anything. Other than technical computer skills, the forensic experts must be analytical and have high integrity. The ability to work well in a high pressure environment is a must as many times, the forensics expert will be required to provide rapid feedback on an adverse incident.

Note: Please feel free to reprint or republish this article. The only requirement is that the links be live links.

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San Francisco Chiropractor Weekly Health Update - Dr Davis' Back ...

Mental Attitude: Vitamin D and Alzheimer's Disease. Higher vitamin D dietary intake is associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Women who developed Alzheimer's disease had lower baseline vitamin D intakes (an average of 50.3 micrograms per week) than those who developed no dementia at all (an average of 59.0 micrograms per week). Journals of Gerontology, December 2012

Health Alert: Pesticides and Food Allergies. Dichlorophenols are chemical compounds commonly found in pesticides and used for tap water chlorination. A recent study of 10,438 Americans showed 24.4% had dichlorophenols in their urine. Researchers found those with dichlorophenols in their urine were more likely to suffer from food allergies. Further research is needed to determine whether or not dichlorophenol exposure is a cause of food allergies.
Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, December 2012

Diet: Risks of Obesity! Being obese or overweight heightens the risk of diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, stroke, coronary heart disease, infertility, some forms of arthritis and respiratory problems.
British Medical Journal, December 2012

Exercise: Memory. In this study, adults ages 50-85 years old (both with and without memory issues) looked at pictures of pleasant things. Afterwards, half rode a stationary bicycle for 6 minutes at 70% of their maximum capacity. An hour later, everyone took a surprise recall test on the images they viewed earlier. Outcomes revealed those adults in the group that rode the bike for 6 minutes were better able to remember the pictures they'd seen than the adults who did not, regardless if they suffered from memory issues. UC Irvine, December 2012

Chiropractic: My Degeneration. What causes the pain associated with spinal degenerative joint disease (DJD)? 1. The instability caused by disk degeneration. 2. The mechanical compression of nerve by bone, ligament, or the disk. 3. The chemical mediators of inflammation. Spine, 1997

Wellness/Prevention: Essential Oils. Essential oils, which form the basis of aromatherapy for stress relief, are reported to have a beneficial effect on heart rate and blood pressure following short-term exposure and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. After 45 minutes of exposure, blood pressure dropped by 2.1 mmHg and heart rate by 2.2 beats per minute (bpm). However, after 120 minutes, blood pressure rose by 2.2 mmHg above baseline, and heart rate by 1.7 bpm above baseline. Because of these results, researchers believe prolonged exposure to essential oils may be detrimental to the cardiovascular health of spa workers. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, December 2012

Quote: ?It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.? ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Jenelle Evans Miscarriage: Teen Mom 2 Star Loses Baby, Report Claims

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/jenelle-evans-miscarriage-teen-mom-2-star-loses-baby-report-clai/

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8 Steps to Real Estate Investing Success | Revestor Blog

We thought that this was such a great question that we decided to share it with the group?

Here is exactly what one of our Users asked us today?

QUESTION:

?I am interested in purchasing a specific property. ?Does this program have the ability to calculate the offer amount I should make on the home I want to purchase in order to get cash flow? Of course, given the rent??Example: The home is listed for $90,000?.It can be rented for $1200.00 monthly: ?What should my offer be in order to have cash flow? ?Should I offer $70,000. or $60,000??

ANSWER:

First things first, if Revestor does not have the specific Property you are looking for just search the site for a similar property. As long as the Purchase Price is about the same you can use Revestor?s Calculator on any Property. (Note: in order to get listings onto Revestor Agents and Brokers must SignUp for a Free Listhub account and select us as a channel to syndicate to)

We found a similar Property on the site and here is exactly what we did:

1. Adjusted the Rent to $1,200 with the slider (Note: always doublecheck and research the Estimated Rent because it is the most important number)
2. Adjusted the Purchase Price down to the Asking Price of the other Property or to the Offer amount that you want to make)
3. Adjust/Doublecheck the Expenses by clicking the Edit button/dropdown (Note: that an 8% Property Management Fee is in there by default, remove if you do not use a Property Manager. Usually the HOA fee is populated if the Agent entered it into the listing, however please doublecheck this if the home is a CONDO or PUD. If there are additional Expenses you are aware of you can add them to any of the fields, i.e.?Utilities,?Maintenance,?Repairs, Vacancy Rate, etc.)

All these changes will dynamically change all the Key Real Estate Investment Indicators on the Property and should produce a Cap Rate of 10% (which is outstanding)

4. Adjust?the DownPayment?to what You or the Buyer is putting down. IF the down ? payment isn?t enough to create positive Cash Flow?then try putting more CASH down or less CASH down for more leverage (just make sure your debt-service-ratio?is above 1.4~) On this deal as long as there is not repairs or rehab to be done the investor could be looking at a potential Cash Flow?of $634/mo?and a Cash-On-Cash Return?of a whopping 33%

AND Finally, choose the Exit Strategy

5. Buy&Hold or Rehab&Resell. IF?its Buy&Hold click the Edit button

6. Adjust?how long the investor will Hold onto the Property (i.e. 5yrs, 12yrs, etc.)

7. Adjust?what you believe the Annual Appreciation will be (i.e. 1%)

8. Adjust?the Closing Costs for when you sell the Property (i.e. 6% real estate commissions, 2% title, escrow, closing cost fees = 8%)

Now you?ve set yourself up for success with a massive potential ROI and Net Income (excluding Capital Gains and Inflation)

Create a FREE Revestor Account today to get all of these tools for your real estate investing business.

Source: http://blog.revestor.com/2013/01/26/8-steps-to-real-estate-investing-success/

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Video: Obama: Desire for conquest or compromise?

A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/50606289#50606289

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North Korea brazen threat agains the South

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea threatened to attack rival South Korea if Seoul joined a new round of tightened U.N. sanctions, as Washington unveiled more of its own economic restrictions following Pyongyang's rocket launch last month.

In a third straight day of fiery rhetoric, the North directed its verbal onslaught at its neighbor on Friday, saying: "'Sanctions' mean a war and a declaration of war against us."

The reclusive North has this week declared a boycott of all dialogue aimed at ending its nuclear program and vowed to conduct more rocket and nuclear tests after the U.N. Security Council censured it for a December long-range missile launch.

"If the puppet group of traitors takes a direct part in the U.N. 'sanctions,' the DPRK will take strong physical counter-measures against it," the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said, referring to the South.

The committee is the North's front for dealings with the South. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously condemned North Korea's December rocket launch on Tuesday and expanded existing U.N. sanctions.

On Thursday, the United States slapped economic sanctions on two North Korean bank officials and a Hong Kong trading company that it accused of supporting Pyongyang's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The company, Leader (Hong Kong) International Trading Ltd, was separately blacklisted by the United Nations on Wednesday.

Seoul has said it will look at whether there are any further sanctions that it can implement alongside the United States, but said the focus for now is to follow Security Council resolutions.

The resolution said the council "deplores the violations" by North Korea of its previous resolutions, which banned Pyongyang from conducting further ballistic missile and nuclear tests and from importing materials and technology for those programs. It does not impose new sanctions on Pyongyang.

The United States had wanted to punish North Korea for the rocket launch with a Security Council resolution that imposed entirely new sanctions against Pyongyang, but Beijing rejected that option. China agreed to U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang after North Korea's 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests.

NUCLEAR TEST WORRY

North Korea's rhetoric this week amounted to some of the angriest outbursts against the outside world coming under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, who took over after the death of his father Kim Jong-il in late 2011.

On Thursday, the North said it would carry out further rocket launches and a nuclear test, directing its ire at the United States, a country it called its "sworn enemy".

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the comments were worrying.

"We are very concerned with North Korea's continuing provocative behavior," he said at a Pentagon news conference.

"We are fully prepared ... to deal with any kind of provocation from the North Koreans. But I hope in the end that they determine that it is better to make a choice to become part of the international family."

North Korea is not believed to have the technology to deliver a nuclear warhead capable of hitting the continental United States, although its December launch showed it had the capacity to deliver a rocket that could travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles), potentially putting San Francisco in range, according to an intelligence assessment by South Korea.

South Korea and others who have been closely observing activities at the North's known nuclear test grounds believe Pyongyang is technically ready to go ahead with its third atomic test and awaiting the political decision of its leader.

The North's committee also declared on Friday that a landmark agreement it signed with the South in 1992 on eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula was invalid, repeating its long-standing accusation that Seoul was colluding with Washington.

The foreign ministry of China, the North's sole remaining major diplomatic and economic benefactor, repeated its call for calm on the Korean peninsula at its daily briefing on Friday.

"The current situation on the Korea peninsula is complicated and sensitive," spokesman Hong Lei said.

"We hope all relevant parties can see the big picture, maintain calm and restraint, further maintain contact and dialogue, and improve relations, while not taking actions to further complicate and escalate the situation," Hong said.

But unusually prickly comments in Chinese state media on Friday hinted at Beijing's exasperation.

"It seems that North Korea does not appreciate China's efforts," said the Global Times in an editorial, a sister publication of the official People's Daily.

"Just let North Korea be 'angry' ... China hopes for a stable peninsula, but it's not the end of the world if there's trouble there. This should be the baseline of China's position."

(Additional reporting by Michael Martina in Beijing; editing by Jeremy Laurence and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-threatens-war-south-over-u-n-084736253.html

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This Music Video Was Filmed Inside an MRI Machine

Musicians sometimes describe their music as an intimate look inside their minds. But an artist named Sivu has taken that notion literally with the music video for his song Better Man Than He that was actually filmed inside an MRI machine. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/M7IuSzmsZKw/watch-this-shockingly-revealing-music-video-filmed-inside-an-mri-machine

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Film review: 'Hansel & Gretel' witch hunters aren't shocking | The ...

This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, Famke Janssen as Muriel, Jeremy Renner as Hansel and Gemma Arterton as Gretel in a scene from "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, David Appleby)

Review ? Action horror story is as straightforward as one of the star character?s titanium arrows.

With a title like "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" you pretty much know what you?re going to get: campy, blood-squirting, special-effects-laden mayhem.

The question is, does the movie deliver? Yes, but that?s the problem, because with that title you also should get a lot more.

?

HH

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hungers

Grimm fairy tale siblings join forces to become witch hunters in this B-movie horror tale. Unfortunately, it?s a genre-twisting idea that doesn?t crank up the outrageousness and blood to 11.

Where ? Now open in theaters everywhere

Rating ? R for strong fantasy horror, violence and gore, with brief sexuality/nudity and language

Running time ? 88 minutes

For a movie that promises to unleash the ridiculousness of melding a Grimm fairy tale with the modern-day carnage of a Sylvester Stallone movie, the B-grade results should be a lot funnier, squishier and more outrageous. Instead, audiences are left with a middle-of-the road action horror story that?s as straightforward as one of Gretel?s titanium crossbow arrows. Even the fact it?s in 3D doesn?t give it any extra punch.

Hansel ("The Avengers?" Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton of "Clash of the Titans" and "Prince of Persia") have their well-known encounter with the evil witch in the gingerbread house. But what we didn?t know is the encounter would later ignite their passion for eliminating witches.

They?re now adults, and have been hired to rid the town of a witch (played by "X-Men?s" Famke Janssen) who has kidnapped children for an upcoming ritual. If that weren?t bad enough, the witch-slaying siblings also have to deal with an arrogant town sheriff (Peter Stormare as his usually snarling self) who keeps standing in their way.

In between the far-too-serious dramatic scenes, there?s plenty of hand-to-hand punching and kicking as the brother and sister beat through witch after witch. Thank heavens Hermione Granger wasn?t there.

Then again, that kind of surprise might have added some spice to an otherwise generic R-rated thriller. Like another genre-bending attempt, last year?s "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," "Hansel & Gretel" doesn?t embrace its B-grade-movie sensibilities by shocking audiences beyond what they expect. Thirty years ago, this could have been the kind of fun Sam Raimi ("The Evil Dead") would have gorged himself on, and the role of Hansel would have fit Bruce Campbell like a glove.

Instead, the "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" we?re left with runs out of its magic potion far too early to let us enjoy its wicked possibilities.

movies@sltrib.com

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/55700750-223/witch-gretel-hansel-hunters.html.csp

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IonSense Awarded Massachusetts Workforce Training Grant. Adds ...

Saugus, MA, January 25, 2013 ?(PR.com)? IonSense, Inc. announced that they are a recipient of one of the 87 Workforce Training Grants awarded by the state of Massachusetts. This grant will enable the company to provide training to a number of employees in the areas of software development and engineering. ?We are growing our organization and these grants will help us to invest in the development of our people,? said Brian Musselman, President and CEO of IonSense. ?We are grateful that the state is making investments in companies like ours so we can maintain our competitive edge by having highly skilled employees.?

IonSense also announces the addition of Susan Ryan as US Sales Manager. This role involves both direct sales and management of sales to its business partners in the territory. Susan has extensive experience in the field of analytical instrumentation, having had direct sales experience and technical support responsibilities at life science companies including Perkin Elmer, Teledyne Isco, Varian, Waters, and Zymark. In addition, Susan brings valuable experience in understanding the importance of instrumentation to its end users having previously worked as a chemist in the biopharmaceutical industry at Eligix, Primedica, and Pfizer. Susan will be based in the Boston area. ?We are very pleased to have Susan join our team,? said Brian Musselman, ?and her ability to understand the needs of customers in a range of industries should prove beneficial to the growth of IonSense and the continuing adoption of DART? technology.?

About IonSense, Inc.
IonSense, Inc. (www.ionsense.com) is a Massachusetts-based company providing DART? and more recently OpenSpot Mass Spectrometry? solutions to the fields of food safety, forensics, drug development, and chemical analysis. The company manufactures and develops direct analysis in real time (DART) and atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP?) technology. The company provides sources and accessories for JEOL, ThermoFisher, Agilent, AB SCIEX, Bruker, Shimadzu, and Waters mass spectrometers. IonSense products including DART and ASAP technologies are distributed in Europe by KR Analytical Ltd, in China by ASPEC Technologies, in Japan by AMR Inc., in India by Orochem India, in Korea by Omics Biotech, in Singapore by International Laboratory Supplies Pte, and in Canada by VBM Consulting Ltd.

Contact Information:
IonSense, Inc.
Brian Musselman
(781) 484-1043
Contact via Email
www.ionsense.com

Click here to read the full story: IonSense Awarded Massachusetts Workforce Training Grant. Adds New Sales Management.

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

Source: http://money.rambergmedia.com/ionsense-awarded-massachusetts-workforce-training-grant-adds-new-sales-management/

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Microsoft's virtual ecosystem aims to simulate the entire world

1 hr.

Devin Coldewey , NBC News

Microsoft Research is embarking on a highly ambitious project: A computational model of an entire ecosystem, from the soil itself to the creatures that live on it.

Such a comprehensive model would be useful not just to biologists, but to city planners and legislators, who could see concrete?predictions regarding things like deforestation and dams.

To model anything from nature properly is a monumental task, regardless of scale. A single atom, a single cell, or a single organism contains so much information and so many variables that it is effectively impossible to model them perfectly.

Modeling?an entire ecosystem with any accuracy, then, is a task of mind-boggling complexity. But not too long ago, so was sequencing the human genome, or simulating the way proteins form and fold in the molecular soup of our bodies. Drew Purves at Microsoft Research in Cambridge thinks the time has come for what the company describes as a General Ecosystem Model?(also known as GEM)?? capable of simulating just about any ecosystem in the world.

Purves wrote an article for the journal Nature announcing the?team's intentions, and calling for others to help out ? because it's not a small project. They've already created a prototype, called the Madingley Model, which is already more ambitious than anything out there.

"There are a huge number of ecological and environmental models, but in our opinion, nothing that is yet as comprehensive as a GEM would be," Purves told NBC News in an emailed statement. Models for certain areas of the ocean, or specific types of forests, already exist, but can't be adapted easily. He wants to make one that's powerful enough to be applied anywhere, from the deep ocean to the high desert; you'd just need to put in the correct parameters.

It wouldn't be perfect, but you?don't need a perfect model of something to make useful predictions: Tomorrow's weather, the effects of a drug, and the existence of subatomic particles like the Higgs Boson were all theorized from imperfect models. And Purves cautions that while the researchers' work has a broader range than anything out there, it's still missing a lot.

Even without simulating bacteria or the effects of certain features like streams, researchers can reach predictions that match up to the real world. A rise in temperature, for example, would kill off certain plants and cause others to thrive, which would affect the soil they live in, the herbivores that feed on them, and the carnivores that feed on them. It could all be simulated within the model.

But they still need data. Lots more data. Purves elaborates:?"What we are really missing is good data on the state of whole ecosystems... how much herbivore biomass there is in total, or, how many individuals of each size class?" After all, a thousand, big wildebeest may consume more grass than small ones, and seek out higher territories. And since every creature ends up recycled into the ecosystem again, every statistic is important to keep track of.

Purves hopes that the model will enable not just advances in science, but in policy as well. With a true model of a state or region's ecosystem, the effects of dams, runoff, climate change, and other things can be calculated objectively and included as part of the lawmaking discussion. On that front, the researchers are collaborating with the United Nations Environment Programme to help?hone?their work for political relevance.

It's a work in progress, but in a few years it could be a powerful resource for anyone looking into the effects of just about anything on the environment and its denizens. New updates to the project will be logged at the Computational Ecology and Environmental Science section of Microsoft Research.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/microsofts-virtual-ecosystem-aims-simulate-entire-world-1B8057230

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Would You Get a Flu Shot Made From Insects?

By now everyone has a pretty good idea of how important the flu vaccine is. Even in a mild flu season, the vaccine saves thousands of lives and millions of dollars in healthcare costs and lost workdays. But if you?re a public health official, it isn't so easy?it takes a really long time, often months, to actually produce a vaccine.

That should change, at least for next flu season: Two new flu vaccines were recently approved that will significantly cut the lead time needed to produce a flu vaccine targeted to a specific strain. (Every season?s virus has to be created specifically to fight that year?s predicted strain or strains.)

Flu Near You: See Flu Activity Where You Live

Public health experts have been waiting for a faster way to make the flu vaccine for a long time. The painfully slow process of making flu shots became clear during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009-2010. That outbreak began in the spring of 2009, and by April the U.S. government had declared a public health emergency. By June, 18,000 cases of H1N1 had been reported.

But it took until early October before an H1N1-specific vaccine was available?and even then there was a limited supply of it.

The new shots will help health officials get vaccine to people much faster. One new product, called Flublok, was approved recently by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will be available for the 2013-14 flu season for people ages 18 to 49. The other new vaccine, Flucelvax, was approved in November 2012 and is already available for people ages 18 and older. Both vaccines are unique because they are not manufactured with chicken eggs. (Chicken eggs have been used to make vaccine for seven decades; the viruses need a host cell in which to replicate, and chicken eggs are seen as the least expensive type of host.)

Traditionally, the process of making a flu vaccine begins when officials with the Global Influenza Surveillance Network determines which strains are most likely to be a problem for the upcoming flu season and orders vaccines for those strains.?The actual manufacturing process is time-consuming and involves hundreds of millions of eggs. It can take up to six months -- and that's if everything goes well. Manufacturing problems, such as contamination, are common.

But instead of chicken eggs, Flublok is made by infecting cultures of insect cells with a virus that turns them into hemagglutinin factories. Hemagglutinin is a protein the covers the surface of the virus. Flucelvax is made using mammalian cells. There is no risk of getting the flu from either vaccine.

Have an Egg Allergy? Flu Shots are Likely OK

"If we're suddenly afflicted with a new pandemic virus, we always struggle to create a vaccine as quickly as possible. Both of these methods, we anticipate, will curtail the time from the identification of the new pandemic virus to actually having a vaccine for use," Dr. William Schaffner, chair of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told TakePart.

According to the manufacturer of Flublok, the production of the vaccine was achieved 21 days after obtaining the genetic sequence of the target virus. Flublok was found to be about 44.6 percent effective against all flu strains in studies (by comparison, this year?s vaccine is estimated to be about 62 percent effective). The vaccine's safety was tested in about 2,500 volunteers, according to the FDA. The most common side effects were pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches, which are also common in recipients of conventional egg-based flu vaccines.

"The immune response they create is comparable to the existing vaccine," Schaffner says. Moreover, studies indicate that Flublok may even confer protection against a broader spectrum of viruses.

Is Swine Flu the Next Pandemic Threat?

Some consumers who are allergic to eggs may prefer one of the two new vaccines, when they become available next year. However, Schaffner notes, several recent studies show the current vaccine that is grown in chicken eggs is safe even for people with egg allergies.

The new vaccine-manufacturing process is part of a new era of advances in influenza prevention. Researchers, for example, are intent on developing a vaccine that provides protection for more than one year and for many different strains of flu.

"I think it's fair to say in the last six years? -- ever since bird flu was on the horizon -- there has been more investment in researching improved influenza vaccines," Schaffner says. "Everyone is trying to work on a way to make a better vaccines."

Would you get the new egg-free vaccine during the next flu season? Did you get a flu shot this year?

?

Related Stories on TakePart:

? Going Viral: Flu Pandemics Through History

? How to Avoid the Flu: 8 Easy Ways to Not Get Sick

? Researchers Are Closing In On a Method to Predict Flu Outbreaks

---

?

Shari Roan is an award-winning health writer based in Southern California. She is the author of three books on health and science subjects.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/flu-shot-made-insects-222648995.html

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GOP plan would pay some bills if debt deal isn't reached

With the way forward on the debt ceiling still murky, a Republican proposal to be unveiled next week seeks to protect payments of three groups over everyone else: bond investors, seniors and military troops.

Sen. Pat Toomey and more than 30 Senate colleagues will introduce the "Ensuring the Full Faith and Credit of the United States and Protecting America's Soldiers and Seniors Act."

The bill is meant to offer a stop-gap if Congress refuses to raise the debt ceiling and the Treasury Department thus falls short of having enough cash to pay all the government's bills in full and on time.

Toomey's proposal would require that revenue going to Treasury first be used to pay interest on U.S. debt, Social Security benefits and active-duty military pay.

If there's not enough revenue available to cover those payments when they're due, the bill would also give limited authority to Treasury to raise the debt ceiling just enough to borrow the difference between revenue on hand and what's owed on the priority payments.

The bill would actually be a 2.0 version of legislation the same group introduced in July 2011 during the country's last debt ceiling imbroglio. The only major difference is that this year's bill would let Treasury raise the debt ceiling to make prioritized payments.

Chances are good, however, that the White House and Treasury will not be any more receptive to the new version than they were to the original.

"Choosing whether you pay Social Security beneficiaries, or combat troops in Afghanistan, or veterans who depend on the VA for benefits, or bond holders -- these are choices about default," White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday.

Treasury didn't offer a response, but referred CNNMoney to comments Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner made in 2011 in response to a proposal to prioritize interest payments on U.S. debt.

"This 'prioritization' proposal advocates a radical and deeply irresponsible departure from the commitment of Presidents of both parties throughout American history, to honor all commitments our nation has made," Geithner wrote in a letter to a senator.

Source: http://www.wyff4.com/news/money/GOP-plan-would-pay-some-bills-if-debt-deal-isn-t-reached/-/9323996/18182278/-/13ch0v8z/-/index.html?absolute=true

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Microsoft Security Essentials Fails Antivirus Certification Test For Second Time In A Row; Microsoft Disputes The Results

These results are noteworthy because Microsoft Security Essentials is currently?(as of December) the most popular security suite in North America and the world.

Microsoft disputed AV-Test's results in a blog post?on Wednesday evening, defending its software and challenging the antivirus lab's findings.

?We conduct a rigorous review of the results whenever test results warrant it,? wrote?Joe Blackbird, program manager at Microsoft?s Malware Protection Center. ?We take the protection of our customers very seriously, and?the investments we make to do these reviews is an example of?that commitment.

?Our review showed that 0.0033 percent of our Microsoft Security Essentials and Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection customers were impacted by malware samples not detected during the test. In addition, 94 percent of the malware samples not detected during the test didn't impact our customers.?

In his review, Blackbird points out that AV-Test only reports on ?samples hit/missed by category,? whereas Microsoft prioritizes its work based on consumer impact. Furthermore, AV-Test?s results indicated that Microsoft Security Essentials detected roughly 72 percent of all ?0-day malware,? with a sample size of 100 pieces of malware.

?We know from telemetry from hundreds of millions of systems around the world that 99.997 percent of our customers hit with any 0-day did not encounter the malware samples tested in this test,? Blackbird said.

With missing malware entirely, AV-Test reported Microsoft Security Essentials missing 9 percent of ?recent malware,? using a sample size of 216,000 pieces of malware. In rebuke, Blackbird pointed out that 94 percent of missed malware samples ?were never encountered by any of our customers.?

?During the test, our products didn't detect 28 of the 0-day malware samples, and 9 percent of the recent malware samples,? Blackbird said. ?AV-Test uses a minimum bar in their scoring: Our results for these two areas fell under that bar. The missed samples in both of these sections were where we focused our analysis, as we wanted to ensure we weren't missing anything impactful to our customers. When we did our review, we found that our customer-focused processes had already added signatures that protected against 4 percent of the missed samples. These files affected 0.003 percent of our customers.?

Finally, Microsoft used a retrospective analysis to inspect the remaining ?missing files? to see if any customers had encountered them.

?We were looking for files that slipped through because of gaps in our telemetry or file collection process. And we found that 2 percent of these files existed across 0.003 percent of our customers,? Blackbird said. ?The other 94 percent of the samples don't represent what our customers encounter. When we explicitly looked for these files, we could not find them on our customers' machines.?

AV-Test?s review looks at three key areas of security software, including protection, reparability, and usability of the whole computer based on the software?s impact. Across those three areas, Microsoft Security Essentials scored a 1.5 out of 6 on protection against viruses and worms, a 3.0 out of 6 on a reparability scale, and a 5.5 out of 6 on the usability scale, where ?lower values indicate better results.?

Out of the 25 programs tested by AV-Test, including security software from companies like McAfee, Norman, Kaspersky and others, Microsoft?s Security Essentials was just one out of three that failed to gain certification.

?We know from feedback from customers that industry testing is valuable, and their tests do help us improve,? Blackbird said. ?We're committed to reducing our 0.0033 percent margin to zero.?

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/microsoft-security-essentials-fails-antivirus-certification-test-second-time-row-microsoft-disputes

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