MANAMA, Bahrain ? Riot police in Bahrain fired tear gas Friday to disperse several hundred protesters among thousands who took to the streets Friday to demand the government's resignation after a fact-finding report uncovered torture and other abuses against detainees.
The protesters carried the Bahraini flag as they marched for nearly four miles (six kilometers) along a highway through Shiite neighborhoods in a northern district of the island kingdom. After the march, several hundred protesters gathered at a traffic circle, prompting police to seal off the road and release clouds of tear gas.
Bahrain's Shiites, about 70 percent of the nation's 525,000 citizens, complain of widespread discrimination under the kingdom's Sunni rulers, including being blocked from top government or military posts. The monarchy has offered some concessions but refused to bow to demands for greater political freedoms and rights.
Activists accuse the government of failing to implement the recommendations of a fact-finding mission it authorized. The mission's 500-page report, released in November, found a number of detainees were tortured as "a deliberate practice by some" during the height of the protests in February and March.
"No change has happened," said Fatima Ahmad, a 24-year-old protester. "All the officers and people who were involved in the violation of human rights were awarded different posts and positions. The government is fooling its own nation and that is why it must resign."
The report on the crackdown was also highly critical of a special security court created under martial law that issued harsh penalties, including death sentences, and "denied most defendants elementary fair trial guarantees."
Bahrain lifted martial law in June and dissolved the security court.
The report urged Bahrain to review all the security court verdicts and drop charges against those accused of nonviolent acts such as joining or supporting the protests.
Five Shiite opposition groups, including the country's largest, Al Wefaq, said in a statement Friday that the government has no intention of taking steps recommended by the report.
"The regime has demonstrated a lack of seriousness for carrying out (the) recommendations," it said.
Marchers on Friday called for the release of political prisoners, some of whom were tried by the special security court, and for the trials of police officers believed to be behind the killings of more than 35 protesters since anti-government protests began 10 months ago.
On Thursday, the country's Information Affairs Authority said five police officers will be put on trial in connection with the alleged torture of a detainee who later died in custody.
Student Mohammed Ali said the current government has no credibility and must resign.
The protesters, though, have not called for the downfall of the Sunni-led monarchy, which reshuffled the government this year under pressure from activists.
Early Friday, the Interior Ministry said police arrested 80 people in the eastern village of Nuwaidrat who allegedly attacked a police patrol with fire bombs.
$La primera Fiscal?a Militar, junto a la Fiscal?a Centro Norte investigar?n la muerte a balazos de dos delincuentes que anoche se habr?an enfrentado a Carabineros en el puente Petersen, de Cerrro Navia.
Seg?n los antecedentes, los hechos comenzaron en Estaci?n Central, cuando una mujer dio aviso a Carabineros que cinco sujetos la amenazaron para robarle su autom?vil. Los uniformados iniciaron un operativo y dieron con el paradero de los sujetos en Vitacura, desde donde comenz? una persecusi?n policial que termin? en Cerro Navia, donde los individuos impactaron contra una barrera de contenci?n.
All? se habr?a desarrollado una balacera entre los ladrones y carabineros, sin embargo a?n no se encuentran las armas de los delincuentes, las cuales estpan siendo busadas en el r?o Mapocho.
Una de las balas de la polic?a impact? en la cabeza a Emilio Ulloa Silva (17)y seg?n el subprefecto V?ctor Arriagada, el procedimiento se ajust? a derecho, porque los testimonios hablan de un intercambio de disparon.
Los seis carabineros de Vitacura est?n testificando en la Brigada de Homicidios de Investigaciones, mientras que los tres delincuentes detenidos ser?n formalizados esta jornada.
(Justmeans.com / CSR News) - Atlanta, GA ? December 29, 2011 ? According to the American Cancer Society, more than half of cancer deaths could be prevented if people make these actions part of their lifestyle:?
Sadly, research indicates that women are so busy taking care of others that they often struggle to find the time to take care of themselves. The Choose You movement was developed to motivate women to put their health first and reduce their cancer risk.
?The Choose You movement is an opportunity to turn what we know about cancer prevention into healthy behavior change that can help reduce their risk of the disease,? said Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity at the American Cancer Society. ?Choose You provides a community of support from other women who are dealing with similar challenges, as well as a wealth of information and tips to encourage all women to make a commitment to a healthier life while helping to reduce their risk of cancer.?
For more information on how to make your personal health a priority, visit www.chooseyou.com.
Can putting yourself first be considered an unselfish decision? When it comes to your health, the answer is yes. By putting your health first, you?re not only staying well for you, but also for your loved ones.
One in three women will develop cancer in her lifetime, but about 50 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented if women maintained a healthy weight through diet and regular exercise, avoided tobacco products and got recommended cancer screenings, according to the American Cancer Society. Yet, women are often so busy taking care of others that they struggle to make their own health a priority. In fact, a recent survey by the American Cancer Society showed that while 95 percent of women feel the need to improve their health, approximately three out of five admit they put others? health before their own.
In the constant struggle between family, work and self, how can you put yourself first? Whether sticking to your New Year?s resolution, preparing for swimsuit season or simply wanting to live a healthier lifestyle, here are six tips to help reach your wellness goals:
Eat right. Healthy eating is difficult in today?s busy world. To help you meet your goals, take time to record your intake in a food journal. A diet that is low in fat, high in fiber, with lots of fruits and vegetables, has been shown to help reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Get active. Exercise often gets neglected, but just 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, even diabetes. If possible, exercise before work or during lunch, so you can spend time with your family or indulge in ?me-time? once you get home.
Get recommended health screenings. Prevention and early detection are two of the most powerful tools you have for your health. Make visiting a doctor for preventative care a regular part of your health regimen, and set reminders to schedule important appointments and screenings.
Quit smoking. Smoking causes one in five deaths in the United States, and a myriad of health problems. There are many tools and resources available online that can help distract you from your cravings and show you just how much those packs of cigarettes cost you over time.
?Protect your skin. A majority of skin cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. are considered to be sun-related. When in the sun, wear protective clothing, sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15 or higher and sunglasses that block UV rays.
Choose You. Commit to making healthy living and early detection a priority by making a Choose You Commitment, a movement developed by the American Cancer Society to help women put their health first to help reduce cancer risk. This online program provides tools and support to enable women to commit to, and achieve their personal health and wellness goals.
Profile shirts of stylized animals are the hottest rage for heavyweights this season. Don't believe me? Check out Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar's walkout shirts for UFC 141.
It will be tough to distinguish between cornermen at their fights this weekend. Based on shirts alone, I'm picking Overeem. His shirt is cleaner and comes in black and white. Plus, if Lesnar wants to channel a wolf via his shirt, he should really go with this one.
SINGAPORE ? Oil prices hovered below $100 a barrel Thursday in Asia after a report showed U.S. crude supplies jumped last week, a sign demand could be weakening.
Benchmark crude for February delivery rose 19 cents to $99.55 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.98 to settle at $99.36 in New York on Wednesday.
In London, Brent crude was down 2 cents at $107.54 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
The American Petroleum Institute said late Wednesday that crude inventories rose 9.6 million barrels last week while analysts surveyed by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., had predicted a drop of 2.3 barrels.
Inventories of gasoline added 1.9 barrels last week while distillates grew 600,000 barrels, the API said.
The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reports its weekly supply data later Thursday.
Investors are also closely watching developments in the Persian Gulf. On Tuesday, Iran's vice president said his country will close the Strait of Hormuz, and cut off crude exports, if Western nations impose sanctions on Iran's oil shipments.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Navy warned that any disruption of traffic in the strait, though which about a sixth of global production passes, would not be tolerated. A Saudi oil ministry official said his country and other Gulf producers are ready to provide more oil if Iran tries to block the strait.
"(Closing the Strait of Hormuz) would instantly draw all consuming nations into opposition with Tehran," energy consultant Cameron Hanover said in a report. "The U.S. and its Arab allies would be compelled to open it by military force."
"Under any scenario, that would be a game-changer."
In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 0.4 cents to $2.91 per gallon and gasoline futures slid 0.1 cent at $2.64 per gallon. Natural gas futures were up 1.1 cents to $3.13 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Jets coach?Rex Ryan?clearly fired up the Giants with his brash talk last week, but he said he does not plan to change his approach because of it. ?Read more after the jump.
@Shay_Marie x @gametimegirl
?That?s who I am,? Ryan said on a conference call. ?Do I regret it? No. Did it work out? Nope. It never worked out. I?m never going to say I regret anything that I believe in my heart, and I?ve always said from Day 1 I?m going to be true to myself. When I leave this job 10 or 15 years from now, I?m going to be true to myself. Maybe it?s not the traditional way of doing things. But for me, this is who I am. I made the statements and I?ll stand by everything I said.?
Ryan pronounced the Jets the best team in town last week among other things, lighting a fire under the Giants, who had plenty to say about Ryan after their 29-14 win.
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No one was louder than running back Brandon Jacobs, who got into a confrontation on the field with Ryan after the game. Ryan declined to respond to any of Jacobs? comments yesterday.
?To me, I talked about that after the game,? he said. ?I said it was a private conversation we had and I really have nothing to add to it.?
In an interview on 1050 ESPN radio, running back?LaDainian Tomlinson?backed Ryan and said the team does not want Ryan to quiet down.
?Not at all,? Tomlinson said. ?Rex is very confident in his team, himself, and that?s how he feels. It?s all about us, and he?s going to say what?s on his mind. And as players, we really enjoy that a lot of the times.?
* Tomlinson reiterated he does not plan on retiring after this season. His contract with the Jets is up.
?I?m coming back [to the NFL],? Tomlinson said. ?I?ve been saying if I was able to make it through the season healthy and still feel strong and like I can still have an impact on the game and play, that I will continue to play ?cause I still have fun playing. I mean, I enjoy the journey, every year, starting in August, and that journey to try to win a championship, I just have fun doing it. So I?m going to play ?til I can?t play no more.?
* Ryan believes of all the pieces of the equation that have to go the Jets? way Sunday to make the playoffs, the most challenging is for his team to beat the Dolphins.
?Of all the scenarios, that might be the toughest thing,? Ryan said. ?You?d hate to have everything fall into place and us not take care of our own business. That?s where our focus is.?
ScienceDaily (Dec. 27, 2011) ? Two vital parts of mentally organizing the world are classification, or the understanding that similar things belong in the same category; and induction, an educated guess about a thing's properties if it's in a certain category. There are reasons to believe that language greatly assists adults in both kinds of tasks. But how do young children use language to make sense of the things around them? It's a longstanding debate among psychologists.
A new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, challenges the predominant answer. "For the last 30 to 40 years it has been believed that even for very young children, labels are category markets, as they are for adults," explains psychologist Vladimir M. Sloutsky, who authored the paper with Ohio State University colleague Wei Deng. According to this theory, if you show anyone an oblong, scaled, limbless swimming thing and say it's a dog (its label), both adults and children will believe it's a dog (in that category of four-legged domesticated mammals) and should behave like a dog -- bark or wag its tail.
The study confirms that many adults do use labels this way. But children do not. "Our research suggests that very early in development labels are no different from other features," says Sloutsky. "And the more salient features may completely overrule the label." You insist the swimming thing is a dog. The child weighs all the evidence -- and "dog" is no more important than scales or swimming -- and concludes it's a fish.
To test their hypothesis, the psychologists showed pictures of two imaginary creatures to preschoolers and college undergraduates. Both animals had a body, hands, feet, antennae, and a head. The "flurp" was distinguished by a pink head that moved up and down; the "jalet" had a blue sideways-moving head. The heads were salient -- the only moving part. During training, the subjects learned what a flurp or a jalet looked like.
Then the experimenters changed some of the features, keeping the head consistent with most of them, and asked participants to supply the missing label. They also showed creatures with characteristics and a name, and the subjects had to predict -- induce -- the missing part. Both adults and children did best when the head was consistent with the name.
The difference arose when the head was a jalet's but label was "flurp," or vice-versa. Then, most of the adults went with the label (we accept that a dolphin is a mammal, even though it looks and swims like a fish). The children relied on the head for identification. Regardless of its name, a thing with a jalet's head is a jalet.
To eliminate the possibility that the participants were flummoxed by the invented names, they researchers called the creatures "carrot-eater" and "meat-eater." The results were the same.
Sloutsky says the findings could inform teaching and communicating with children. "If saying something is a dog does not communicate what it is any more than saying it is brown, then labeling it is necessary but by no means sufficient for a child to understand." Talking with young children, "we need to do more than just label things."
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Journal Reference:
Vladimir M. Sloutsky and Wei Deng. Carrot-Eaters and Moving Heads: Salient Features Provide Greater Support for Inductive Inference than Category Labels. Psychological Science, 2012
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GRAPEVINE, Texas ? Six members of a Texas family apparently opened Christmas presents just before a relative dressed as Santa Claus showed up, opened fire and killed them before killing himself, police said Monday.
Grapevine police spokesman Sgt. Robert Eberling said the shooter showed up in the Santa outfit shortly before gunfire erupted and was a member of the family. The identity of the shooter and the victims will be released after autopsies are conducted Monday, he said.
Police went to the apartment midday Sunday after receiving a 911 call in which no one was on the other line. They found four women and three men, aged 18 to 60, dead. A motive for the shootings remains unclear.
Investigators worked overnight, meticulously searching the apartment, along with three vehicles parked outside.
"It appears they had just celebrated Christmas. They had opened their gifts," Grapevine Police Sgt. Robert Eberling said Sunday, adding that the apartment was decorated for the holiday, including a tree.
Two handguns were found near the bodies, and it appears all died of gunshot wounds, he said.
Grapevine Police Lt. Todd Dearing said investigators believe that the victims were related, though some were visiting and didn't live in the apartment. He said police are looking for other relatives to inform of the deaths.
"Seven people in one setting in Grapevine, that's never happened before. Ever," Dearing said.
Police and firefighters first rushed to the Lincoln Vineyards complex after receiving the open-ended 911 call at about 11:30 a.m., Eberling said.
"There was an open line. No one was saying anything," he explained.
So police went into the apartment, located in the middle-class neighborhood of Grapevine, not far from the upscale Fort Worth suburb of Colleyville. The apartment was at the back of the complex, overlooking the athletic fields of Colleyville Heritage High School.
Many of the nearby apartments are vacant, and police said no neighbors reported hearing anything on a quiet Christmas morning when many people were not around.
Jose Fernandez, a 35-year-old heavy equipment mechanic who moved to the complex with his family about six months ago, said he always felt safe in the area, but is now afraid to let his 10-year-old son play freely outside.
"This is really outrageous especially on Christmas," said Fernandez, who was visiting family for the holiday and returned to find several police cars parked outside his home.
"This has shocked everybody. It has scared everybody. I guess something like this can happen anywhere, but seven people dead. It's just very scary," he added.
Eberling agreed the area is fairly quiet, saying the shootings involved the first homicides in Grapevine since 2010.
Christy Posch, a flight attendant who moved to the complex about six months ago so her son could attend the high school, said she lives a few buildings away and did not hear any gunshots.
"It's all families. That's why I moved here. No burglaries, no nothing," Posch said.
___
Associated Press writer Ramit Plushnick-Masti in Houston contributed to this report.
In this image made from video, CNN star interviewer Piers Morgan answers questions Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 from a media ethics inquiry sitting in London, England, about his time at the top of Britain's tabloid industry, at an unknown location in the U.S. Morgan ran two British tabloids - the News of the World and the Daily Mirror - before his editorship was cut short by scandal in 2004. (AP Photo, Pool)
In this image made from video, CNN star interviewer Piers Morgan answers questions Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 from a media ethics inquiry sitting in London, England, about his time at the top of Britain's tabloid industry, at an unknown location in the U.S. Morgan ran two British tabloids - the News of the World and the Daily Mirror - before his editorship was cut short by scandal in 2004. (AP Photo, Pool)
FILE - This Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011 file photo shows Piers Morgan, host of CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," posing for a portrait in Pasadena, Calif. Morgan will talk via video link Tuesday Dec 20 2011 about his former job as editor of one of Britain's troubled tabloids at a judge-led inquiry in London into the practices of Britain's scandal-tarred press. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
LONDON (AP) ? A tense and sometimes hostile Piers Morgan refused to disclose details Tuesday about the most damning link between himself and Britain's phone hacking scandal ? his acknowledgment that he once listened to a phone message left by Paul McCartney for his then-wife Heather Mills.
The CNN celebrity interviewer, testifying through a video link from the U.S., clashed repeatedly with the UK panel investigating media ethics, insisting he never took part in the illegal phone hacking that has led to the closure of a Sunday tabloid he once edited and the arrests of friends and former colleagues.
The stakes were high for Morgan. More than a dozen journalists have been arrested, senior executives with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. media empire have lost their jobs, and top U.K. police officers have resigned over their failure to tackle the phone hacking scandal.
His testimony was given under oath, and Morgan could be subject to criminal proceedings if he is found to have violated any British laws.
Morgan's defense Tuesday was part denial, part apology and a healthy helping of "I don't recall."
A key line of questioning centered on the comments Morgan made in a 2006 article he wrote for the Daily Mail tabloid. In it, Morgan said he was played a phone message left by the former Beatle on Mills' answering machine, describing it in detail and noting that McCartney "even sang 'We Can Work It Out' into the answer phone.."
Mills, who went on to divorce McCartney, has charged there was no way Morgan could have obtained the message honestly ? an allegation that could prove embarrassing to CNN, which brought the 46-year-old journalist on board in January to replace Larry King.
Morgan stubbornly refused Tuesday to go into any detail about the message, saying: "I'm not going to discuss where I heard it or who played it to me."
Pressed by inquiry chief Lord Justice Brian Leveson about whether he could provide any evidence to substantiate that he had obtained the message legally, Morgan said he could not.
"I can't start any trail that leads to the identification of a source," he said.
Before his U.S. television career, Morgan ran two British tabloids ? Murdoch's now-shuttered News of the World, between 1994 and 1995, then the rival Daily Mirror, which is not connected to the Murdoch empire, where he stayed for nearly a decade.
Much of Tuesday's inquiry focused on the time Morgan spent at the latter, which could revive earlier suggestions that hacking was not confined to journalists working for News International, the British subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch
Although Morgan showed occasional flashes of humor, the atmosphere was mostly tense during Tuesday's questioning.
At one point Morgan said he "doesn't believe" he ever listened to hacked voicemail messages ? and rejected suggestions he had any contact with the private detectives accused of carrying out many of the tabloids' dirtiest deeds, saying his subordinates would have been charged with giving them assignments.
Morgan also dismissed earlier interviews about phone hacking in which said that "loads of newspaper journalists were doing it" or that he had trouble condemning the shady practices of private eyes "because obviously you were running the results of their work."
Morgan told the inquiry that those statements were based on nothing more than hearsay and the newspaper industry's "rumor mill."
He said he couldn't say who had filled him in on the rumors.
"My memory's not great about this. It was a long time ago," he said.
Occasionally ? when confronted by written excerpts from his autobiographical book, "The Insider" ? Morgan accepted that some of what he had done had crossed the line.
For example, Morgan acknowledged he had made use of Benji "the Binman" Pelham, a freelancer who specialized in raking though celebrities' trash to look for scoops.
"Did I think he was doing anything illegal? No. Did I think he was doing anything on the cusp of unethical? Yes," Morgan said.
Morgan was also quizzed about the cozy relationship between Murdoch and former Prime Minister Tony Blair ? a line of questioning which drew a heavy hint that the News Corp. executive chairman may himself testify before the inquiry.
At one point, inquiry lawyer Robert Jay told Morgan to stop speculating about what Murdoch might have remembered about a particular incident in which the two clashed.
"We can ask him for his recollection of events when we get there," Jay said.
A spokesman for the inquiry declined to elaborate, and News Corp. did not immediately return an email seeking confirmation. In July, Murdoch gave dramatic testimony before Parliament in which he denied any responsibility for phone hacking at his flagship Sunday tabloid, which he shut in the wake of the scandal.
Meanwhile, News Corp. announced settlements with seven more prominent figures victimized by the paper.
The company said in a statement Tuesday it had settled claims brought by Princess Diana's former lover James Hewitt, ex-Liberal Democrat lawmaker Mark Oaten, TV anchor Ukrika Jonsson, model Abi Titmuss and Paul Dadge, who helped rescue victims of the 2005 London transit bombings. Theatrical agent Michelle Milburn and Calum Best, the son of soccer legend George Best, rounded out the settlement list.
At least one more settlement ? with former England soccer player Paul Gascoigne ? appeared imminent, according to lawyer Jeremy Reed.
The terms of the new payments were not disclosed, but they are likely to be substantial. Sienna Miller received nearly $157,000 (100,000 pounds) when she settled with News International, while the family of a murdered British schoolgirl, Milly Dowler, was awarded $3.1 million (2 million pounds), plus an additional $1.6 million (1 million pounds) from Murdoch himself that was earmarked for charity.
Police say the number of potential phone hacking victims could be in the thousands.
CNN broadcast Morgan's appearance live ? but only on its international station.
Temple running back Bernard Pierce (30) leaps over Wyoming defensive back Kenny Browder (24) and linebacker Brian Hendricks (8) in the second quarter of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf)
Temple running back Bernard Pierce (30) leaps over Wyoming defensive back Kenny Browder (24) and linebacker Brian Hendricks (8) in the second quarter of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf)
Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez (88) tries to evade Wyoming defensive back Kenny Browder (24) during the first quarter of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf)
Wyoming wide receiver Brandon Miller (18) is tackled by Temple defensive back Vaughn Carraway (14) and linebacker Tahir Whitehead (2) in the first quarter of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf)
Temple defensive back Kee-ayre Griffin (20) intercepts a pass intended for Wyoming tight end Spencer Bruce (25) in the second quarter of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf)
Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith (16) breaks away from Temple defensive back Zamel Johnson (27) in the first quarter of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? Temple came out swinging against Wyoming, jumping to a 21-0 lead in the first half of the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
But when Wyoming freshman Brett Smith threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson with 37 seconds remaining in the first half, Temple quarterback Chris Coyer feared that Wyoming found a spark.
"We knew they had swung the momentum their way. It was a big touchdown for them," Coyer said.
Then, moments later, Coyer responded with 61-yarder to Rod Streater to give the Owls a 28-7 lead.
It was never close again.
Bernard Pierce ran for two early touchdowns and Coyer threw for 169 yards and the touchdown to help Temple overwhelm Wyoming 37-15 in the New Mexico Bowl ? the first bowl game of the season.
The Owls (9-4) had three interceptions ? tying a New Mexico Bowl record ? en route to the second bowl victory in school history. The first interception came at the start of the second quarter when Temple's Kee-arye Griffin picked off Smith's pass to setting up Matt Brown's 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Owls a 21-0 lead.
The last one came late in the game to Temple's Kevin Kroboth, resulting in a field goal.
"Our starting point is playing great defense," first-year Temple coach Steve Addazio said. "That's what our program's built around. We lead a lot of statistical categories in the country, and we have a lot of pride in playing great defense."
The New Mexico Bowl was Temple's second bowl game in three years, but that 2009 game ? a 30-21 loss to UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington ? was the Owls' first bowl in 30 years. The Mid-American Conference East runner-up did not get a bowl invite last year despite going 8-4.
Sophomore Coyer, who also rushed for 71 yards, was selected the game's offensive MVP.
"Getting on top early, of course, was going to be a big deal in this game," Coyer said. "We knew that they had a very explosive offense, and throughout the year that's been big for us ? to get ahead early."
Meanwhile, Smith was held to just 127 yards by a greedy Owls defensive line that preventing the Cowboys from getting anything started.
"Not his best day," Cowboys coach Dave Christensen said. "But the great news is he's got three more years and he'll work extremely hard in the offseason. He'll bounce back. He always does."
The loss dropped the Cowboys (8-5) to 6-7 in bowl games. It was a disappointed effort by Wyoming after the Cowboys won the 2009 New Mexico Bowl in double overtime, beating Fresno State 35-28.
"They just played physically better than us," Christensen said. "My hat's off to them. They're a good running team. They're a good football team."
___
Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras
Announced on Friday night on a blog post by Time Warner spokesman Jeff Simmermon, Time Warner Cable has finally struck a deal with HBO in regards to bringing the HBO Go streaming application as well as the Max Go app to subscribers. The cable company will run a short trial to test out the streaming app on the Time Warner Cable network and roll out the app to all 12 million subscribers during January 2012. Just like?implementations?on other cable networks, Time Warner Cable customers will have to subscribe to HBO or Cinemax to gain access to content through the streaming?application. Customers can use the streaming app on laptops, desktop computers, Android and Apple smartphones, the iPad, gaming consoles as well as set-top boxes like the Roku.?
HBO Go offers access to approximately?1,400 titles, both?theatrical?movies and recent television programs such as Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, Curb Your Enthusiasm and True Blood in addition to completed series such at The Sopranos, Deadwood and Sex in the City. The MAX Go application offers access to about 400 titles including original programming, blockbuster movies and the?MAX After Dark section. ?HBO has already signed agreements with other cable companies such as Comcast, Charter Communications, AT&T U-verse, DirecTV, Dish Network?and Verizon FIOS. The largest holdout at this point is Cablevision with approximately three million subscribers.
While many subscribers have grown somewhat impatient with Time Warner Cable and the slow adoption of the HBO Go platform, the?reasoning?behind the lengthy delays are likely due to Time Warner?s internal discussion about structuring a direct subscription price to the service rather than positioning it as an added bonus for subscribers of other cable networks. Once access is enabled for subscribers, they will simply download the application on their device or access the content through the HBO Go site.?
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
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MOSCOW (Reuters) ? An oil drilling rig with 67 crew on board capsized and sank off the Russian Far East island of Sakhalin when it ran into a storm while being towed, and 51 of the crew were unaccounted for, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday.
Fourteen crew members were rescued alive from the 'Kolskaya' jack-up rig, operated by Russian exploration company Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka, two bodies were recovered and the rest of the crew were missing.
"According to reports from the scene of the rescue operation, the Kolskaya platform has sunk completely," the local head of the Emergencies Ministry, Taimuraz Kasayev, told a news briefing in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Agencies quoted officials as saying the rig capsized at about 0200 GMT on Sunday around 200 km (125 miles) off the coast of Sakhalin as it was being towed from the eastern peninsula of Kamchatka.
It appeared that the vessel had not been doing drilling work, so no oil spill was likely. The rig's destination was not immediately clear.
While less serious that BP's Macondo disaster, when a blowout caused oil to spew for months into the Gulf of Mexico, the fatal accident will deal a blow to Russia's efforts to step up offshore oil and gas exploration.
Russia has two major offshore projects that are already producing oil off Sakhalin - Sakhalin-1, operated by Exxonmobil and Sakhalin-2, in which state-controlled gas export monopoly Gazprom has a controlling stake.
State-controlled Rosneft this year reached a major deal with Exxon to explore for oil and gas in the Arctic Kara Sea.
(Reporting by Douglas Busvine; editing by Tim Pearce)
After several years as an ER doctor, Christine Tsien Silvers decided to quit clinical medicine to become the Chief Medical Officer of a small company and, therefore, leave behind the days of having to see an "average number of patients per hour."
Her recent guest post on Philip Greenspun's blog says:
Let's be honest: leaving clinical medicine had crossed my mind before ? for example, at Hour 24 of pained wakefulness during Emergency Medicine (EM) Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Later, while working in the community, I would sometimes sigh, proud and privileged to be able to help patients, yet nostalgic for less harried work. Those belligerent types yelling profanities, or the guy tired of waiting five hours and promising to sue everyone, those towering chart piles of could-be-critical yet still waiting-to-be-seen patients, the hallways littered with ticking-time-bomb, semi-stable admitted patients awaiting inpatient rooms... such moments, unfortunately not infrequent, definitely gave me pause.
Five-digit medical malpractice insurance premiums also meant that for my first twentysome per diem shifts each year, I was paying to treat patients. My independent consultant work in my MIT dissertation area of "multivariate trend analysis," such as used in developing improved patient monitors, in stark contrast was not only rewarding but also accommodating?teleconferences could be scheduled between school drop-off and pickup, for example. Moreover, nobody was pressuring me to sacrifice my desire to be thorough in order to be faster...as my maternity leave too rapidly drew to a close, I felt increasingly convinced that perhaps I should hang up my stethoscope.
Unfortunately, practitioners turning their backs on medicine leave us wondering what will happen to the nation's medical field in a time when America is already behind in science. Reuters reported that "national studies show that at the elementary level, science is barely being taught" especially when compared to English and Math.?
And we're all left wondering, "Who will take care of us when we are injured or ill?"
SAN FRANCISCO ? As fans of Google's Android mobile software well know, each new version is named after a sugary treat, such as Gingerbread or Honeycomb. Android is about to get even sweeter with Ice Cream Sandwich ? a smooth, feature-rich operating system that will run first on the delectable Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone.
The combination of Google's software and Samsung's hardware makes the Galaxy Nexus one of the best candidates to compete with Apple's latest iPhone, though its price is steep. It will be available Thursday in the U.S. for $300 with a two-year Verizon Wireless contract.
Like the previous phone in the Nexus line, the Nexus S, the Galaxy Nexus was jointly developed by Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. It features a slim frame with a large, curved glass screen that's comfortable for chatting with friends and excellent for watching videos. There are 32 gigabytes of built-in storage space on the Verizon version of the phone, but no external slot for a microSD memory card.
The screen, a pocket-busting 4.65 inches at the diagonal, makes the iPhone's 3.5-inches look diminutive. And despite the size, the Galaxy Nexus manages to weigh just 4.8 ounces, slightly less than Apple's offering.
On it, videos and Web pages looked crisp and bright, with rich colors. I started watching a video during testing ? an HD copy of "The Help" that I rented from Google's Android Market ? and had to force myself to break away to test other features of the device.
With the latest version of Android under the hood, the Galaxy Nexus is packed with new and improved features. Many of them are great; others are simply great in theory.
Overall, the software looks fresher and less cluttered. The virtual "buttons" that usually sit at the bottom of the screen have been redesigned. There's still a "home" and a "back" button, but no "menu" button to pull up various options within an app. Instead, there's now a "recent apps" button that shows what you've been doing lately on the phone.
Another neat change: The buttons are completely virtual, so they change directions when you flip the phone sideways and disappear when you're viewing photos or videos.
Other changes to Android include an overhaul of its virtual keyboard, meant to make it easier to type without messing up ? something I've always had trouble with on the stock Android keyboard. I was often able to type more accurately than in the past, but sometimes still ended up with unintended words in my messages.
The Android browser and Gmail are updated, too. Gmail's new functions include the ability to search emails while offline, while the browser is zippier and has a "request desktop" option so you can check out webpages in their non-truncated desktop version.
One new feature that falls into the "great in theory" category is Face Unlock, which uses facial-recognition technology to unlock the phone from standby mode. To set it up, you take a picture of your face with the phone. Then, all you have to do to unlock the phone is stare at the screen after you press the power button.
Most of the time it didn't work, though, probably because the phone couldn't recognize my face from certain angles. I was also able to fool it by holding up a shot of my face on an iPhone. So much for security.
Ice Cream Sandwich also has Android Beam, which lets you share such content as a Web page, map or video between two Android phones by bringing the backs of the phones close together. It only works with phones that have this Android software and near-field communication technology, though, so unless you and your friend both buy the Galaxy Nexus you'll be out of luck at launch.
More immediately useful was the phone's 5-megapixel camera, which is the snappiest I've seen on any Android phone. There was almost no shutter lag between shots, even when I had just turned the camera on.
Still, I would have preferred a higher-resolution sensor ? 8-megapixel cameras are quickly becoming common on smartphones. In addition, photos I took could have been brighter, though this can be improved on somewhat by using some of the available editing options, including numerous color filters and adjustable contrast options.
Like the iPhone 4S and some other high-end smartphones, the Galaxy Nexus can record high-definition videos in 1080p ? the best resolution you can get on a consumer camera. I had some fun taking sunset videos with a time-lapse feature, and there are some goofy filming effects to play around with, too.
And yes, you can make calls on the Galaxy Nexus. Its thin body and curved screen make it comfortable to hold against your ear, and calls generally sounded good.
Sadly, high-speed networks guzzle battery power like a milkshake, so I wasn't able to spend a ton of time using the device on a single battery charge.
The phone Google loaned me to test was a version that works with AT&T or T-Mobile, so I couldn't test its speed or battery life with the carrier actually selling it in the U.S., Verizon, or with its high-speed 4G network.
Using both T-Mobile's standard 3G and speedier HSPA+ networks, at least, I got about three hours and 15 minutes out of the Galaxy Nexus for surfing the Web, streaming a movie, sending instant messages, chatting on the phone and other activities. The phone got quite warm with all this use. Over Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network, it's possible that the phone's battery would drain even faster if you're doing a lot of downloading.
Another bummer: Verizon is blocking the Galaxy Nexus from supporting Google Wallet, which is supposed to allow the phone to be used to buy items in some stores by tapping it to payment terminals.
Generally, though, the Galaxy Nexus is a well-rounded smartphone that serves up a noticeably freshened-up version of Android with sleek hardware. Delicious, indeed.
iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, just announced the availability of their top of the line gaming system, Erebus, for the holiday season. The iBuypower Erebus Gaming System is pack with cutting edge features that are sure to have you up all night this holiday season. Choose from one of their six models beginning with entry level all the way up to advanced gaming and customize them as you see fit.
With features like Intel Core i7-990X Extreme, 6x120mm Custom Liquid Cooling, Gigabyte G1 Sniper Motherboard, [3-Way SLI] GTX 580 Superclocked, 12 GB DDR3-1600 Kingston HyperX, 1200 Watt ? Corsair CMPSU-1200AX, 12X Blu-ray Re-Writer Combo Drive, and much more, these customizable machines can help to put you at the top of the online gaming world.
The Erebus comes with a sturdy solid steel chassis, aluminum front panel, and four radiators with 13 mm high flow tubing capable of pumping 4.5 gallons per minute of cooling liquid. This system is designed to keep your PC cool under pressure even if you aren?t.
?After two years of hard work and we are proud to unveil this ground breaking system.? said Darren Su, Executive Vice President of iBUYPOWER. ?Erebus? custom built liquid cooling system will allow gamers to push the overclocking envelope, delivering unparalleled performance and creating the ultimate gaming experience.?
You can learn more and purchase your iBuypower Erebus Gaming System starting at $1369 from iBuypower.com.
TOYOTA, Japan - South American champion Santos advanced to the Club World Cup final by beating Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 Wednesday, setting up a possible showdown between Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Brazil teenager Neymar.
The 19-year-old Neymar, who is touted to be the next big star in soccer, scored one of the Brazilian club's goals. Borges and Danilo scored the others for Santos, the former club of Pele.
Barcelona will take on Qatari club Al-Sadd in the other semifinal match Thursday in Yokohama.
The Club World Cup final is set for Sunday in Yokohama.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsCharles Platiau / Reuters
Paris Saint-Germain fades away
Roundup: Despite winning Wednesday, big-spending Paris Saint-Germain crashed out of the Europa League, a costly exit for an ambitious French club desperate for silverware.
Charles Platiau / Reuters
Extending?
Glasgow Rangers have opened talks with Maurice Edu's agent in hope of extending the American midfielder's stay with the defending Scottish Premier League champion.
SYDNEY ? Three men who plotted a suicide attack against an Australian army base because they believed Islam was under threat from Western nations were sentenced Friday to more than 13 years in prison.
The men ? Australian citizens originally from Somalia or Lebanon ? were convicted last year of conspiring to plot a terrorist attack against Holsworthy Barracks, an army base on the outskirts of Sydney. Officials said the group planned to send a team of men with automatic rifles into the base in a bid to kill as many soldiers as possible.
Police said the men were motivated by a belief that Islam was under attack from the West, and planned to keep on shooting until they were killed.
On Friday, Victoria state Supreme Court Justice Betty King sentenced Wissam Mahmoud Fattal, 35, Saney Edow Aweys, 28, and Nayef El Sayed, 27, to 18 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 13-and-a-half years. They had faced a sentence of up to life in prison.
"Your plans were evil," King told the trio.
During the trial, prosecutors said the men were upset about Australia's involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Officials said one of the men visited Somalia in the hopes of gaining approval for the attack from an Islamic cleric. The men were accused of having ties to Somalia-based al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaida.
Terrorism in Australia is extremely rare and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus has said the attack would have been the most serious ever carried out in the country had it been successful.
The men refused to stand for the judge when she entered the courtroom and Fattal was thrown out of court after he later stood and shouted, "This is corruption!"
King said the three men should be ashamed for plotting an attack against a country that had embraced them.
As El Sayed and Aweys were led out of the courtroom, El Sayed said to the judge: "Allah gives us justice ? not these courts."
Cigarette and alcohol use at historic low among teensPublic release date: 14-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: NIDA Press Office media@nida.nih.gov 301-443-6245 NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse
But NIDA's 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey also shows continued high levels of abuse of alternate tobacco products, marijuana and prescription drugs
Cigarette and alcohol use by eighth, 10th and 12th-graders are at their lowest point since the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey began polling teenagers in 1975, according to this year's survey results. However, this positive news is tempered by a slowing rate of decline in teen smoking as well as continued high rates of abuse of other tobacco products (e.g., hookahs, small cigars, smokeless tobacco), marijuana and prescription drugs. The survey results, announced today during a news conference at the National Press Club, appear to show that more teens continue to abuse marijuana than cigarettes; and alcohol is still the drug of choice among all three age groups queried.
MTF is an annual survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th-graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The survey was conducted in classrooms earlier this year.
"That cigarette use has declined to historically low rates is welcome news, given our concerns that declines may have slowed or stalled in recent years," said NIDA director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "That said, the teen smoking rate is declining much more slowly than in years past, and we are seeing teens consume other tobacco products at high levels. This highlights the urgency of maintaining strong prevention efforts against teen smoking and of targeting other tobacco products."
The 2011 results showed that 18.7 percent of 12th-graders reported current (past-month) cigarette use, compared to a recent peak rate of 36.5 percent in 1997 and 21.6 percent five years ago. Only 6.1 percent of eighth-graders reported current smoking, compared to a recent peak of 21 percent in 1996 and 8.7 percent five years ago.
"While it is good news that cigarette use has declined to historically low rates, we can and must do more to accelerate that decline," said Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, assistant secretary for health. "The actual decline is relatively small compared to the sharp declines we witnessed in the late nineties."
For alcohol, 63.5 percent of 12th-graders reported past year use, compared to a recent peak of 74.8 percent in 1997. Similarly, 26.9 percent of eighth-graders reported past year use of alcohol in 2011, compared to a recent peak rate of 46.8 percent in 1994. There also was a five-year decrease in binge drinking, measured as five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks, across all three grades. Binge drinking was reported by 6.4 percent of eighth-graders, 14.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 21.6 percent of 12th-graders, down from the 2006 rates of 8.7 percent, 19.9 percent and 25.4 percent respectively.
Despite the declines noted in the report, use of marijuana has shown some increases in recent years and remains steady. Among 12th-graders, 36.4 percent reported past year use, and 6.6 percent reported daily use, up from 31.5 and 5 percent, respectively, five years ago. The upward trend in teens' abuse of marijuana corresponded to downward trends in their perception of risk. For example, only 22.7 percent of high school seniors saw great risk in smoking marijuana occasionally, compared to 25.9 percent five years ago. Similarly, 43.4 percent of eighth-graders reported that they saw great risk in smoking marijuana occasionally, compared to 48.9 percent five years ago. In addition, concerns about the use of synthetic marijuana, known as K2 or spice, prompted its inclusion in the survey for the first time in 2011. Surprisingly, 11.4 percent of 12th-graders reported past year use.
"K2 and spice are dangerous drugs that can cause serious harm," said Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy. "We will continue to work with the public health and safety community to respond to this emerging threat but in the meantime, parents must take action. Parents are the most powerful force in the lives of young people and we ask that all of them talk to their teens today about the serious consequences of using marijuana, K2, or spice."
There was mixed news seen in the non-medical use of prescription drugs. Abuse of the opioid painkiller Vicodin was reported by 8.1 percent of 12th graders -- similar to 2010 and down from 9.7 percent in 2009. There was also a decline reported by 10th graders -- to 5.9 percent from 7.7 percent in 2010. However, no such declines were seen for the opioid painkiller OxyContin.
In 2011, the non-medical use of the ADHD medicines Adderall and Ritalin remained about the same as last year among 12th-graders, at 6.5 and 2.6 percent, respectively. There was, however, a significant decline in the abuse of over-the-counter cough medicine among eighth-graders, down to 2.7 percent in 2011 from 4.2 percent in 2006, when the survey first asked about its abuse. A similar decline in cough medicine abuse was seen among 12th-graders, to 5.3 percent from 6.9 percent five years ago.
"To help educate teens about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, NIDA is launching an updated prescription drug section on our teen website," said Dr. Volkow. "Teens can go to our PEERx pages to find interactive videos and other tools that help them make healthy decisions and understand the risks of abusing prescription drugs. We are also encouraging teens to provide feedback on these resources through NIDA's teen blog, Sara Bellum, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or email." PEERx can be seen at http://teens.drugabuse.gov/peerx.
Overall, 46,773 students from 400 public and private schools participated in this year's MTF survey. Since 1975, the survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes in 12th-graders nationwide. Eighth and 10th graders were added to the survey in 1991. Survey participants generally report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month. Questions are also asked about daily cigarette and marijuana use. NIDA has providing funding for the survey since its inception by a team of investigators at the University of Michigan, led by Dr. Lloyd Johnston. Additional information on the MTF Survey, as well as comments from Dr. Volkow, can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/MTF.html. To hear the audiocast of the event, visit: www.visualwebcaster.com/MonitoringTheFuture.
###
MTF is one of three major surveys sponsored by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services that provide data on substance use among youth. The others are the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The MTF website is: http://monitoringthefuture.org. Follow Monitoring the Future 2011 news on Twitter at @NIDANews, or join the conversation by using: #MTF2011. Additional information on MTF can be found at www.hhs.gov/news; or www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is the primary source of statistical information on substance use in the U.S. population 12 years of age and older. More information is available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, part of HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, is a school-based survey that collects data from students in grades 9-12. The survey includes questions on a wide variety of health-related risk behaviors, including substance abuse. More information is available at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at www.drugabuse.gov. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA's DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email requests to 240-645-0227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Online ordering is available at http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA's media guide can be found at http://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide/.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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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.
Cigarette and alcohol use at historic low among teensPublic release date: 14-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: NIDA Press Office media@nida.nih.gov 301-443-6245 NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse
But NIDA's 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey also shows continued high levels of abuse of alternate tobacco products, marijuana and prescription drugs
Cigarette and alcohol use by eighth, 10th and 12th-graders are at their lowest point since the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey began polling teenagers in 1975, according to this year's survey results. However, this positive news is tempered by a slowing rate of decline in teen smoking as well as continued high rates of abuse of other tobacco products (e.g., hookahs, small cigars, smokeless tobacco), marijuana and prescription drugs. The survey results, announced today during a news conference at the National Press Club, appear to show that more teens continue to abuse marijuana than cigarettes; and alcohol is still the drug of choice among all three age groups queried.
MTF is an annual survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th-graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The survey was conducted in classrooms earlier this year.
"That cigarette use has declined to historically low rates is welcome news, given our concerns that declines may have slowed or stalled in recent years," said NIDA director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "That said, the teen smoking rate is declining much more slowly than in years past, and we are seeing teens consume other tobacco products at high levels. This highlights the urgency of maintaining strong prevention efforts against teen smoking and of targeting other tobacco products."
The 2011 results showed that 18.7 percent of 12th-graders reported current (past-month) cigarette use, compared to a recent peak rate of 36.5 percent in 1997 and 21.6 percent five years ago. Only 6.1 percent of eighth-graders reported current smoking, compared to a recent peak of 21 percent in 1996 and 8.7 percent five years ago.
"While it is good news that cigarette use has declined to historically low rates, we can and must do more to accelerate that decline," said Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, assistant secretary for health. "The actual decline is relatively small compared to the sharp declines we witnessed in the late nineties."
For alcohol, 63.5 percent of 12th-graders reported past year use, compared to a recent peak of 74.8 percent in 1997. Similarly, 26.9 percent of eighth-graders reported past year use of alcohol in 2011, compared to a recent peak rate of 46.8 percent in 1994. There also was a five-year decrease in binge drinking, measured as five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks, across all three grades. Binge drinking was reported by 6.4 percent of eighth-graders, 14.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 21.6 percent of 12th-graders, down from the 2006 rates of 8.7 percent, 19.9 percent and 25.4 percent respectively.
Despite the declines noted in the report, use of marijuana has shown some increases in recent years and remains steady. Among 12th-graders, 36.4 percent reported past year use, and 6.6 percent reported daily use, up from 31.5 and 5 percent, respectively, five years ago. The upward trend in teens' abuse of marijuana corresponded to downward trends in their perception of risk. For example, only 22.7 percent of high school seniors saw great risk in smoking marijuana occasionally, compared to 25.9 percent five years ago. Similarly, 43.4 percent of eighth-graders reported that they saw great risk in smoking marijuana occasionally, compared to 48.9 percent five years ago. In addition, concerns about the use of synthetic marijuana, known as K2 or spice, prompted its inclusion in the survey for the first time in 2011. Surprisingly, 11.4 percent of 12th-graders reported past year use.
"K2 and spice are dangerous drugs that can cause serious harm," said Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy. "We will continue to work with the public health and safety community to respond to this emerging threat but in the meantime, parents must take action. Parents are the most powerful force in the lives of young people and we ask that all of them talk to their teens today about the serious consequences of using marijuana, K2, or spice."
There was mixed news seen in the non-medical use of prescription drugs. Abuse of the opioid painkiller Vicodin was reported by 8.1 percent of 12th graders -- similar to 2010 and down from 9.7 percent in 2009. There was also a decline reported by 10th graders -- to 5.9 percent from 7.7 percent in 2010. However, no such declines were seen for the opioid painkiller OxyContin.
In 2011, the non-medical use of the ADHD medicines Adderall and Ritalin remained about the same as last year among 12th-graders, at 6.5 and 2.6 percent, respectively. There was, however, a significant decline in the abuse of over-the-counter cough medicine among eighth-graders, down to 2.7 percent in 2011 from 4.2 percent in 2006, when the survey first asked about its abuse. A similar decline in cough medicine abuse was seen among 12th-graders, to 5.3 percent from 6.9 percent five years ago.
"To help educate teens about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, NIDA is launching an updated prescription drug section on our teen website," said Dr. Volkow. "Teens can go to our PEERx pages to find interactive videos and other tools that help them make healthy decisions and understand the risks of abusing prescription drugs. We are also encouraging teens to provide feedback on these resources through NIDA's teen blog, Sara Bellum, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or email." PEERx can be seen at http://teens.drugabuse.gov/peerx.
Overall, 46,773 students from 400 public and private schools participated in this year's MTF survey. Since 1975, the survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes in 12th-graders nationwide. Eighth and 10th graders were added to the survey in 1991. Survey participants generally report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month. Questions are also asked about daily cigarette and marijuana use. NIDA has providing funding for the survey since its inception by a team of investigators at the University of Michigan, led by Dr. Lloyd Johnston. Additional information on the MTF Survey, as well as comments from Dr. Volkow, can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/MTF.html. To hear the audiocast of the event, visit: www.visualwebcaster.com/MonitoringTheFuture.
###
MTF is one of three major surveys sponsored by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services that provide data on substance use among youth. The others are the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The MTF website is: http://monitoringthefuture.org. Follow Monitoring the Future 2011 news on Twitter at @NIDANews, or join the conversation by using: #MTF2011. Additional information on MTF can be found at www.hhs.gov/news; or www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is the primary source of statistical information on substance use in the U.S. population 12 years of age and older. More information is available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, part of HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, is a school-based survey that collects data from students in grades 9-12. The survey includes questions on a wide variety of health-related risk behaviors, including substance abuse. More information is available at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at www.drugabuse.gov. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA's DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email requests to 240-645-0227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Online ordering is available at http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA's media guide can be found at http://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide/.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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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.
HBO Go offers access to approximately?1,400 titles, both?theatrical?movies and recent television programs such as Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, Curb Your Enthusiasm and True Blood in addition to completed series such at The Sopranos, Deadwood and Sex in the City. The MAX Go application offers access to about 400 titles including original programming, blockbuster movies and the?MAX After Dark section. ?HBO has already signed agreements with other cable companies such as Comcast, Charter Communications, AT&T U-verse, DirecTV, Dish Network?and Verizon FIOS. The largest holdout at this point is Cablevision with approximately three million subscribers.
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Public release date: 14-Dec-2011
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