Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/nicki-minaj-slams-steven-tyler-racist-comment/
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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Kenya's Safaricom revamps mobile phone banking with CBA
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's top telecoms operator, Safaricom, will offer a new mobile phone-based banking product with Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) to tap into an underdeveloped market for financial services.
The firm, which is 40 percent owned by Britain's Vodafone, has been looking to build on the success of its phone-based money transfer service, M-Pesa.
Started in 2007 as the world's first mobile-phone based service for moving money around, M-Pesa has grown to account for a sixth of Safaricom's revenue or 10.43 billion shillings in the firm's first-half ended September .
It has also given the east African nation of 40 million people a reputation as a pioneer in financial innovation.
Known as M-Shwari, the new service will allow Safaricom's subscribers to save money and access short-term credit from CBA.
Although the country has seen an increase in the population's access to financial services in recent years, about a third of the population still lacks access, the central bank says.
Total deposit accounts in the financial sector leapt to 15 million at the end of September this year from 2.5 million in 2005, the central bank said, but many poor people especially in rural areas still keep their cash in mattresses at home.
"Research indicates that a staggering 200 billion shillings remains unbanked, not earning interest and not generating much value to their owners," said Bob Collymore, Safaricom's chief executive.
He said that M-Shwari "will foster a culture of saving."
Unlike a previous attempt to offer a similar service with Equity Bank, users of M-Shwari will not be required to directly open a bank account with CBA.
Known as M-Kesho, the previous service required users to also open an account with Equity Bank, to access banking services on their mobile phones.
M-Shwari users will save money at an annualised deposit interest rate of up to 5 percent and allows them to borrow amounts of up to 20,000 shillings for up to 30 days at a one-time interest rate of 7.5 percent, both firms said.
"With this mobile banking product we will leverage on Safaricom's customer base of over 19.2 million subscribers - 15 million of whom are already on M-Pesa," said Isaac Awuondo, CBA's managing director.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyas-safaricom-revamps-mobile-phone-banking-cba-051730651--sector.html
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
How infidelity helps nieces and nephews: Men may share more genes with sisters' kids than cheating wife's kids
ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2012) ? A University of Utah study produced new mathematical support for a theory that explains why men in some cultures often feed and care for their sisters' children: where extramarital sex is common and accepted, a man's genes are more likely to be passed on by their sister's kids than by their wife's kids.
The theory previously was believed valid only if a man was likely to be the biological father of less than one in four of his wife's children -- a number that anthropologists found improbably low.
But in the new study, University of Utah anthropology Professor Alan Rogers shows mathematically that if certain assumptions in the theory are made less stringent and more realistic, that ratio changes from one in four to one in two, so the theory works more easily.
In other words, a man's genes are more likely to be passed by his sisters' children if fewer than half of his wife's kids are biologically his -- rather than the old requirement that he had to sire fewer than a quarter of his wife's kids, according to the study published online Nov. 28 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
"Imagine a mutation that encourages its bearers, if they are men, to be helpful and invest resources in the children of their sisters," Rogers says. "If that man lives in a society where most of his wife's children were fathered by other men, then this gene may not be in many of his wife's children. A man really doesn't know if any of his wife's kids were fathered by him, but he knows he and his sister have the same mom. So this gene may, in fact, be in more of his sisters' children."
"Thus, over time, the frequency of this gene increases because men are increasing the survival and fitness of their sisters' children -- the ones more likely to carry the gene," he adds.
The new study "shows that it is much easier than we thought for your niece to be a closer relative than your wife's daughter," Rogers says.
The research was funded by the University of Utah.
Why Men Help their Sisters' Kids: Theory and Debate
"Men invest in children in many ways; they care for them, feed them and leave them resources when the men die," Roger says. "But in some human societies, these are the children of sisters rather than those of wives. For decades, anthropologists have wondered why."
Extramarital mating is common in some cultures, including in central Africa and South America, he says, but not in the U.S. or other Western societies where infidelity, as prevalent as seems, much is less common by comparison.
"In some societies it is expected; it isn't seen as cheating," Rogers says. "And it isn't really just about promiscuity. Even where extramarital sex isn't common, women get divorced and remarried and have households with offspring from several men."
Rogers says: "In many societies where extramarital mating is the norm, men may not share genes with the children of wives. There is less doubt about relatedness to sisters' children. This suggests an interesting hypothesis: perhaps natural selection has shaped this practice, by encouraging males to direct investment toward genetic relatives."
"There was great enthusiasm for this idea during the 1970s, until a problem came to light," he continues. "Simple calculations suggested that the explanation collapses unless men father fewer than about one in four of their wife's children. Many have doubted that the number -- the paternity threshold number -- could really be this low."
Rogers' new study shows it is much easier than that for the idea to be true -- for natural selection to favor men who help their sisters' kids. He shows the theory holds true if men father fewer than half their wife's kids rather than fewer than one-quarter of those kids -- something much more likely to happen in reality.
The study shows this mathematically by relaxing assumptions previously made as part of the uncle-caretaker theory.
Rogers says it isn't enough to take into account the probability of paternity -- the odds that a child's biological father also is his mother's husband. The new study shows that if the assumptions made in old studies are relaxed, another parameter also must be measured: "the probability a brother and sister had the same biological father. The higher that probability, the more closely related a man is to his sister and his sister's kids."
Making Old Assumptions More Realistic
Rogers examined four assumptions made in previous studies and changed them to be more realistic. In this more realistic theory, men are more likely to share genes with their sister's children than under the old theory.
The first two assumptions of the existing theory were that "women are equally receptive to extramarital affairs and that each has an infinite number of paramours," says Rogers. "These assumptions both lower estimates of relatedness between men and the children of their sisters. Relaxing either assumption increases our estimate of the fitness payoff to men who invest in children of sisters."
[Rogers notes the theory applies to a man's sisters' children, but not to his brothers' children "because your brother has no more confidence than you do about the paternity of his wife's children. Sisters are a better bet, because they know who their kids are."]
"Previous calculations assume every woman in the population is equally promiscuous," Rogers says. "If you relax that assumption and instead assume some women are more promiscuous than others, it means men are more likely to share genes with their sisters' children."
"The earlier theory also assumed women each woman had an infinite number of boyfriends," instead of a range from one to infinity, he adds. "It made the math simple -- and it gave you a wrong answer."
The new study showed mathematically that a man's relatedness to his sister's kids increases if his wife has fewer rather than more extramarital partners and if she allocates sex -- and thus having children -- unevenly among them.
A third problem with previous studies is that they assumed resources given to any child were equally valuable. Rogers says that didn't account for the fact that giving your wife's kids twice as many resources isn't necessarily twice as good -- once the kids have what they need -- but may be only half again as good for them. So the man may be better off also giving resources to his sisters' kids.
"The old model didn't account for that, and because of that, it biased things in favor of the wife's children. When the nieces and nephews share fewer genes, they end up getting zero resources rather than some reduced share, as they should."
The fourth problem with most previous calculations was that they didn't account for a simple reality: "The best thing for a man to do depends on how his wife is going to respond," Rogers says. "If wives punish their husbands one way or another for delivering goods to their nieces and nephews, it's not just the husband deciding what is best for the husband. Women have an active role in all of these decisions and that role was ignored in the previous model."
Another study published recently took that into account, making it easier to understand how natural selection might favor men who invest in their sisters' offspring.
Rogers believes that natural selection and genetics ultimately contributes to people helping their relatives in most cultures, even if the primary motivation may be tax breaks for those who provide cash gifts to relatives rather than passing on one's genes.
"People are nice to relatives all over the world, and I think selection has something to do with that," he says.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Utah.
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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/QC_uU8R_kyc/121127190021.htm
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Monday, November 26, 2012
Patient's own immune cells may blunt viral therapy for brain cancer
Doctors now use cancer-killing viruses to treat some patients with lethal, fast-growing brain tumors. Clinical trials show that these therapeutic viruses are safe but less effective than expected.
A new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center ? Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC ? James) shows that the reason for this is in part due to the patient's own immune system, which quickly works to eliminate the anticancer virus.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, show that the body responds to the anticancer virus as it does to an infection. Within hours, specialized immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells move in to eliminate the therapeutic virus in the brain.
The researchers discovered that the NK cells attack the viruses when they express specific molecules on their surface called NKp30 and NKp46. "These receptor molecules enable the NK cells to recognize and destroy the anticancer viruses before the viruses can destroy the tumor," says co-senior author Dr. Michael A. Caligiuri, director of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and a senior author of the study.
"When we blocked those receptors, the virus has more time to work, and mice with these brain tumors live longer. The next step is to block these molecules on NK cells in glioblastoma patients and see if we can improve their outcome," says Caligiuri, who is also the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation Chair in Cancer Research. This study of cancer-cell-killing, or oncolytic, viruses is an example of the value of translational research, in which a problem observed during clinical trials is studied in the laboratory to devise a solution.
"In this case, clinical trials of oncolytic viruses proved safe for use in the brain, but we noticed substantial numbers of immune cells in brain tumors after treatment," says senior author and neurosurgeon Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca, who was professor and chair of neurological surgery while at Ohio State University.
"To understand this process, we went back to the laboratory and showed that NK cells rapidly infiltrate tumors in mice that have been treated with the therapeutic virus. These NK cells also signal other inflammatory cells to come in and destroy the cancer-killing virus in the tumor."
The study used an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, human glioblastoma tumor tissue and mouse models, one of which hosted both human glioblastoma cells and human NK cells. Key technical findings include:
- Replication of the therapeutic virus in tumor cells in an animal model rapidly attracted subsets of NK cells to the tumor site;
- NK cells in tumors activated other immune cells (i.e., macrophages and microglia) that have both antiviral and anticancer properties;
- Depletion of NK cells improves the survival of tumor-bearing mice treated with the therapeutic virus;
- NK cells that destroy virus-infected tumor cells express the NKp30 and NKp46 receptors molecules that recognize the virus.
Journal reference: Nature Medicine
Provided by Ohio State University Medical Center
Source: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-patient-immune-cells-blunt-viral.html
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Real Estate Business ? Lucrative Money Making Opportunities If ...
26 November 2012
Today there are several forms of investments. They can be done through bonds, stocks, jewelry, property, on in many other ways. Obviously, the only intention of making investments is getting good returns. Above all, it is a proven fact that investing in properties is the more favorable option.
The reason is simple and well-known. The value of any property gradually increases with the passing time. The property you purchased today might triple its value in future. When that happens, your financial condition will definitely improve.
For a number of people investing in property is the only source of income they have. After all real estate is an attractive way of making money. However, to be successful in property business you need to do it meticulously.
This business is like an art, and to master it like any art, and it takes good enough time to master it. However, the important key is to buy property at a lower price and sell the same for more. You stand to earn good profits after deducting all the expenses involved in the transactions.
Below mentioned are some tips that will help you become successful in the real estate business.
- First and foremost thing to do is have a complete idea about how the business works. Simply use internet and gather as much information as you can about the business. Design your strategies of investing, try to find out what type of houses that families look for etc. Such information will give you a lot of confidence to make a start.
- In this business, it is very necessary to plan every step that you take. Try consulting a mentor if you want to, and ask them to create a plan for you. If you do not have a good plan, chances of making good profits will be very unlikely.
- Real estate is a business that runs on aggressive marketing. If you will employ good marketing tools, there are great chances that you will grab the market quickly, and get customers effortlessly.
- In order to get a good deal, it is recommended that you keep an eye on public auctions, foreclosures, divorce settlements, newspaper announcements etc. As quick settlement is preferred in some cases, you may at times get a very good deal. Also, check old listings, as they may still be unsold, and hence you can get the property at a good price. Certain properties are such that by spending a bit on their maintenance, you can earn good profit. Try searching for such properties.
- It is advisable to have a network with attorneys. After all, they are the ones who carry out all the official paperwork works. Some attorneys also sell the property on behalf of the seller, or in specific circumstances like death of the owner. They are usually looking forward to dispose of the property quickly, and thus can offer a good deal. Thus, maintaining good relations with them can get you such profitable offers.
- Before making the first purchase, check the entire property thoroughly. Check all the corners of the house, and understand what types of materials are used on construction. Check the doors and windows, electricity connection, lights, water source, tiles, furniture, etc. Check everything that comes with the property.
- Keep a record of all the expenses that you incur in the course of purchasing the property. They could be something like the amount paid to a lawyer for doing paperwork, money paid for materials and contractors, etc. Many people lose money in real estate business because they do not monitor their expenses properly.
To become successful in the market of real estate, it is necessary to understand the requirements of your customers. Fetch yourself all the information related to this business, and it will definitely benefit you.
Author?s Bio: James is an experienced real estate agent and he blogs about procedures of leasing, renting, and buying properties and buildings. His post on property development syndicate will help you invest for gaining long term profits.
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Internet Marketing Search Engine Optimization SEM SEO service ...
There are millions of different online businesses out there, and if you expect your particular business to be successful, then you need to implement some sound marketing techniques. By reading through this information, you will find valuable information on how to best utilize the Internet for marketing purposes. Keep reading for great Internet marketing information.
Think about methods you want to use to advertise your webpage. Free or cheap methods to promote your business are to make a blog or use social networks to promote your business. There are many ways to get people to come to your site. It just takes some creativity.
Make sure that you maximize the quality of third-party security with transactions. Many different companies offer a variety of secure services. VeriSign is one of the programs that helps to keep financial information private. Security systems can cost money, but they are absolute necessities for doing business online safely.
Internet marketing is both similar to, and different from, other marketing tactics. Be ready for any changes that may come up, like if search engines stop putting focus on title tags. Knowing this, you might need to place more effort in marketing a video to viral audiences.
Every company should have both an interesting slogan and a professional logo, no matter the size of the company. You customers will remember you by how you portray your brand. Customers tend to remember catchy slogans for quite a while. When a customer is ready to buy a product, he might remember your slogan even if he doesn?t remember the name of your business. In the age of the internet, that?s not a big problem.
Sending emails is a great way to stay in touch with your customers, but make sure you send out varied content. A block of links that remain the same with every email your customers receive is easy to start ignoring. Create variety in your emails to gain attention.
Another option would be combining products into a package deal and selling it for a lower price. That way the customer gets more bang for their buck. Advertisements for sales or promotions must be detailed and contain the exact conditions of the offer.
Use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with your audience. You can use these sites to advertise new offers or to share your latest articles. However, make sure to not over-advertise on these websites. Rather, strive to post useful and smart messages with intermittent marketing messages interspersed.
Making your site stand out is a great Internet promotion advantage you can use. Making your site stand out is what drives visitors towards your site, and there are a lot out there so this is a good strategy. You should showcase something you offer that no one else does.
Make a webpage specifically built for public relations. This is where you can include information that online magazines and newspapers can publish. Not only is this simple to do, but it also is an excellent way to promote your business.
Spin the positives when selling your goods. Concentrate on the value your product or service will add to their life. Tell them how it will make their life better. Having a positive attitude, and being confident that your product will work to the customer?s benefit, will encourage more sales.
High-quality graphics of your products can make or break an online sale. Your customers need to be able to visualize the items they are about to buy, and see the detail of your high-quality products. Allow customers to post their own images of your products to show how they use them. If your product warrants use of ?before and after? pictures, they can be an effective selling tool.
If you can you should give your away something branded for free to help spread awareness of your business. For example, if it?s a wallpaper, submit it to sites that offer free wallpapers. Many websites give their customers freebies, downloads, and e-zines that accept links for you to submit your site.
As stated above, Internet marketing helps your business get noticed. Traditional advertising methods just cannot give you the visibility and the worldwide presence that Online marketing can provide. Use the helpful tips here, and find out what works best for you.
The formatting of your website?s text plays an important role in its attractiveness and success. You can emphasize a single word using tags to underline, bold, or italicize it. This can help to distinguish how you want your customer to receive a certain message, which can help with the clarity of what you are trying to say.
Internet Marketing, SEO
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Here are some other Internet Marketing/SEO related sites that I would like to share with you.
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4 ways to market your business online - Jun. 5 2007
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Source: http://www.websitehostdirect.com/how-to-become-an-expert-in-internet-promotion/
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