PFT: Did RGIII take veiled shot at Shanahan?

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin doesn?t have much faith in the read-zone option being anything more than another passing fad.

Tomlin called the offensive scheme the ?flavor of the month? in the league and feels its success could very much go the way of the Wildcat once defenses have a chance to adjust and figure it out.

?We look forward to stopping it,? Tomlin said. ?We look forward to eliminating it.?

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is one of a handful of quarterbacks to have been able to incorporate the read-zone concepts and see success. San Francisco?s Colin Kaepernick, Washington?s Robert Griffin III and Carolina?s Cam Newton have also benefited from adding the elements to their offenses.

But Wilson has no intention of just being the ?flavor of the month.? He believes that he, Kaepernick and other quarterbacks that can run are getting unfairly put into a box as ?running quarterbacks? just because they have the ability to run and not being given the credit for their ability to throw the ball or run an offense.

?It doesn?t matter what style of offense, I?m ready to play any time, anywhere, anyplace. I just want to play football. Some people try to take away from our ability to throw the football because we can run. But I think it just adds another dimension to what we do,? Wilson said, via Eric Williams of the?Tacoma News Tribune.

?To be honest with you, people try to take away from the ability that guys have in terms of what Colin Kaepernick and other guys like him can do, for whatever reason, because they?re young, or they?re different,? Wilson added. ?But I think it brings excitement to the game. It brings a challenge to the defense.?

Seattle doesn?t solely rely on the read-zone instead using it only as a complement to their normal offense. Wilson matched Peyton Manning?s record for most touchdown passes by a rookie with 26 last year and had a 20-0 touchdown to interception ratio in the opponent?s red zone. That level of success can?t solely be written off as a byproduct of one offensive scheme alone.

Wilson, Kaepernick and Griffin all proved last season they have the ability to successfully work a passing game in addition to their ability to run when called upon. The thought they will be rendered ineffective by adjustments defenses make to solve the read-zone elements of their offenses seem to be far-fetched.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/27/some-see-rg3s-statement-as-a-shot-at-mike-shanahan/related/

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Supreme Court questions DOMA law

Hundreds rally outside the Supreme Court March 27. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

A majority of Supreme Court justices expressed concern Wednesday about a federal law that excludes same-sex couples from marriage.

On the second day of arguments over the legality of gay marriage, the probing questions from both wings of the court suggest the so-called Defense of Marriage Act could be struck down. Such a decision would be a major victory for the gay rights movement, just a day after it appeared unlikely the court would decide the Proposition 8 California case in a way that settles the question of whether same-sex couples can wed.

In Wednesday's arguments, the court's conservative leaning justices asked pointed questions about whether DOMA, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, intrudes into states' traditional right to regulate marriage. The more liberal justices seemed amenable to the argument that DOMA discriminates against gay people and was passed with the clear intention of excluding an unpopular group.

DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages even in the nine states (and the District of Columbia) that allow them. Justices could strike down the law in a narrow way that would force the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages only in states where it's already allowed, or in a broader way that would make dozens of state gay marriage bans legally vulnerable. Such a broad ruling from the court is considered much less likely.

The Justice Department would typically defend a federal law being challenged in the Supreme Court, but he Obama administration has declined to defend DOMA in court because it believes it is unconstitutional. Paul Clement, an attorney chosen by members of the House of Representatives who support DOMA, defended it instead.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative-leaning swing vote who has written two landmark opinions affirming gay rights, seemed unconvinced by the argument advanced by Clement that DOMA defines marriage as only between opposite-sex couples to avoid confusion. Clement said that the federal government has an interest in "uniformity," and had passed the law to avoid having to treat same-sex couples differently based on whether they live in states that allow gay marriage or not.

Kennedy pointed out that DOMA excludes married same-sex couples in more than 1,100 federal statutes and laws, which has a substantial impact on the "day to day life" of those couples and their children. He said the law does not provide uniformity because it affects "only one aspect of marriage."

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said excluding married gay couples from sick leave, tax benefits, Social Security survivor benefits, and hundreds of other federal benefits and obligations, relegates same-sex couples to a "skim milk marriage" that is substantially worse than what heterosexual couples are allowed.

Justice Elena Kagan suggested that the law was not passed for uniformity's sake, but to discriminate. She read aloud from the House report on the law when it passed 17 years ago saying it expressed "moral disapproval of homosexuality."

A group from Alabama prays in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, before the court's hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay ... more? A group from Alabama prays in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, before the court's hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) less? Chief Justice John Roberts objected to the argument that Congress passed DOMA based on a dislike or hatred for gays and lesbians. He asked Attorney General Donald Verrilli, representing the Obama administration, whether he believed the 84 senators who voted for it at the time were all motivated by animus. Verrilli said the lawmakers could have voted for DOMA due to a "lack of careful reflection," but that the law discriminates no matter why it was passed.

Roberts also objected to Attorney Roberta Kaplan's characterization of gay people as a disadvantaged minority group lacking political power.

"As far as I can tell, political figures are falling over themselves to endorse your case," Roberts said.

But Roberts did seem concerned by the federalist argument. He, Kennedy and Justice Samuel Alito posed tough questions about whether the federal government was overreaching with the statute. Kennedy said DOMA did not seem to recognize states's "historical" responsibility for marriage and suggested the central question of the case is whether the federal government has the authority to regulate marriage.

Both attorneys arguing to strike down DOMA refused to make a federalist argument against the law, however -- instead insisting it was a discrimination case.

Before even getting to the merits of the case, the justices spent nearly an hour grappling with whether they should decide it at all because of procedural issues.They appointed Harvard professor Vicki Jackson to make the case that House Republicans do not have the legal right, or standing, to appeal the lower court's decision.

Several justices were also critical of the Obama administration's decision to stop defending the law in court while still enforcing it. Roberts appeared to have serious doubts about the case's procedural issues, repeatedly saying that it is "unprecedented" for the U.S. government to appeal a case while disagreeing with a lower court's ruling.

The two gay marriage cases before the court this term have been dogged by procedural concerns, as both were left orphaned by public officials who no longer wanted to defend them.

On Tuesday, Kennedy wondered whether the court should have agreed to hear the Proposition 8 case at all. Other justices suggested they were skeptical that supporters of Proposition 8 had standing to appeal the case once California officials decided to drop it.

It's possible that neither case could end with a decision. In DOMA, that means the lower court's decision would stand and DOMA would be illegal in the Third Circuit. The plaintiff, Edith Windsor, would be repaid the $360,000 she had to pay in estate taxes when her wife died because the government didn't recognize her marriage in New York, where gay marriage is legal. In the Proposition 8 case, gay marriage would most likely become legal in California if the justices throw it out on standing or do not reach a majority.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/conservative-justices-stress-federal-overreach-gay-marriage-case-163526050--politics.html

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GOP's 'no' on Medicaid becomes "Let's make a deal'

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Given the choice of whether to expand Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care law, many Republican governors and lawmakers initially responded with an emphatic "no."

Now they are increasingly hedging their objections.

A new "no, but ..." approach is spreading among GOP states in which officials are still publicly condemning the Democratic president's Medicaid expansion yet floating alternatives that could provide health coverage to millions of low-income adults while potentially tapping into billions of federal dollars that are to start flowing in 2014.

The Medicaid health care program for poor, which is jointly funded by the federal and state governments, already covers about one in five people in the U.S. Expanding it was the way Obama envisioned covering many more low-income workers who don't have insurance. The new Republican alternatives being proposed in states generally would go part of the way, but cover fewer people than Obama's plan, guarantee less financial help or rely more on private insurers.

But so far, many of the Republican ideas are still more wistful than substantive. It's uncertain whether they will actually pass. And even if they do, there's no guarantee Obama's administration will allow states to deviate too greatly from the parameters of the Affordable Care Act while still reaping its lucrative funding. Yet a recent signal from federal officials that Arkansas might be able to use Medicaid money to buy private insurance policies has encouraged Republicans to try alternatives.

The GOP proposals could lead to another health care showdown between the White House and states, leaving millions of Americans who lack insurance waiting longer for resolution. Officials in about 30 states that are home to more than 25 million uninsured residents remain either defiant or undecided about implementing Obama's Medicaid expansion, according to an Associated Press survey.

Supporters of the Medicaid expansion have built coalitions of hospitals, businesses groups, religious leaders and advocates for the poor to try to persuade reluctant Republicans of the economic and moral merits of Obama's health care plan. But some Republicans believe the pressure ultimately will fall on Obama to accept their alternatives if he wants to avoid a patchwork system for his signature accomplishment.

"If the Obama administration is serious about innovative ways to bring down the cost of health care, it's going to cooperate with conservative ideas rather than continue down its one-size-fits-all, far-left-wing ideological path," said Missouri Rep. Jay Barnes, a Republican from Jefferson City.

A House committee led by Barnes already has defeated Obama's version of Medicaid expansion. It is to hear public testimony Monday on his "market-based Medicaid" alternative that would award health care contracts to competing private insurers and provide cash incentives to patients who hold down their health-care costs. His proposal would contain costs by covering fewer children than Medicaid now does and adding fewer adults than Obama's plan envisions.

Committees in Florida's Republican-led Legislature also have rejected a Medicaid expansion for roughly 1 million of the state's poorest residents, even though it is backed by GOP Gov. Rick Scott. Now Republican Sen. Joe Negron is pursuing an alternative that would use federal funds to provide vouchers for low-income residents to buy private policies. Negron said he still doesn't believe expanding Medicaid is the right decision, but he wants to help Florida residents get health coverage.

"We don't want to do it the Washington way. We want to do it the Florida way," Negron said.

Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich also has been in discussions with the Obama administration about providing subsidized insurance instead of full Medicaid coverage for more adults. Republican governors in Texas, Nebraska and Indiana want the federal government to award Medicaid money as block grants to states.

"It's a two-step for many of these Republican governors. When they look at the numbers they want to do it, but they want to distance themselves from Obamacare at the same time," said Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that analyzes health care policies.

That might be fine with the Obama administration.

"There actually is quite a bit of flexibility on how they can approach this, and the federal government has indicated they want to get to 'yes' " said Joan Alker, co-executive director of Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families in Washington, D.C.

As originally enacted, the Affordable Care Act required states to expand Medicaid to adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, about $32,500 annually for a family of four. A Supreme Court decision last summer made the expansion optional for states but kept in place a powerful financial incentive. The federal government will fully fund the expansion for the first three years, with the states' share gradually increasing to 10 percent by 2020.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in December that getting full funding will still require a full expansion. Yet some Republicans in Missouri, South Dakota and elsewhere claim to see room for compromise.

LaTonya Jenkins, a 51-year-old laid off teacher's aide who lives in temporary housing for the homeless in Kansas City, recently enrolled in Medicaid but could lose coverage if her part-time job pushes her income over Missouri's strict eligibility limits. She recently traveled to Missouri Capitol to urge lawmakers to expand Medicaid.

"If they don't, and they cut it out, then what are we to do? We'll be lost," said a tearful Jenkins, who has diabetes and cares for her grandson. "I'll be sicker than ever and back in the hospital."

___

Associated Press writer Kelli Kennedy contributed to this report from Miami.

___

Follow David A. Lieb at: http://www.twitter.com/DavidALieb

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gops-no-medicaid-becomes-lets-124049576.html

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What Makes Apple's iWatch Tick?

The long-held belief that Apple is working on an iWatch gained more steam Monday, thanks to new rumors focusing on a launch latr this year, along with possible battery problems. Apple may have filed scores of patent applications that include the word "wrist," but the number and detailed nature of the leaks about its plans raise the question of whether the company has loosened its famously tight grip on security.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/293a83ee/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C774430Bhtml/story01.htm

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Shirley MacLaine to return to 'Downton Abbey'

Carnival Films

Shirley MacLaine as Martha Levinson on "Downton Abbey."

By Anna Chan, TODAY

Get ready for another delightful war of words on ?Downton Abbey?!? Carnival Films and Masterpiece on PBS revealed Saturday that Shirley MacLaine is returning to the popular period drama for the season four finale. She?ll be reprising her role as Martha Levinson, mother of Lady Cora.

MacLaine made her ?Downton? debut in season three, when she traveled from America to attend Lady Mary?s wedding to Matthew Crawley at Downton. Her witty character provided a formidable foe for Maggie Smith?s Dowager Countess as the two women traded sharp barbs throughout MacLaine?s stint.

The news of the actress' return comes on the heels of confirmation that Siobhan Finneran, who plays the scheming maid O'Brien, will not be back next season. Masterpiece said that there door is open for Finneran's to come back.

In addition to Oscar winner MacLaine's return, season four will be introducing six new characters:

• Lord Gillingham, an old family friend of the Crawleys, played by Tom Cullen
• Green, a valet played by Nigel Harman
• Lady Shackleton, a friend of the Dowager Countess, played by Dame Harriett Walter
• The Duchess of Yeovil, played by Joanna David
• Charles Blake, an aristocrat, played by Julian Ovenden
• And an unnamed singing guest at the house to be played by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

? ?Downton Abbey? has seen many great characters visit the house over the years and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome the new faces that will be joining the regular cast of ?Downton? in series four,? executive producer Gareth Naeme said in a statement.

Added fellow exec producer Rebecca Eaton, ?The addition of these characters can only mean more delicious drama ? which is what Downton Abbey is all about.?

Carnival Films and Masterpiece on PBS also released a new photo from the season, featuring Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and her son with her husband, Matthew (Dan Stevens).? Though the child?s birth brought great joy to Downton in the season three finale, it was also marked by tragedy. As Matthew raced home to share the news of his son?s birth with the family, his vehicle was struck by another, leaving him dead on the side of the road.

Nick Briggs / Courtesy of Carnival Films

Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley on "Downton Abbey," season four.

?Downton Abbey? airs on Masterpiece on PBS.

What did you think of MacLaine's performance in season three? Are you excited she's back? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/03/02/17158890-shirley-maclaine-to-return-to-downton-abbey-in-season-4?lite

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Battle Continues in Puerto Rico After 200,000 March Against ...

San Juan, Puerto Rico ? Battles regarding the homosexual lifestyle continue to rage in Puerto Rico following an enormous march in San Juan where hundreds of thousands marched against a proposition to legalize homosexual marriage.

?Traffic was snarled for miles leading toward the San Juan islet as buses packed with marchers headed toward the north side of the Capitol,? reports state of the march, which took place late last month.

The event was organized by the organization Puerto Rico for the Family, and was assembled in just three weeks. An estimated 200,000 residents took to the streets with banners and signs to show their support for Biblical marriage. Gospel music was said to have filled the air.

?[The march]?is an act to defend our rights and protect children,? said Dr. Cesar Vasquez Muniz of United Ministry for the Family, who said that the event was organized ?in response to threats against marriage and the family.?

In addition to a bill that seeks to legalize same-sex ?marriage? in the Commonwealth, lawmakers have proposed an amendment the Domestic Violence Act that would provide protection to homosexuals under the law.

?It is a measure of justice and a desire that all citizens have equal access to protection from assault, intimidation, or potential domestic violence in their relationships,? stated Senator Luis Vega Ramos.

However, some residents believe that such laws could wrongfully be used against Christians and other religious groups in order to criminalize their beliefs about the homosexual lifestyle.

?We are concerned that laws will be created to discriminate against the church,? explained Pastor Cesar Vazquez Mu?iz, a spokesman of Puerto Rico for the Family. ?We are concerned that public education will be used to change our children, presenting them with behaviors their parents don?t think are correct.?

A third bill seeks to create an anti-discrimination law that would prohibit the refusal of employment and housing based on one?s sexuality.

?We chose [these politicians] to do other things ? to improve the economy, to reduce crime, to help health and education ? but not to change something as fundamental as marriage, [which] is between a man and a woman, and the family that is born of that relationship,? Vasquez declared during a speech at the march. ?Politicians count the numbers, and the numbers are here.?

Following the march, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court voted to bar homosexual adoption in the Commonwealth. The case involved a woman who sought to adopt her lesbian partner?s 12-year-old child, who was conceived via in vitro fertilization.

?The state ? has not criminalized their sentimental relationship, but it does not have a constitutional obligation to award this relationship the same rights that other relationships have when it comes to adoption procedures,? wrote the court in a 5-4 decision.

However, Puerto Rican Governor?Alejandro Garc?a Padilla rebuked the court last week and said that one?s sexuality should not determine their ability to adopt.

The Democratic-led House and Senate also state that they will push their proposed bills through the legislature anyway.

?We?re in a period where it?s important to talk about human rights,? asserted former governor Pedro Rosello, who was once an avowed conservative that banned homosexual ?marriage? abroad, but now expresses his support of same-sex relationships.

Organizers of the recent march say that the government?s efforts are nothing less than ?a legislative attack against our freedom of conscience, freedom of expression and of religion.?

Puerto Rico is heavily Catholic, with approximately 30 percent of the population identifying as Protestant.

Source: http://christiannews.net/2013/03/02/battle-continues-in-puerto-rico-after-200000-march-against-homosexual-marriage-on-island/

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With CEO Mason out, what's next for Groupon?

Martha C. White , NBC News contributor ? ? ? 13 hrs.

With a severance of $378.36, Andrew Mason could probably score several vouchers for half-priced Thai dinners or Swedish massages, but the ex-CEO of Groupon might be soured on daily deals for a while.

Analysts and investors had been predicting ? and, in some cases, hoping for ? Mason?s departure for months now. Following a dismal fourth-quarter earnings announcement Wednesday, the company?s board showed its co-founder the door.

?The only surprise here was that it took as long as it did to boot him,? Sucharita Mulpuru, analyst at Forrester Research, said via email.

?Executive Chairman Eric Lefkofsky and Vice Chairman Ted Leonsis have been appointed to the newly created Office of the Chief Executive, effective immediately, replacing Andrew Mason,? the company said in a statement. The two will serve as interim CEOs until a replacement for Mason is found.

?On behalf of the entire Groupon Board, I want to thank Andrew for his leadership, his creativity and his deep loyalty to Groupon,? Lefkofsky said in the statement. (The peculiar, precise severance package, which also includes roughly six more months of health insurance, was at Mason?s own request.)

In his typical oddball style, Mason dispensed with bland corporate-speak: "After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I've decided that I'd like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding - I was fired today,? he wrote in a memo posted online. ?If you're wondering why... you haven't been paying attention.?

Groupon never lived up to its $20 IPO share price after it went public in November 2011. Following the news on Wednesday of an $81.1 million net loss for the fourth quarter, its stock dropped 24 percent.

The company just got too big too fast, Mulpuru said. ?They'd been set up for failure from the beginning. We'd been saying all along that there were only so many ways that you could goose up your revenue story before it caught up with you and finally it has.?

?I think his vision was correct, but you have to hold [Mason] culpable for the challenges it faced and the pressure on operations from international results,? said Tom Forte, an internet analyst at Telsey Advisory Group. ?In hindsight, the rapid pace of expansion both domestic and overseas created a business that was challenging to manage.?

Groupon also was dogged by accounting fumbles, both in the run-up to as well as after its public debut. Miscalculating how much it had to set aside for customer returns forced the company to restate its first quarterly results as a public company, which prompted a preliminary SEC probe.

Last July, Evercore Partners analyst Ken Sena raised concern that a growing part of the company?s revenue came from the lower-margin business of selling discounted products through its Groupon Goods program. ?Given that first party sales transactions assume inventory risk in addition to driving higher revenue contribution, as they are booked gross vs. net, we see the need for greater transparency,? he said at the time.

Mason was certainly part of the problem, with a penchant for self-sabotage that undermined investor confidence in his leadership abilities: At one company event attended by reporters, he memorably swigged from a beer and joked about overindulging while exhorting employees to be more disciplined.

What comes across as quirky in start-up culture can telegraph as inexperienced or immature on Wall Street, and Groupon?s stock suffered from Mason?s antics.

?He just really never fit the type of a major corporate CEO,? said Timothy Judge, a professor of management at the University of Notre Dame. ?So when people see such poor performance... they have trouble finding any reason to have faith.?

Judge said Mason?s unpolished delivery of bad news also contributed to his fall. ?We like that think we live in a world where if you?re direct and open and honest that?s the way it should be,? he said. ?I think the reality is his honesty ended up being used against him,? because investors associated Groupon?s performance with Mason?s.

Even without Mason, Groupon has an uphill climb. ?In the next couple of years, if they don?t do something else, I fully expect? the stock to become worthless, Rocky Agrawal, principal analyst at Redesign Mobile, told CNBC on Thursday.

A new CEO can bring much-needed gravitas, but will face the same big-picture problems that bedeviled Mason. ?The same challenges of slowing growth in daily deals is still there. A new CEO cannot change the market,? Edward Woo, senior research analyst at Ascendiant Capital Markets LLC, said via email.

While Mason?s replacement might be able to execute the vision of Groupon as a local e-commerce platform its founder was unable to put into action, Woo said it remains ?a tall task for anybody.?

?I think they should shrink and focus on the areas that are profitable,? Woo said. ?They should also face the possible option that their market opportunity is much smaller than they originally estimated.?

Mason did offer one final piece of advice in his departure memo, after a tangent comparing his tenure to a notoriously hard video game: ?[H]ave the courage to start with the customer. My biggest regrets are the moments that I let a lack of data override my intuition on what's best for our customers.?

Just figuring out who that is would be a good first step. ?Groupon needs to really decide who is their customer,? Mulpuru said. ?They?ve been acting like the shopper matters more. But that's what got them into this mess in the first place. They need to put the merchant first.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/ceo-mason-out-whats-next-groupon-1C8641475

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Ahead Of SXSW, Ride-Sharing Startup SideCar Prepares For Fight With Austin Authorities

By all accounts, next week?s SXSW Interactive conference should be huge for ride-sharing startup SideCar. The company will be introducing its service to a number of people who have never tried out ride sharing. But recent actions by authorities in Austin could put a damper on the company?s coming-out party.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/PxLmMbNZ3Vo/

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Video: Fantasy: Can Tulo shake injury bug, be top SS?

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/50993124#50993124

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Can your breath identify stress?

Feb. 27, 2013 ? The perennial stress-buster -- a deep breath -- could become stress-detector, claims a team of researchers from the UK. According to a new pilot study, published February 28, in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research, there are six markers in the breath that could be candidates for use as indicators of stress.

The researchers hope that findings such as these could lead to a quick, simple and non-invasive test for measuring stress; however, the study, which involved just 22 subjects, would need to be scaled-up to include more people, over a wider range of ages and in more "normal" settings, before any concrete conclusions can be made, they state.

Lead-author of the study, Professor Paul Thomas, said: "If we can measure stress objectively in a non-invasive way, then it may benefit patients and vulnerable people in long-term care who find it difficult to disclose stress responses to their carers, such as those suffering from Alzheimer's."

The study, undertaken by researchers at Loughborough University and Imperial College London, involved 22 young adults (10 male and 12 female) who each took part in two sessions: in the first, they were asked to sit comfortably and listen to non-stressful music; in the second, they were asked to perform a common mental arithmetic test that has been designed to induce stress.

A breath test was taken before and after each session, whilst heart-rates and blood pressures were recorded throughout. The breath samples were examined using a technique known as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and then statistically analysed and compared to a library of compounds.

Two compounds in the breath -- 2-methyl, pentadecane and indole -- increased following the stress exercise which, if confirmed, the researchers believe could form the basis of a rapid test.

A further four compounds were shown to decrease with stress, which could be due to changes in breathing patterns.

"What is clear from this study is that we were not able to discount stress. It seems sensible and prudent to test this work with more people over a range of ages in more normal settings.

"We will need to think carefully about experimental design in order to explore this potential relationship further as there are ethical issues to consider when deliberately placing volunteers under stress. Any follow up study would need to be led by experts in stress," Professor Thomas continued.

Breath profiling has become an attractive diagnostic method for clinicians, and recently researchers have found biomarkers associated with tuberculosis, multiple cancers, pulmonary disease and asthma. It is still unclear how to best manage external factors, such as diet, environment and exercise, which can affect a person's breath sample.

"It is possible that stress markers in the breath could mask or confound other key compounds that are used to diagnose a certain disease or condition, so it is important that these are accounted for," said Professor Thomas.

The researcher's initial assumptions are that stressed people breathe faster and have increased pulse rates and an elevated blood-pressure, which is likely to change their breath profile. They emphasise, however, that it is too soon to postulate the biological origins and the roles of the compounds as part of a stress-sensitive response.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Institute of Physics.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. M A Turner, S Bandelow, L Edwards, P Patel, H J Martin, I D Wilson, C L P Thomas. The effect of a paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) intervention on the profile of volatile organic compounds in human breath: a pilot study. Journal of Breath Research, 2013; 7 (1): 017102 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7155/7/1/017102

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/VO5eyWUaM6s/130227225636.htm

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Parallel Co-op Finance/Accounting at Altria/ Req # 13497BR ...

?Parallel Co-op Finance/Accounting/Req # 13497BR

?COMPANY INFORMATION

The mission of Altria Group, Inc. is to own and develop financially disciplined businesses that are leaders in responsibly providing adult tobacco and wine consumers with superior branded products. Altria Group is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, the largest cigarette manufacturer in the United States, as well as U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company and John Middleton ? recently acquired companies that offer leading brands in the growing moist smokeless tobacco and machine-made cigar categories.

?

Altria Client Services? role is to help Altria Group and its operating companies responsibly meet their business goals by providing the high quality services they require in a financially disciplined way.? We are currently seeking a highly qualified co-op to join our Finance department in Richmond, VA.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Our Parallel Co-op program provides students the opportunity to participate in on-the-job training, access to mentors, and educational opportunities. ?Students may be given the opportunity to work as a part of a cross functional project team and are expected to use project management skills to execute multiple project tasks simultaneously. Students will document project work in a formal report and/or presentation to Senior Management at the conclusion of each term.

As a Finance/Accounting Parallel Co-op with Altria Client Services, the student will be assigned to a specific area within our Finance department for purposes of learning, assessment and ultimate contribution. We offer single and multiple term work experiences. Students interested in multiple terms will enjoy the benefits of more exposure to different segments of our business. Students will receive intensive on-the-job training in their academic field while fulfilling the requirements set by his/her university?s co-op office.

Projects may include:

? Assisting in the preparation and review of state, local or federal tax filings.
? Performing tax related projects
? Performing basic functional business case analysis and identifying potential solutions.
? Identify business changes and executing related accounting process changes as necessary.
? Compiling, analyzing and recording financial information.
? Analyzing data, drawing conclusions and creating solutions.
? Preparing variance analyses on monthly expenditures or other financial data.
? Performing monthly closing procedures

SPECIFIC SKILLS

To qualify for the parallel co-op program, the student must be at least a rising junior at the start of the first co-op rotation, in good academic standing at his/her university and enrolled in a relevant degree program. Additionally, the student must be enrolled in the co-op program at his/her college or university. A concentration in Accounting is preferred with at least 15 hours of major coursework completed. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is strongly preferred.

We are seeking candidates who have excellent communication, interpersonal, negotiating, planning, and quantitative analysis skills.

Candidates must pass a drug-screen and background check prior to employment. Pay for an intern position is commensurate based on student?s status in school and experience. A Housing Allowance is available for students who qualify.

?

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for and be considered for this position, please go to the careers website for the Altria family of companies, www.cantbeattheexperience.com, and post your resume. Please note that we do not retain resumes submitted outside of our application process and in order to qualify for our Internships or co-op assignments, you must be eligible to work full time within the United States without sponsorship.

Again, please apply online for this opportunity, but also, send me (dward@vcu.edu) your resume and let me know you are going to apply.? Please put ?Altria, Finance/Accounting? in the subject line.

Source: http://wp.vcu.edu/dwardcareer/2013/02/28/parallel-co-op-financeaccounting-at-altria-req-13497br/

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9 actors you didn't know were wrestlers

Believe it or not, The Rock isn?t the only competitor to make a successful transition from the ring to Hollywood.

For many Superstars, the canvas is their bread and butter. But for some, competing in the squared circle is a lesser-known second job, or even a brief hobby, taken up on their way to a career on the silver screen.

(PHOTOS | VIDEO PLAYLIST)

WWEClassics.com dug deep into the history books to uncover the forgotten wrestling stints of nine actors you?ve seen in some classic flicks. From mob movie heavies to Batman villains, who knew these dudes were once wrestlers?

Who are you most surprised to learn was a wrestler? Vote now!

Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/9-actors-you-didnt-know-were-wrestlers

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