In March, PFT ranked the top 100 free agents available.
As the calendar flips to June, 90 of those free agents are now under contract.
Of the ten unsigned players, one ? Brian Urlacher ? is rather unlikely to sign another deal, having recently announced his retirement.
Another top 100 player ? the Giants? Victor Cruz ? is left to sign his tender as a restricted free agent with New York or to negotiate another outcome with the club. The window for him to sign elsewhere is long closed.
In any event, Cruz figures to be on the field this season.
This leaves us with eight top-100 players unsigned and unrestricted.
Only two are ranked in the top 50: defensive tackle Richard Seymour (No. 42) and defensive end John Abraham (No. 43). Seymour has reportedly been linked to the Falcons. Abraham, meanwhile, is the best pass rusher left.
Six of the eight free agents still unsigned in our top 100 are defensive players. Four are defensive linemen, with defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (No. 66) and defensive end Israel Idonije (No. 79) joining Seymour and Abraham to make a pretty solid starting four-man front still available.
The other defensive players unsigned are outside linebacker Daryl Smith (No. 63) and inside linebacker Nick Barnett (No. 89).
Former Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is the top offensive player left in our rankings (No. 76). Also unsigned is offensive guard Brandon Moore (No. 97).
Moore is an accomplished, dependable player ? a team leader. He?s made 137 consecutive starts, all for the Jets.
Moore is also one of six free agents 31 or older who remains unsigned on our list, with Seymour, Abraham, Smith, Idonije and Barnett the others.
Bradshaw, meanwhile, is just 27, but he has had foot issues.
Which brings us to Ellis. He turns 28 in September. Five years ago, he was the No. 7 overall pick of New Orleans.
On Friday, Ellis visited the Patriots. A one-year flier on him would make sense for New England.
You could say the same for everyone still unsigned in our top 100, really. Here?s a group with some players who would seem to have something left to give.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European banks will be able to open branches and accounts in Syria for use by the opposition, European Union governments decided on Friday, relaxing economic sanctions to help the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.
The decision comes days after the European Union lifted its arms embargo on Syria to allow weapons deliveries to the opposition, in hopes of tilting the balance of the two-year conflict in which more than 80,000 people have died.
The EU hopes that by providing access to financial services it can help the rebels fund humanitarian aid and restore basic utilities.
Aid is urgently needed in parts of Syria. The Red Cross has said some areas of the country are a landscape of "devastation and destruction".
Civilians have been cut off from water, electricity and life-saving medical supplies, particularly in rebel-held areas targeted by air strikes and ballistic missiles.
Under the new EU rules, which go into effect on Saturday, EU governments will be able to authorise banking services in Syria if the opposition has been consulted and the contacts do not contravene asset freezes imposed on Syrian companies or officials.
The U.S. government has already allowed American citizens, companies and banks to send money to the Syrian rebels, exempting them from sanctions imposed at the start of Assad's violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
The EU has also allowed European companies to buy oil from the Syrian rebels, although experts say any tangible economic benefit of such decisions may be far off because importers will likely be reluctant to wade into a war zone.
(Reporting by Justyna Pawlak; editing by Ron Askew)
Genetically modified wheat has been discovered growing in a field in Oregon. GMO wheat is not approved for sale in the U.S. Above, a wheat field in Arkansas.
Danny Johnston/AP
Genetically modified wheat has been discovered growing in a field in Oregon. GMO wheat is not approved for sale in the U.S. Above, a wheat field in Arkansas.
Danny Johnston/AP
A farmer in Oregon has found some genetically engineered wheat growing on his land. It's an unwelcome surprise, because this type of wheat has never been approved for commercial planting.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's investigating, trying to find out how this wheat got there. The USDA says there's no risk to public health, but wheat exporters are worried about how their customers in Asia and Europe will react.
In fact, worry about export markets is the main reason why genetically engineered wheat isn't on the market in the first place.
The biotech company Monsanto did create varieties of wheat that tolerate the weedkiller glyphosate, or Roundup ? just as it created "Roundup Ready" corn, soybeans, cotton and canola. It also carried out field trials of this wheat in 16 different states.
But the country's wheat growers told the company that they did not want it.
"We are not in favor of commercializing any biotech trait unless it's gone through regulatory approvals in the U.S. and in other countries," says Steve Mercer, vice president of communications for U.S. Wheat Associates. Many countries, including some that import wheat from the U.S., are quite hostile to genetically engineered crops.
Monsanto dropped the wheat project. It never asked for government approval, and it ended its field trials of wheat in 2005.
Fast forward eight years. About a month ago, a farmer in eastern Oregon noticed some wheat plants growing where he didn't expect them, and they didn't die when he sprayed them with Roundup.
The farmer sent samples of these curious plants to Carol Mallory-Smith, a scientist at Oregon State University who has investigated other cases in which genetically engineered crops spread beyond their approved boundaries.
She found that this wheat was, in fact, genetically engineered. She passed samples on to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which confirmed her results.
Bernadette Juarez, an official with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said in a statement that her agency is collecting more samples from the farm, conducting more tests. "We have a team of dedicated investigators working on the ground daily to figure out what's going on here," she says.
Nobody knows how this wheat got to this farm. Monsanto's last field trials in Oregon were in 2001. After all such trials, the genetically engineered crops are supposed to be completely removed.
Also, nobody knows how widely this genetically engineered wheat has spread, and whether it's been in fields of wheat that were harvested for food.
According to the USDA, even if it has, there's no danger to public health. Still, if further tests show that this unapproved wheat has spread into the food supply, it could play havoc with wheat sales.
In 2006, traces of genetically engineered rice ? also unapproved ? were discovered in large parts of the American rice harvest. That discovery shut down America's rice exports to some countries. Exporters lost millions of dollars. The wheat harvest is much bigger.
Steve Mercer, from U.S. Wheat Associates, says there's no indication that this will happen to wheat. Right now, it's just a few isolated plants growing in eastern Oregon.
"We're in the process of getting in touch with all of our customers," he says. "We are going to work to make sure that they have all the information that they need to make their decisions, and reassure them that this isolated trait hasn't entered commerce."
So far, he says, those customers aren't making any decisions. They're just asking for more information.
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) ? British diplomats recommended that a British man detained in Kenya 2 ? years ago on suspicion of attempting to join Islamic fighters in Somalia be freed, the lawyer who represented him said Thursday. The man was let go and last week allegedly helped butcher a British soldier on the streets of London.
Michael Adebolajo's lawyer, Wycliffe Makasembo, said a letter from the British High Commission in Nairobi recommended that the man be released because there was no tangible evidence to link him to the crime.
"They noted that the suspects had not yet crossed over to Somalia and thus, there was no cause to charge them," Makasembo told a reporter.
Rosemary Mutoka, the magistrate who presided over the case in Kenya's port city of Mombasa, ruled that there was no clear information about the circumstances and what Adebolajo and other suspects were found doing that led to the police arresting them.
Court records examined by a reporter on Thursday show Adebolajo was arrested on Nov. 21, 2010, with eight others on suspicion that they were trying to cross over to Somalia to join al-Shabab militants. Adebolajo was arraigned in the court on Nov. 23, 2010. The court granted the Anti-terrorism Police Unit officers two days to interrogate him, the court records show, but it is not clear when he was released.
However, a statement on Tuesday by the Foreign Commonwealth Office in London suggests Adebolajo may have been deported.
"There is an established procedure for returning foreign nationals to the UK from overseas. Individuals arrested abroad and not facing charges there are usually put on the next available flight by authorities of that country," the statement said.
John Bradshaw, spokesman for the British High Commission in Nairobi, referred queries on whether it had written a letter recommending Adebolajo's release to the Foreign Office in London. When asked about the issue, Britain's Foreign Office confirmed that a British national was arrested in Kenya in 2010 and that the Foreign Office had "provided consular assistance as normal" for U.K. nationals. The court file examined by a reporter does not currently contain any letter from the British High Commissioner's office.
Adebolajo is a key suspect in the brazen killing of off-duty soldier Lee Rigby, 25, who was slain by two men wielding knives and meat cleavers near his barracks in southeast London's Woolwich area. The two suspects were shot by police and arrested on suspicion of murder.
Courts files show that Adebolajo and others were arrested in 2010 at Kizingitini village, on Pate Island in the Lamu archipelago. An affidavit sworn by Stephen Hamisi from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit claimed that investigations had indicated that the suspects were heading to Somalia before being intercepted.
Kenyan police believed Adebolajo, a British citizen, had earlier associated with a radical Kenyan Muslim cleric who tried to help him join al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked rebel group in Somalia. Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed, who was gunned down in August by unidentified gunmen in Mombasa, helped Adebolajo in his attempt to travel to Somalia to wage jihad, or holy war, against the country's United Nations-backed government, a senior Kenyan police official said Tuesday. The official insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press on this matter.
Makasembo was representing Adebolajo even though the Law Society of Kenya website says he was not cleared to practice law in 2010 because he did not have practicing certificate for that year. An official of the society said that without a practicing certificate issued by the organization, a lawyer cannot write legal documents or represent client before a judge or magistrate. Court officials don't often ask for a lawyer's certificate.
Well, it seems that you, the web video watching public, has spoken. Amazon announced today that it has whittled its robust list of pilots down to five titles, thanks to viewers like you. Winners will be turned into series available to users of Amazon Prime Instant Video and Lovefilm later this year and in early 2014. That list includes the John Goodman political comedy Alpha House, the startup-centric Betas and the kids series Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleleaf. For the full press release and quotes from the folks behind the series being various states of "thrilled," click on through the break.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) ? Police arrested a Disneyland employee on suspicion of putting a so-called dry ice bomb in a theme park trash can where it exploded, authorities said Wednesday.
No one was injured in the small blast, but Disneyland briefly evacuated the Mickey's Toontown section where the incident occurred Tuesday. The trash can did not blow up.
Christian Barnes, 22, of Long Beach was arrested for investigation of possessing a destructive device, just hours after the blast, Anaheim police Sgt. Bob Dunn said in a statement.
It wasn't immediately clear how police connected Barnes to the blast and Dunn did not return repeated calls. Police said earlier they would scrutinize social media and surveillance footage.
Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown released a statement Wednesday saying the resort was working closely with authorities.
Barnes will be suspended or fired, she said.
Barnes, who worked as an outdoor vendor for the resort, was held on $1 million bail, Dunn said.
Dunn said Barnes was cooperating with investigators, telling them the blast was an isolated incident with results he did not expect, Dunn said. Dunn did not elaborate.
Barnes' father Raymond Barnes said he did not know exactly what happened, but thought his son was "just silly, not thinking" and messing around with dry ice without realizing the severity of what might happen.
"Whatever it was, there was nothing sinister about it," Barnes told KCBS-TV. "He's a good kid. Never been in any trouble."
Barnes' case had not yet been presented to prosecutors, said Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney's office. The bail amount could change when prosecutors get the case and charges are decided, she said.
Detectives found fragments of a water bottle in the trash can and believe Barnes placed dry ice inside it to create the explosion, the police spokesman said.
A telephone listing for a Christian Barnes in Long Beach rang unanswered Wednesday.
So-called dry ice bombs are easy to make, and on a much smaller scale, are sometimes used as classroom chemistry demonstrations, said John Goodpaster, an explosives expert at the Purdue School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
The size of the explosion, however, can vary greatly depending on the container's size, material and the amount of dry ice used, he said.
The devices could cause injuries to those nearby if the built-up pressure was high enough, including cuts from flying bottle shards, he said.
"This is a simple device. It's not a pipe bomb filled with gunpowder, but it definitely will generate an explosion," Goodpaster said.
"If somebody was throwing something out, they could have been injured."
American Cancer Society honors Isaiah J. Fidler for outstanding researchPublic release date: 29-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-792-0661 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Medal of honor goes to pioneer and leader in the field of cancer metastasis
HOUSTON When Isaiah J. Fidler, D.V.M., Ph.D., left his veterinary surgical practice to pursue a doctorate that would allow him to study and combat the lethal spread of cancer to other organs, he got lots of advice. The common message: Don't go there.
"I was told by very serious scientists that I should stay out of the field because cancer metastasis is the pinnacle of chaos, of randomness," Fidler said.
Fidler plunged ahead with research that exposed the origins of metastasis, the processes by which these cells spread and thrive in other organs, the molecular diversity that makes them so hard to treat, and the crucial supporting role of their surrounding microenvironment.
"Nothing in biology is random, there are only processes that we don't understand," Fidler said. "Metastasis is, in fact, a highly regulated process every step of the way."
For his basic science discoveries and contributions to the treatment of cancer metastasis, Fidler earned the 2013 American Cancer Society Medal of Honor for Basic Research. Professor in The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Cancer Biology and director of its Metastasis Research Laboratory, Fidler was honored at the ACS 100th anniversary celebration in Atlanta on May 22.
Tumor environment critical to metastasis
"To say this honor is richly deserved is an understatement. Dr. Fidler wasn't just in on the ground floor of metastasis research, he was instrumental in building it," said MD Anderson President Ronald DePinho, M.D.
"Two major areas of cancer research today address the importance of the tumor microenvironment and the genetic diversity, or heterogeneity, of cancer cells. Both fields have roots in Josh Fidler's research," DePinho said. "His current work expands our knowledge of brain metastasis and uncovers new potential treatments for that lethal condition."
Fidler expressed elation and gratitude. "I am deeply honored to receive this award and I share this recognition with colleagues, collaborators and trainees who worked diligently and creatively to uncover the vital details of metastasis," he said.
Fidler also praised MD Anderson's dedication to translational research, moving laboratory discoveries through the final steps that result in clinical trials of new therapeutic options via close collaboration with clinicians. "I've been doing translational research all of my life," he said.
A new potential approach to metastatic brain tumors
His current research addresses cancers that spread to the brain, which occur in about 170,000 U.S. patients annually, are virtually untreatable and relatively under-studied.
Treatment of brain metastases has been thought to be hindered by the blood-brain barrier, tight construction of blood vessels that protect the brain from toxins in the bloodstream. That barrier is intact in a healthy brain, Fidler said, but the vasculature of tumors is inherently leaky.
"The blood-brain barrier is just an excuse, something else had to be hindering treatment," Fidler said. Astrocytes are supportive cells that connect to neurons to provide oxygen and sugar and to evacuate waste.
"The problem is these idiots do the same thing for tumors, both primary and metastatic types," Fidler said. Brain tumors are surrounded and invaded by astrocytes. It's a classic case of an organ's microenvironment aiding cancer survival.
Experiments showed that treating metastatic brain cancer cells in the lab with seven types of chemotherapy killed the cells. Culturing the same cell lines with astrocytes made them highly resistant to all of the drugs.
When an astrocyte touches a tumor cell, it launches expression of hundreds of survival-related genes. Block the connection and nothing happens. The team identified targetable receptors on tumor cells that can be inhibited without affecting neurons. The approach has gone to a phase I clinical trial for brain tumor patients in cooperation with a Swiss drug company.
Experiments spell out the basics of metastasis
Fidler launched his graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid-1960s with a simple question. If cancer cells were so aggressive, why did scientists have to inject a million cells into a lab animal to get a single tumor?
He injected 100,000 traceable melanoma cells into mice and then observed their travels and activity. "The cells reached every organ in the body," Fidler said. After several weeks, all of them died except for a few hundred in the lungs, where metastasis took hold.
"It was clear from the beginning that a cell just reaching an organ wasn't enough to establish metastasis," Fidler said. This experiment established that metastasis arises from less than 1 percent of tumor cells.
Metastatic cells exist in original tumor's diversity
To determine the origin of metastatic cells, Fidler teamed with his wife, the immunologist Margaret Kripke, Ph.D., who suggested they borrow an experimental method used in immunology to identify resistant bacteria.
They took clones of individual cells from a parental tumor, and placed each single cell in a separate culture to grow into a cell line. The resulting cells lines were injected separately into 20 genetically identical mice.
The majority caused no metastasis, a few matched the minimal metastasis of the parental tumor and a handful produced hundreds of metastases.
"This showed that the metastatic cell pre-exists in the diversity of cells in the original tumor," Fidler said. "And it provided the first proof that tumors are heterogeneous, until then no one used the term."
A subsequent chromosomal analysis showed that tumor cells are inherently more genetically unstable than normal cells, and that metastatic cells are the most unstable of all.
Seed and soil
The next question was why tumor cells take hold and grow in some organs but not others. Ian Hart, a post-doctoral fellow in his lab, introduced Fidler to the work of Stephen Paget, a 19th century British physician who analyzed hundreds of autopsies of cancer patients and found patterns of metastasis to other organs. His findings were published in the very first issue of The Lancet in 1892.
Paget wrote that tumor cells are like seeds and organs like soil and only when the right seed lands in the right soil will a metastasis thrive. "In essence, everything I had done confirmed Paget's hypothesis," Fidler said.
Hart and Fidler transplanted mouse embryonic lung and kidney tissue in the flanks of genetically identical mice. They injected radioactively labeled melanoma cells. Cells gathered in many organs, but only took hold in the lungs and in the lung tissue on the mouse's flank.
The findings confirmed the seed-and-soil hypothesis, which is predominant today, and undermined other theories that metastasis was based on blood flow (i.e. to lungs) or perhaps proximity to the original tumor.
"The heterogeneity of metastatic cancer cells means that single-agent targeted therapies will fail against metastatic disease," Fidler said. "And we ignore the tumor microenvironment at our peril." Metastasis causes about 85 percent of cancer deaths.
Fidler, known to friends as Josh, also holds the R. E. "Bob" Smith Distinguished Chair in Cell Biology. He came to MD Anderson in 1983, serving as the founding chair of the department of cancer biology until 2008. He is a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research; the world's oldest and largest organization dedicated to cancer research, and was inducted this year into the AACR Academy. Fidler also is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fidler also won the Nature Publishing Group's 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.
An accomplished mentor and teacher, Fidler has mentored 140 scientists, including graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, clinical fellows and visiting scientists.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
American Cancer Society honors Isaiah J. Fidler for outstanding researchPublic release date: 29-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-792-0661 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Medal of honor goes to pioneer and leader in the field of cancer metastasis
HOUSTON When Isaiah J. Fidler, D.V.M., Ph.D., left his veterinary surgical practice to pursue a doctorate that would allow him to study and combat the lethal spread of cancer to other organs, he got lots of advice. The common message: Don't go there.
"I was told by very serious scientists that I should stay out of the field because cancer metastasis is the pinnacle of chaos, of randomness," Fidler said.
Fidler plunged ahead with research that exposed the origins of metastasis, the processes by which these cells spread and thrive in other organs, the molecular diversity that makes them so hard to treat, and the crucial supporting role of their surrounding microenvironment.
"Nothing in biology is random, there are only processes that we don't understand," Fidler said. "Metastasis is, in fact, a highly regulated process every step of the way."
For his basic science discoveries and contributions to the treatment of cancer metastasis, Fidler earned the 2013 American Cancer Society Medal of Honor for Basic Research. Professor in The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Cancer Biology and director of its Metastasis Research Laboratory, Fidler was honored at the ACS 100th anniversary celebration in Atlanta on May 22.
Tumor environment critical to metastasis
"To say this honor is richly deserved is an understatement. Dr. Fidler wasn't just in on the ground floor of metastasis research, he was instrumental in building it," said MD Anderson President Ronald DePinho, M.D.
"Two major areas of cancer research today address the importance of the tumor microenvironment and the genetic diversity, or heterogeneity, of cancer cells. Both fields have roots in Josh Fidler's research," DePinho said. "His current work expands our knowledge of brain metastasis and uncovers new potential treatments for that lethal condition."
Fidler expressed elation and gratitude. "I am deeply honored to receive this award and I share this recognition with colleagues, collaborators and trainees who worked diligently and creatively to uncover the vital details of metastasis," he said.
Fidler also praised MD Anderson's dedication to translational research, moving laboratory discoveries through the final steps that result in clinical trials of new therapeutic options via close collaboration with clinicians. "I've been doing translational research all of my life," he said.
A new potential approach to metastatic brain tumors
His current research addresses cancers that spread to the brain, which occur in about 170,000 U.S. patients annually, are virtually untreatable and relatively under-studied.
Treatment of brain metastases has been thought to be hindered by the blood-brain barrier, tight construction of blood vessels that protect the brain from toxins in the bloodstream. That barrier is intact in a healthy brain, Fidler said, but the vasculature of tumors is inherently leaky.
"The blood-brain barrier is just an excuse, something else had to be hindering treatment," Fidler said. Astrocytes are supportive cells that connect to neurons to provide oxygen and sugar and to evacuate waste.
"The problem is these idiots do the same thing for tumors, both primary and metastatic types," Fidler said. Brain tumors are surrounded and invaded by astrocytes. It's a classic case of an organ's microenvironment aiding cancer survival.
Experiments showed that treating metastatic brain cancer cells in the lab with seven types of chemotherapy killed the cells. Culturing the same cell lines with astrocytes made them highly resistant to all of the drugs.
When an astrocyte touches a tumor cell, it launches expression of hundreds of survival-related genes. Block the connection and nothing happens. The team identified targetable receptors on tumor cells that can be inhibited without affecting neurons. The approach has gone to a phase I clinical trial for brain tumor patients in cooperation with a Swiss drug company.
Experiments spell out the basics of metastasis
Fidler launched his graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid-1960s with a simple question. If cancer cells were so aggressive, why did scientists have to inject a million cells into a lab animal to get a single tumor?
He injected 100,000 traceable melanoma cells into mice and then observed their travels and activity. "The cells reached every organ in the body," Fidler said. After several weeks, all of them died except for a few hundred in the lungs, where metastasis took hold.
"It was clear from the beginning that a cell just reaching an organ wasn't enough to establish metastasis," Fidler said. This experiment established that metastasis arises from less than 1 percent of tumor cells.
Metastatic cells exist in original tumor's diversity
To determine the origin of metastatic cells, Fidler teamed with his wife, the immunologist Margaret Kripke, Ph.D., who suggested they borrow an experimental method used in immunology to identify resistant bacteria.
They took clones of individual cells from a parental tumor, and placed each single cell in a separate culture to grow into a cell line. The resulting cells lines were injected separately into 20 genetically identical mice.
The majority caused no metastasis, a few matched the minimal metastasis of the parental tumor and a handful produced hundreds of metastases.
"This showed that the metastatic cell pre-exists in the diversity of cells in the original tumor," Fidler said. "And it provided the first proof that tumors are heterogeneous, until then no one used the term."
A subsequent chromosomal analysis showed that tumor cells are inherently more genetically unstable than normal cells, and that metastatic cells are the most unstable of all.
Seed and soil
The next question was why tumor cells take hold and grow in some organs but not others. Ian Hart, a post-doctoral fellow in his lab, introduced Fidler to the work of Stephen Paget, a 19th century British physician who analyzed hundreds of autopsies of cancer patients and found patterns of metastasis to other organs. His findings were published in the very first issue of The Lancet in 1892.
Paget wrote that tumor cells are like seeds and organs like soil and only when the right seed lands in the right soil will a metastasis thrive. "In essence, everything I had done confirmed Paget's hypothesis," Fidler said.
Hart and Fidler transplanted mouse embryonic lung and kidney tissue in the flanks of genetically identical mice. They injected radioactively labeled melanoma cells. Cells gathered in many organs, but only took hold in the lungs and in the lung tissue on the mouse's flank.
The findings confirmed the seed-and-soil hypothesis, which is predominant today, and undermined other theories that metastasis was based on blood flow (i.e. to lungs) or perhaps proximity to the original tumor.
"The heterogeneity of metastatic cancer cells means that single-agent targeted therapies will fail against metastatic disease," Fidler said. "And we ignore the tumor microenvironment at our peril." Metastasis causes about 85 percent of cancer deaths.
Fidler, known to friends as Josh, also holds the R. E. "Bob" Smith Distinguished Chair in Cell Biology. He came to MD Anderson in 1983, serving as the founding chair of the department of cancer biology until 2008. He is a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research; the world's oldest and largest organization dedicated to cancer research, and was inducted this year into the AACR Academy. Fidler also is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fidler also won the Nature Publishing Group's 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.
An accomplished mentor and teacher, Fidler has mentored 140 scientists, including graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, clinical fellows and visiting scientists.
###
[ | 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.
Distance learning is the in thing these days considering the fact that the internet is here with us. Well, if you are wondering what distance learning is; it is the learning from a distant location with the help of the internet.Students have opted for distance learning due to the convenience and other advantages that it offers. Well, this however does not make the search for the best college or university to be easy. There are several factors that you ought to have at your fingertips. These would ensure that you end up choosing the best institution to take up music lessons.
The institution chosen
Think through the institution chosen. It is essential that you choose an institution after having all the facts about the ideal school. This means that past records of the school would help a lot in knowing the type of school that you are about to sign up with for your music lessons. Contemplate whether the school has past success stories in music students. This would give you an assurance that you are at the right place in order to get the best teaching.
The tuition fee
There are varieties of music lessons being offered by different institutions all over the internet. This implies that you should settle for those that have reasonable tuition fees.If an institution has unrealistic amounts as their tuition fee, chances are that they would only use your money and would not offers the quality of desired lessons. Thus, the best way to circumvent this is by choosing online music lessons from institutions that have fair prices.
How the programs are offered
Different music students would have different demands. For instance, if you want to crush your program to shorten the learning period, you would have to look for a school that favours this. Depending on your specifications, you would have to choose wisely on the schools that you would be taking up your distance learning program.
Industrial attachment offered
It is also worth considering the industrial attachment that would be offered after you are done with your music lessons. If the school lacks this feature then you should take time to search for the best schools that offer industrial attachment. Keep in mind that the best way to practise your skills is by applying them in real life. This thus makes the industrial attachment to be very crucial.
Period that the lessons take
There are those online lessons that take too long to be completed. The shorter the period the better as this would give you a reason to concentrate on your studies. Avoid music lessons that are lengthy. Chances are that you would forget other important things by the time you complete the entire course.
The above are essential factors that should help you in choosing the best institutions to take up music lessons. Use the guide in making the right decisions that would affect your life positively. Remember, a good school for you is not all about paying high prices for it but it highly depends on the quality of services being offered.
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Looking for environmentally friendly home improvement ideas for every room of the house? From painting that bedroom to clearing the clutter, here is our top ten list of ways you can take the extra step in creating an environmentally friendly home!
1. This one seems simple, but often forgotten. Replace all the standard light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent ones. Can?t afford to change all the bulbs at once? Make it your goal to convert to compact fluorescent bulbs each time a standard bulb needs replaced.
2. Did you know roof color matters? In fact, research shows that roof color and the type of material used can help to lower attic temperatures. Light colored tile roofs out perform the shingle ones when it comes to decreasing temperatures. If you are considering re-roofing your home, talk to your roofer about the benefits of white tile, which has properties that will help reduce heat gain to your attic.
3. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away billions of pounds of electronics each year. Help save our landfills from being filled with TV, computers, and cell phones by visiting the GoGreen Web Directory to find a recycling resource near you.
4. Don?t waste water around your home. Check your home carefully for leaky faucets and then repair them. Shorten your bathing time and install low flow shower heads to conserve water and your bill.
5. When choosing a heating and cooling system look for a high-efficiency HVAC system that is Energy Star certified.
6. When replacing your hot water heater consider purchasing a solar hot water heater or on-demand tankless version instead of a conventional model.
7. Consider using nontoxic paints and stains to minimize indoor air pollution and reduce contaminants in landfills and groundwater.
8. Install a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats help conserve energy and your utility bill. Plus, you get the added benefit of cooler nights and warmer mornings without having to leave your bed!
9. Use natural floor coverings and carpets when redecorating the inside of your home. There are many options to choose from including bamboo, marmoleum, ceramic tile, cork and natural fiber carpeting.
10.Instead of buying new furniture, check out local used furniture stores to find items that are easy on your wallet and the environment, or consider new eco-friendly furniture options. Many treasures await!
What ideas do you have for an environmentally friendly home improvement ideas? Share them in the comments below!
ABOUT THE GOGREEN WEB DIRECTORY:
On the GoGreenWebDirectory.com you will find local eco-conscious businesses, will learn about green events in your community, and will connect to green living information and news. Rest assured that that those listed and advertising on the directory meet green standards for their type of business. While individuals should always ensure that the green businesses they support are taking acceptable measures, all of the businesses listed on GoGreen have been vetted.
GoGreen is the place to find hundreds of hand-picked green business listings that are local to you.
Americans gathered at memorials, museums and monuments and the president laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery to honor fallen service members on Memorial Day, as combat in Afghanistan approaches 12 years and the ranks of World War II veterans dwindle.
"Let us not forget as we gather here today that our nation is still at war," President Barack Obama said after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
"When they give their lives, they are still being laid to rest in cemeteries in quiet corners across our country, including here in Arlington," he said. He told the stories of three soldiers who had died. Each had been devoted to their mission and were praised by others for saving lives.
Earlier in the morning, he and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a breakfast at the White House with "Gold Star" families of service members who have been killed.
Another wreath-laying ceremony was at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City. The park is a tribute to President Roosevelt's famous speech calling for all people to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined military leaders and others at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Manhattan. He later encouraged New Yorkers to celebrate the day and the good weather but also "remember the sacrifice that was made so that we could be here."
At the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, about 20 bicyclists clustered around veteran and museum volunteer Tom Blakey. The paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division jumped at Normandy on D-Day ? June 6, 1944 ? and in May 1945 helped liberate the work camp at Wobbelin in northwest Germany.
"Most of us wondered why we were there, killing people and being killed," he said. "We didn't do anything to deserve it. When we got to that camp and saw what was there, the lights came on."
The cycling group makes regular weekend training runs, and on Monday started a Memorial Day ride about seven miles away at the national cemetery in Chalmette, where the Battle of New Orleans ? the last in the War of 1812 ? was fought.
"I'm glad I took this ride to hear a personal story," Scott Gumina, 41, said. "Hearing one man's account of his personal experience was pretty impressive to me."
In South Sioux City, Neb., a statue honoring a Navy dog handler was unveiled in his hometown. The statue of John Douangdara (dwung-DEHR'-ah) and his dog, Bart, is part of a five-acre dog park that's named for Douangdara. Petty Officer 1st Class Douangdara died along with 29 other Americans in August 2011 when a military helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan.
Across much of New England, several days of heavy rain gave way to sunny skies for parades in towns large and small.
In Portland, Maine, kids and even pets displayed the Stars and Stripes as veterans, youth groups law enforcement officials and civic organizations paraded to Monument Square to the tunes of a marching band, sirens from a police car and the rumble of motorcycles.
"It's a very important day, not only for the Veteran of Foreign Wars but every veteran organization, every branch of the service, and every patriot in general ? every American. This day is hugely significant and should never be forgotten," said David Olson, 66, of Portland, the VFW's state senior vice commander.
For some veterans, it was a somber event.
Richard Traiser, a Marine injured when his tank came under attack in Vietnam, helped deliver a three-volley salute with the Marine Corps League.
Memorial Day gives those who served an opportunity to get together and remember friends who didn't make it.
"I think about them a lot, especially the people I lost in my platoon," Traiser said. "I don't dwell on it in a morbid way, but it's on your mind."
In Connecticut, a Waterford man who was killed in the Vietnam War was honored with a hometown park area named for him. Arnold E. Holm Jr., nicknamed "Dusty," was killed when his helicopter was shot down on June 11, 1972.
In suburban Boston, veterans gathered in a park to mark Memorial Day this year rather than hold a parade because of failing health and dwindling numbers. The city of Beverly called off its parade because so few veterans would be able to march. The parade has been a fixture in the town since the Civil War.
In Atlanta, a dedication of the History Center's redone Veterans Park was scheduled for early evening. Soil from major battlefields will be scattered by veterans around the park's flagpole.
The holiday weekend also marked the traditional start of the U.S. vacation season. AAA, one of the nation's largest leisure travel agencies, expected 31.2 million Americans to hit the road over the weekend, virtually the same number as last year. Gas prices were about the same as last year, up 1 cent to a national average of $3.65 a gallon Friday.
At the American Airpower Museum on Long Island, N.Y., a program honored Women Air Service Pilots, or WASPs, who tested and ferried completed aircraft from factories to bases during World War II. Thirty-eight died during the war, including Alice Lovejoy of Scarsdale, N.Y., who was killed on Sept. 13, 1944, in a midair collision over Texas.
"It's very important that we recognize not only their contribution to American history, but women's history," said Julia Lauria-Blum, curator of the WASP exhibit at the museum. "These women really blazed a path; they were pioneers for women's aviation. And most important, they gave their lives serving their country and must be honored like anyone else on Memorial Day."
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Associated Press writers David Sharp in Portland, Maine; Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans; and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
PARIS (AP) ? A French patient infected with a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS died Tuesday of the disease, which has killed half the people known to be infected and alarmed global health officials.
The novel coronavirus is related to SARS, which killed some 800 people in a global epidemic in 2003. Dr. Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization, singled out the illness in a speech on Monday in Geneva.
"We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat," Chan said at the annual WHO meeting. "We do not know where the virus hides in nature. We do not know how people are getting infected. Until we answer these questions, we are empty-handed when it comes to prevention. These are alarm bells. And we must respond."
WHO said in an update earlier this month that 20 of the 40 confirmed cases of the disease have ended in death. Most of those infected since the virus was identified last year had traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan. There also have been cases in Britain and Germany.
The ministry said the Frenchman, whose illness was identified May 8 after he returned from a visit to the United Arab Emirates, died Tuesday. His hospital roommate also tested positive for the illness.
For the first time in the history of the Church, the Vatican is organizing a worldwide hour of eucharistic adoration for the feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord Sunday, June 2. In the Diocese of Little Rock, it is 10 a.m. to coinside with the 5-6 p.m. time in Rome.
Pope Francis will preside over adoration and benediction in St. Peter's Basilica beginning at 5 p.m. While dioceses are free to organize the hour of prayer and adoration as they please, he said Pope Francis has chosen a specific prayer intention for each half hour of the service. The first will be for the Church and its mission of mercy; the second for the needs of those who suffer, including victims of war, the unemployed, the sick, immigrants and prisoners.
File this one very firmly in the ?some guy on the Internet said? category, but this weekend?s hot gossip is that Sony is going to bin plans for a used games DRM system following the Internet?s unhappy reaction to news of a similar scheme for the Xbox One.
The not so farfetched suggestion that Sony might employ a similar system to that announced for the Xbox One arose from a comment made by Geoff Keighley in an episode of Bonus Round, in which he said he had heard that Sony might pursue the same course.
Shortly thereafter, famousmortimer, NeoGAF poster whose Sony predictions have in the past been perfectly correct, said Keighley?s comment is accurate but out of date.
?The gist of it is that Sony is listening to the backlash that Microsoft is getting and they are basing decisions off of this,? they explained in another post.
?I can say, for sure, that the past week?s PR nightmare for MS has not been lost on Sony and they, in fact, do have a used game ?solution? working and have been going back and forth for months on whether to use it. This past week is pushing them strongly into ?Yeah, let?s not use that.??
Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida, in particular, is very open to feedback, the poster added.
INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - With a good luck charm he had given to a sick child back in his pocket, Brazilian Tony Kanaan won his first Indianapolis 500 on Sunday to end a decade of disappointment at the famed Brickyard.
The former IndyCar champion captured the crown jewel of North American motor racing in his 12th attempt to complete his resume, taking the checkered flag under caution after defending champion Dario Franchitti crashed with just over two laps to go.
"This is it man, I made it," Kanaan said before he dumped the traditional winner's bottle of milk over his head. "Finally I am going to put my ugly face on that trophy."
Colombia's Carlos Munoz crossed the finish line second in his IndyCar racing debut followed by American Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Marco Andretti, grandson of former Formula One champion and Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, finished fourth in a furious and frenetic race that featured a record 68 lead changes, double the previous mark set in 2012.
One of IndyCar's most popular figures, Kanaan had known nothing but bad luck at the sprawling 2.5 mile oval speedway, coming close but never able to reach Victory Lane.
Kanaan's luck, however, changed when he received a package four days before the race containing a good luck charm he had given to a young girl nine years ago just before she was about to undergo brain surgery.
The woman, now 24 years old and healthy, returned the charm back to Kanaan along with a note that read: "Here's your good luck charm back. Now you take it and win the Indianapolis 500."
As Kanaan drove his Dallara-Chevy into a packed Victory Lane he pulled the medal out of his race suit and held it high before he was mobbed by team mates and friends, including former series champion Alex Zanardi.
Kanaan, who ran at or near the front most of the afternoon, holding the lead 15 times, was sitting second behind Hunter-Reay with six laps left when a caution flag came out after Graham Rahal slammed into the wall.
UPLIFTING START
On the restart, Kanaan blew past Hunter-Reay when his luck took a dramatic change as Franchitti's crash further back in the field brought out the yellow, allowing the 38-year-old Brazilian to coast unchallenged to the checkered flag.
"I have to say, the last lap was the longest lap of my life. I wanted the pace car to hurry up so bad," said Kanaan. "I got a little bit of luck today."
Zanardi, who had both legs amputated above the knee after crashing in a 2001 race, also brought Kanaan some luck, turning over the gold medal he won at the 2012 London Paralympics in hopes that some his good fortune would rub off on his friend.
"Alex Zanardi gave us some luck today. He gave us his gold medal from London and told us, 'Rub this all over the car,'" said Kanaan's team owner Jimmy Vasser. "Tony took the medal to his motorhome with him for an hour."
The day began under dreary, grey skies but the race got off to an uplifting start as runners who were unable to finish last month's Boston Marathon were given a chance to symbolically complete the distance.
The runners were unable to finish the Boston Marathon as the race was halted when two bombs left at the finish line exploded, killing three people and injuring 264 others.
A massive crowd packed in the home straightaway grandstands stood and cheered as runners, who started at Turn Four and finished on the front stretch, crossed one of the most famous finish lines in all of sport - the Yard of Bricks.
The crowd, estimated at close to 250,000, was back on its feet a few minutes later when drivers were given the command to start their engines and pole sitter Ed Carpenter led the 33-car field into the first turn of the 200-lap race.
Carpenter, IndyCar's only owner driver, set the pace until the first caution came out on the fourth lap when JR Hildebrand, who famously crashed in the final turn while leading the 2011 Indy 500, spun into the wall bringing out the yellow flag.
The day featured just five cautions and the low number of yellow flags helped make it the fastest Indy 500 ever with Kanaan posting an average speed of 187.433 mph.
Landscape stones have been very popular for a few years now.Homeowners want a new way to decorate the outside of their home.These stones are reputable for adding beauty.They are also known for adding texture to exterior designs.Think about the concrete that is on your patio.It is probably no different than other patios around you.It is just as boring as the other patios in your neighborhood.This explains why homeowners are searching for different design details.They want a design that will make their property different.
Use landscaping stones to highlight certain areas of your exterior landscaping design.Perhaps you want to change up your patio and make it look better because you want to use it more for entertaining.It isn?t a good design choice to get new grills and open pits for your patio if the flooring is still going to be drab and boring.Give it a little depth and interest by adding landscaping stones.These stones could add the right touch of color to your patio.Make your patio more entertainment friendly.
Just imagine the beauty that the stones will have when the sunlight hits the colors.Also, think about how beautiful the light from the fire will make the stones flicker in the light.Little details such as this will make your outings more enjoyable. There will be many things to enjoy while you are in the company of your friends.Your patio will finally feel more lively and comfortable.Landscaping with the right stones will bring out the beauty of your patio.
But, what if you don?t quite have the budget to get landscaping stones?You can choose other things.Use the patio concrete that you already have in order to get the look that you want.You can utilize concrete stenciling and you will have the same look as with landscape stones.Stencils will provide you will the look of landscape stones.
All you have to do is resurface your patio concrete and then choose a stencil design.It is possible to even add colors for the stencils.You can choose earth tone colors or even go with pastels. It is a lot cheaper to use a stencil. Concrete is much cheaper than getting landscaping stones. It is also very durable and will last a long time.Get the look with concrete stenciling, but pay less.
Basically, home improvement is a huge industry.Homeowners want fresh ideas for home decoration.There are many ways to do this.Landscape stones are gaining a huge popularity in the home improvement industry.However, you can opt for stencil concrete designs if landscape stones are not in your budget.These exterior designs will add plenty of value to your home.a
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) ? Making his first official trip to sub-Saharan Africa, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday demanded that Nigeria respect human rights as it cracks down on Islamist extremists and pledged to work hard in the coming months to ease tensions between Sudan and South Sudan.
Kerry, attending the African Union's 50th anniversary, backed the Nigerian government's efforts to root out Boko Haram, an al-Qaida-linked radical sect. But he said there is no excuse for abuses by armed forces in Nigeria's long-neglected north, where President Goodluck Jonathan has declared emergency rule.
"We defend the right completely of the government of Nigeria to defend itself and to fight back against terrorists," Kerry said. He added, however, that he has raised his concerns with Nigerian officials to insist on the military "adhering to the highest standards and not itself engaging in atrocities."
"One person's atrocities do not excuse another's," said Kerry, who later made his case directly to Jonathan over lunch. "Revenge is not the motive. It's good governance, it's ridding yourself of a terrorist organization so that you can establish a standard of law that people can respect."
Amnesty International says Nigeria's military has committed "grave human rights violations" over the last three years, including executions and kidnappings. It is reporting continued wrongdoing, while Human Rights Watch says satellite images showed "massive destruction of civilian property" in a military raid last week.
Speaking to reporters alongside Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Kerry also blamed Sudan's government for much of the tension along its volatile border with South Sudan. He says residents in the contested areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan don't want to be subjected to strict Islamist rules.
Both areas border the new nation of South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 under an agreement that ended decades of civil war. Many residents are sympathetic to the South, and both areas have experienced regular violence in recent years.
"There are very significant border challenges, but they're bigger than that," Kerry said. "You have people who for a long time have felt that they want their secular governance and their identity respected."
"They don't want independence; they are not trying to break away from Sudan," he said. But he said the response from Sudan's government has been to "press on them through authoritarian means and violence an adherence to a standard that they simply don't want to accept with respect to Islamism."
"That's the fundamental clash," Kerry said.
He acknowledged, however, the North's concerns that the South is fueling rebels in the areas and said the U.S. would try to work with Ethiopia and other international partners to ease tensions. He said he'd soon appoint a new American envoy to both countries.
Kerry met Sudan's foreign minister later Saturday.
In Ethiopia's capital, Kerry also spoke with the U.N. and African Union chiefs and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, whom he urged to make further economic reforms so that Congress can approve more U.S. aid to Egypt.
Kerry departs Sunday to Jordan, where he'll attend a business conference and outline plans to help revitalize the Palestinian economy. He travels Monday to Paris for discussions about Syria with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, before returning to Washington after eight days overseas.
In this week?s infographic, we are comparing generations again. This time, we focus on student loan debt and the number of open accounts each age group has. Scroll down to see the results.
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Share some of your tips for paying down your student loans!
Amy Leone is the Public Relations Coordinator at Credit Karma. Before joining the team in June 2012 she spent most of her career as a TV news producer. When she?s not helping promote Credit Karma on a variety of media outlets, she?s probably out running or exploring her new state of California.
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Icaro, who is off to Brazil and needs a phone while there. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"Seeing the Nokia 301 reminded me that I need to get a new phone when I go back to Brazil. Can you suggest a candybar phone that's reasonably priced and that won't break? Thanks!"
While most of you may be lusting after the latest and greatest, there are still plenty of people clamoring for a simple and functional candybar. The 301 is a perfectly decent handset, and for $85 you'll get a 3.2-megapixel camera, Xpress internet and mail for exchange. But let's see what all of you out there are keeping in your pocket, so if you can think of a better candybar, leave a comment below.
Google Buzz, the social service that Google launched way back in 2010 and then killed in 2011, reminded former users that their data still lives in and will be moved over to your Google Drive accounts in July. That's lovely.
AP
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Public release date: 29-May-2013
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