Investigators seek cause of commuter train crash

By Greg McCune

(Reuters) – Federal investigators on Saturday searched for the cause of a rush-hour train crash in Connecticut that injured dozens of people commuting home from New York City, three of them critically.

More than 60 people were hospitalized Friday night after an eastbound commuter train derailed and collided with a westbound passenger train near the Connecticut suburb of Fairfield.

Eight people remained hospitalized on Saturday, three in critical condition, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said.

The collision of the Metro North trains forced Amtrak to shut down service indefinitely between New York and Boston.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived at the scene on Saturday to determine the cause. There had been construction and repair work going on in the area and one question was whether debris was on the track.

“They can’t rule anything out,” said Malloy, adding that he wanted investigators to complete their work as quickly as possible so the busy commuter rail line could be reopened.

The eastbound train was headed to New Haven, Connecticut, when it collided with the train bound for New York’s Grand Central Station.

Metro North is a commuter railroad serving the northern suburbs of New York City. It is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a New York State agency. Fairfield is about 50 miles north of New York City.

The rail line serves a major corridor between Boston and New York and thousands of commuters use it every business day.

(Reporting by Karen Brooks and David Bailey; Writing by Greg McCune; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/least-20-hurt-two-trains-collide-connecticut-000707516.html

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Breath of Fire: Awakening

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Breath of Fire: Awakening

Who will take up the title of hero to save there land from the corruption that plages everyone.

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Orb has gone from ordinary to extraordinary

Kentucky Derby winner Orb looks on as he is cooled down after a workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Thursday, May 16, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Kentucky Derby winner Orb looks on as he is cooled down after a workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Thursday, May 16, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Kentucky Derby winner Orb, top, with exercise rider Jennifer Patterson aboard, is escorted by Anna Martinovsky as onlookers snap pictures at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Thursday, May 16, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Kentucky Derby winner Orb, with exercise rider Jennifer Patterson aboard, gallops during a workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Thursday, May 16, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Kentucky Derby winner Orb reacts as grooms adjust his bridle after a workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Thursday, May 16, 2013. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place May 18. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

(AP) ? Growing up, Kentucky Derby winner Orb was just another horse who fit in with the crowd.

Never caused problems. Never raised a ruckus. Never got sick or hurt while frolicking in the fields of Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., with his pals, or when he was learning how to be a racehorse at Niall Brennan’s farm in Ocala, Fla. Did everything asked of him.

“A model citizen,” says Claiborne Farm manager Bradley Purcell.

Brennan remembers the colt did everything right. “His workouts, his focus, he didn’t fret about things, he was enjoying it,” he says.

And wouldn’t you know it: In his racing debut, last Aug. 18 at Saratoga, Orb leaped in the air as the gates opened and trailed by 14 lengths early on in the seven-furlong race. He made a remarkable recovery, though, and finished third, just 1? lengths behind the winner.

“He was so far behind,” recalled his jockey, Joel Rosario. “He made up a lot of ground, and I was impressed. My agent told me, ‘maybe he’s going to be a nice horse.’”

Maybe?

A few more growing pains followed, like smacking his head in the starting gate in his second race. But a two-month break allowed trainer Shug McGaughey to work out the colt’s gate issues, and by his fourth start, Orb had found the winner’s circle ? a two-length victory at Aqueduct on Nov. 24.

He hasn’t lost since, winning three times at Gulfstream Park, including the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby, building confidence and gaining experience along the way. And then came the ultimate moment: charging down the stretch over a sloppy track and winning the Derby by 2? lengths.

“I wish I could tell you back then he looked like a horse who could win the Kentucky Derby,” Purcell said. “He had good size, and strength. All we do is let them grow and Mother Nature does the rest.”

So far, so good, and a win over eight rivals in Saturday’s $1 million Preakness would send Orb back home to New York for the Belmont Stakes on June 8 with a chance to become racing’s first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

“I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I said I don’t think about (the Triple Crown), because I do,” McGaughey said. “I try to block it out, but if you’re in this position, anybody would think about it. It’s a thrilling thought, but we’ve got to get by Saturday. If we do, the next three weeks will be a lot of fun.”

Orb seems to be enjoying it, too, appearing cool and calm around the Pimlico stakes barn in the mornings while hundreds of people are milling around, many angling for the best photo op in cramped quarters. He was the same way at Churchill Downs.

“He’s pretty laid back,” McGaughey said.

A bay son of Malibu Moon, out of the mare Lady Liberty, co-owner Stuart Janney III came up with the name.

“I like it. Every poet who refers to the moon, uses the word orb,” Janney explained. “I try to name the horses to go with the mare and stallion.”

Orb’s bloodlines are filled with champions. Malibu Moon is a son of 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy, and currently is North America’s second-leading sire. Lady Liberty is a daughter of 1990 Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Unbridled.

Still, there was not much fanfare when Orb was born in February 2010. It was a “textbook” birth, Purcell said, adding Orb was probably 120-130 pounds ? the average weight for a foal. He was among a group of eight colts who spent hours together in the same field. One of them, Departing, is running in the Preakness.

When Orb was sent to Ocala in August 2011, Brennan already had an idea of what he was getting since he’d been the Claiborne to chart Orb’s development, as well as dozens of other horses.

“He always looked good physically, but there were others that were the same,” Brennan said. “At that time, it’s like kids on a soccer field playing around and as you get into early spring, they start separating themselves. You begin to see their athletic ability and Orb at this time a year ago was doing very well.”

Orb was among the first group of Brennan’s 2-year-olds to be sent out to their respective trainers. Also under his care at the time were two other Derby horses ? Revolutionary and Palace Malice ? and Den’s Legacy, who was on the Derby trail for a while.

Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps, who co-owns Orb with Janney, remembers seeing the horse early on and not being overly impressed.

“I think we really thought he was just a horse,” Phipps said. “I don’t think even Shug thought he was much better than that. But after he came back from the Fountain of Youth he came back looking bigger, better and stronger and then he did the same thing after the Florida Derby. And after the Derby. Let’s just hope that’s the way he’s headed (going into the Preakness).”

Despite Orb’s troubles at the start of his racing career, McGaughey now marvels at what may be the best horse he’s ever trained over a 34-year career that includes 1989 Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer and many female champions topped by undefeated Personal Ensign.

“He has filled out so much physically,” McGaughey said. “I look at him and I can’t believe what I’m seeing from last November to now. Mentally, everything has come together. He was a bit difficult at the gate all of his 2-year-old year and that’s all behind him. I couldn’t be more pleased with his development.”

During his win streak, Orb had a new rider for the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby in John Velazquez because Rosario had a prior racing commitment. Rosario regained the mount for the Derby after Velazquez chose Verrazano as his Derby horse. On the day Orb won the Florida Derby, Rosario was in Dubai winning the $10 million World Cup aboard Animal Kingdom.

“This is very good,” he said of Orb’s win. “He’s really getting much better. He showed it in the Kentucky Derby, and I hope he shows it on Saturday.”

Orb is considered a closer, but McGaughey says he’s versatile.

“He comes from back, but they don’t have to take him back,” McGaughey said. “It depends on the color of the race. If it’s a fast pace, he’ll be off of it, but if it’s slow, I think he’ll actually be laying up close like he was in the Florida Derby within four, five, six lengths. And he has got enough of a punch that you don’t take him out of the game plan when you do lay up close.”

McGaughey does not take all the credit for Orb’s success. Credit also goes to exercise rider Jenn Patterson, who has spent as much time with Orb as anyone. She was with him in the weeks before the Florida Derby, and would make the weekly three-hour round trip drive from Gulfstream Park to Payson Park for Orb’s workouts.

“Without her, we wouldn’t be here,” McGaughey said. “It’s not only her riding ability, it’s her horsemanship and dedication to the whole thing. Nobody will know how much I appreciate her and what I think of her and her abilities. The rapport we have between each other… I think it’s a pretty remarkable relationship.”

And because of it, Orb no longer fits in with the crowd. He stands out.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-16-RAC-Preakness/id-63a785c95dc4446dadee0c4ea2e592b7

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WWE donates $1.2 million to SLI for Boston University CTE Treatment Program


The Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (BU CSTE) announced the launch of a new research program aimed at developing a treatment for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The study will be funded across a three-year period by a $1.2 million gift from WWE to the non-profit Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a founding partner of the BU CSTE.

Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem. The BU CSTE is leading the way in learning how to diagnose CTE in living people, a critical step in launching clinical trials in humans. The NIH-funded DETECT study, which stands for Diagnosing and Evaluating Traumatic Encephalopathy using Clinical Tests, led by BU CSTE investigator Robert Stern, Ph.D, professor of neurology and neurosurgery, is studying 100 former NFL players using a battery of tests to identify biomarkers for the disease.?

The WWE gift will initially fund a new investigation to screen potential CTE treatments using a preclinical model. If a viable treatment is identified, and the biomarker study is successful, it is hoped that it will open the door to human studies

This program will be led by Ann McKee, M.D., professor at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), director of the Neuropathology Service for VA New England Healthcare System and co-director of the BU CSTE, and Lee Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D, a BU CSTE investigator and associate professor at Boston University’s School of Medicine and College of Engineering. In addition, McKee is leading a biomarker study funded by the Department of Veteran Affairs aimed at identifying CTE in military veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

CTE has been diagnosed in patients exposed to repeated brain trauma, including athletes who participate in contact sports, as well as military veterans and victims of abuse.

As part of its comprehensive Talent Wellness Program, WWE has been a leader in concussion prevention, education and management, with mandatory ImPACT? testing for all talent. ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is the first, most-widely used and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system. In 2008, WWE was the first major sports-entertainment organization to include ImPACT testing as part of its Talent Wellness Program, where every one of its talent undergoes baseline neurocognitive testing. In addition, WWE consistently updates its safety policies as new research becomes available. WWE’s Talent Wellness Program, which has been in place since 2006, also includes cardiovascular testing, medical and wellness staffing, annual physicals, drug testing and health care referrals.

“WWE is proud to help advance this critical research to help anyone at risk of suffering CTE,” EVP Talent and Live Events for WWE Paul Levesque said. “WWE has been, and will continue to be, very proactive on taking measures to ensure the health and wellness of our talent.”

“We appreciate the generosity of WWE,” Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Sports Legacy Institute Christopher Nowinski said. “I enjoyed my time at WWE, and I am excited to reunite with the organization on this important cause that will benefit a lot of people we both care about.”

SLI was founded in 2007 by Robert Cantu, M.D., and Nowinski, a former WWE Superstar, who was forced to retire in 2003 due to the effects of a lifetime of brain trauma sustained in football, soccer and WWE. Both serve as co-directors of the BU CSTE.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated brain trauma, including concussions and multiple subconcussive exposures such as those in contact sports and military combat, and appears to be slowly progressive in most individuals. In early stages, CTE is characterized by the presence of abnormal deposits of a protein called tau in the form of neurofibrillary tangles, glial tangles and neuropil threads throughout the brain. These tau lesions eventually lead to brain cell death. The vast majority of individuals pathologically diagnosed with CTE showed clinical symptoms involving cognitive, behavioral or mood impairments which worsened over time.?

“We’ve come a long way in five years; this funding will further accelerate the pace of our research and hasten the development of methods to detect CTE during life as well as identify treatments to slow or stop its progression,” McKee said.

More than 600 living athletes have committed to donate their brain to the CSTE after death, including dozens of current and former WWE Superstars.

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Source: http://www.wwe.com/inside/overtheropes/wwe-donates-to-sli-boston-university-cte-treatment-program

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Hangouts app now available in the Play Store, comes as update to Google Talk

Hangouts

Google's new cross-platform group messaging service is pushing out to devices

Hangouts, the long-rumored messaging service from Google that pulls together text, photo, video and group chat all into one service, is pushing out in the Play Store today as an update to the Google Talk app. The app is a serious departure from the old-school design found on talk, with an all new layout that focuses first on conversations and then on individual contacts. The main screen is a list of your different ongoing conversations — "Hangouts" — with pictures of the people involved in them. When you start a new hangout you can search people by name, email, circle or even phone number and start a chat.

Right now it looks like it's basically building on just the previous Talk system of chatting, and although it does ask to confirm your phone number and you can search contacts by their numbers, there's no SMS support here just yet. Go grab a download of the new Hangouts app from the Play Store link above.

    



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/Acdw4tm3ZFQ/story01.htm

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Officials: Car bombing kills 5, wounds 19 in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Officials say a car bomb explosion in a sprawling Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad has killed at least five civilians.

Two police officers say the explosives-laden vehicle struck a bus and taxi stop Thursday morning around rush hour in the eastern Sadr City neighborhood. The officers say the attack also wounded 19 people.

A medical official in a nearby hospital confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

The attack followed a wave of bombings Wednesday that struck in mainly in Shiite neighborhoods, killing 33 people. At least seven of them died in Sadr City.

The spike in violence comes amid growing tension between Shiite-led government and Sunni minority over what they call a second-class treatment.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/officials-car-bombing-kills-5-wounds-19-iraq-070651633.html

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Frog once imported for pregnancy testing brought deadly amphibian disease to US

May 15, 2013 ? African frogs, originally imported for early 20th century pregnancy tests, carried a deadly amphibian disease to the U.S., according to a new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE.

African Clawed Frogs have long been suspected of introducing a harmful fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd to new populations that haven’t been exposed to this pathogen before. The fungus has led to the recent decline or extinction of 200 frog species worldwide. A previous study found that the earliest case of Bd in the world was found in African Clawed Frogs in their native South Africa in 1934, but until now no research has tested for the disease among this species in populations that have become established in the U.S.

“We found that African Clawed Frogs that have been introduced in California are carrying this harmful fungus,” said SF State biologist Vance Vredenburg. “This is the first evidence of the disease among introduced feral populations in the U.S., and it suggests these frogs may be responsible for introducing a devastating, non-native disease to amphibians in the United States.”

From the 1930s to 1950s, thousands of African Clawed Frogs were exported across the world for use in pregnancy tests, scientific research and the pet trade. These frogs will ovulate when injected with a pregnant woman’s urine.

“Today, these frog populations are often found in or near urban areas, probably because hospitals released them into the wild when new pregnancy testing methods were invented in the 1960s,” Vredenburg said.

Named for the claws they use to catch prey, these greenish-grey frogs live in pools and streams and have established feral populations in the U.S., including in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

African Clawed Frogs are potentially potent carriers of the Bd fungus because they can be infected for long periods of time without dying, allowing them to pass it on to more vulnerable species.

“It’s amazing that more than half a century after being brought to California, these frogs are still here, and they still carry this highly infectious disease,” said Vredenburg, associate professor of biology at SF State. “This implies that there must be a stable relationship between the pathogen and the frogs, whereas there are other frog species, for example in the Sierra Nevada, which have been wiped out by the pathogen.”

For this latest study, Vredenburg and colleagues tested museum specimens at the California Academy of Sciences. They assessed the prevalence of the disease by swabbing DNA from the skin of preserved African Clawed Frog specimens that were collected from wild populations in California between 2001 and 2010.

They also tested archived specimens collected in Africa between 1871 and 2010 and found evidence confirming that Bd was present among indigenous populations of this species before they were exported worldwide.

Although no longer used in pregnancy testing, African Clawed Frogs are still imported to the U.S. for use in biomedical and basic science research. Because of their suspected role as a carrier of the Bd fungus and other potential pathogens, eleven states in the U.S. have already restricted the importation of these frogs, for example by requiring special permits and not allowing them to be sold as pets.

“Back in the 1960s, African Clawed Frogs were kind of ignored in terms of conservation research but now the damage has been done,” Vredenburg said. “Now, we need to be cautious about other introduced species, including those in the pet and food trade. There could be other animals out there that are carrying diseases that we don’t even know about yet.”

“Prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Xenopus Collected in Africa (1871-2000) and in California (2001-2010)” was published May 15, 2013 in PLOS ONE. Vredenburg co-authored the paper with Samuel V. G. McNally, a graduate student in Vredenburg’s lab, and Stephen A. Felt, Erica C. Morgan, Sabrina Wilson, and Sherril L. Green from Stanford University.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/Dre2nHCzTdU/130515174350.htm

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Benefits of Playing Golf as Recreation and Sports ? Berenger

Recreations and sports are two of the best detours on a lazy time,114, especially during weekends where there are no works to run after and worry about. Many find it ideal to set his or her activities during these spare times. Usually recreation and sports are done individually or with the family.

While others find it good to enjoy basketball and ballroom, others find golf a best way to enjoy?may it be individually or with the family. With the presence of thousands of golf courses around the world,103, this is very possible,108. To see a golf cart with high-end cart parts and cart accessories driven in the abundant greens is refreshing. The sight of the acre land and yourself with a club propelling a small and hard ball in distant holes is stimulating. The picture can free you from the worries set by a tiresome ?all in a days work? routine,104.

So what are the benefits of golf as a recreation and sports,114?

One of the great benefits of golf is burning calories. Exercising is a by-product of this very popular recreational activity,111. Walking on a golf course from hole to hole, swinging the club with the exact force, positioning your body (squatting,108, bending, sitting) while you strike can be considered as a moderate type of work out activity,110.

Golf can be the key in gaining friends,109. In golf you can interact with other players and develop friendship. Interaction can be curative and at the same time can create a bond among the circle of golfers. Usually playing the game requires creating teams. So it is very possible to share stories, tell jokes and mingle with the members of this team of three or four,113. This can be the start of a good friendship,112. For families it is one of the best activities to strengthen the bond.

Enjoying the scenery is a therapeutic benefit in playing golf. You get to see a course of greens,107. The color green relaxes the mind. It frees negative thoughts and attracts good vibes and aura. Most golf clubs and courses are designed with pond or river?a complete taste of classic modernity and distinctiveness of nature. It draws in good attitude and sets down negative feelings. Playing golf is then relieving in that sense,104.

When it comes to golf as a recreation,106, there are golf courses which offer club memberships for the whole family or for an individual. Members can avail discounts when they play in the acres of lush pastures,107. They can also avail guides and tours in every courses and updates in the upcoming events of the golf club. They can also access cutting edge golf carts with best cart parts and cart accessories.

There are many who see golf as a pastime. It can free them from stress. With so much anticipation some of them cannot stop until they have played all the courses. It is ironic that a tiring game of golf can actually make people, who are tired of following after the demands of their job, stress-free and enjoy.

Source: http://berenger.cityofvillainsguides.org/?p=513

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Fraud claims versus Goldman over Abacus CDO are dismissed

By Karen Freifeld

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Goldman Sachs Group Inc won dismissal on Tuesday of fraud claims brought by a bond insurer over a CDO tied to subprime mortgage securities called Abacus.

In a 3-2 decision, a New York state appeals court dismissed a complaint by ACA Financial Guaranty Corp accusing Goldman of fraudulently inducing the company to insure the CDO, or collateralized debt obligation.

ACA is a “highly sophisticated commercial entity” whose claims of being misled were contradicted by the offering disclosure and other evidence, according to decision by the Appellate Division, First Department in Manhattan.

ACA Financial claimed Goldman deceived it into believing Paulson & Co, a hedge fund, was a long investor in the Abacus CDO, when it knew Paulson would take a short position.

In its ruling, the appeals court said ACA could have asked Paulson & Co what position it intended to take.

In 2010, Goldman, without admitting wrongdoing, settled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for $550 million over claims it misled investors in Abacus.

Attorney Marc Kasowitz, who represents ACA Financial, said the insurer would appeal the court’s decision and might ask the divided appellate panel to reconsider.

Kasowitz also said there is a “live” amended complaint filed in January that named Paulson & Co as a defendant in the case.

That complaint also said that Goldman engaged in fraudulent inducement and fraudulent concealment, the two causes of action the appeals court dismissed.

ACA brought claims against Paulson for fraud, like those against Goldman, and added a claim for aiding and abetting fraud.

A motion by Paulson to dismiss that complaint is pending. A spokesman for the firm had no immediate comment on the appeals court decision.

“We are pleased with the court’s decision to dismiss ACA’s claim against Goldman Sachs,” said Tiffany Galvin, a spokeswoman for Goldman. She declined further comment.

In the SEC case, the government claimed Goldman and Vice President Fabrice Tourre failed to tell investors that Paulson helped choose and bet against the mortgage securities underlying Abacus. While Goldman settled, Tourre’s trial is set to begin on July 15.

The case is ACA Financial Guaranty v Goldman Sachs in New York State Supreme Court, New York County No. 650027/201l.

(Additional reporting by Alison Frankel. Editing by Jan Paschal and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fraud-claims-versus-goldman-over-abacus-cdo-dismissed-190352528.html

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