Have you been doing your part to make local purchases, but are looking to learn more about all of the ways that you can invest in your neighborhood... in your city? Yes, we all know that if you shop and eat at your local businesses, then a good portion of the money stays in the community. But it goes deeper than that. Beyond shopping locally, where are the rest of your hard earned investment dollars going? Is it possible to?build local financial ecosystems? If so, what are the different components that can make that proposition viable? On?Thursday, March 14, 2013, from?5:30pm until 8:30pm at the Central Library,?Amy Cortese, author of the book Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It, will be speaking as part of the?continuation of the "Get the Rust Out" speaker series.
"Get the Rust Out" speaker series - bringing leaders in the New Economy movement
Central Library - Downtown Buffalo
Thursday, March 14, 2013
5:30pm until 8:30pm
Amy Cortese will "give a tour of local investing initiatives across the country and discuss how the JOBS Act will usher in exciting new opportunities to build local financial ecosystems."
A reception at the Hotel Lafayette will follow. Free and open to the public.
"Get the Rust Out" is sponsored by the John R. Oishei Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Partnership for the Public Good, Talking Leaves Books and Buffalo First!.
Swiss Guards salute as cardinals arrive for a meeting at the Vatican on Monday.
By Philip Pullella, Reuters
Roman Catholic cardinals filed into the Vatican on Monday for preliminary meetings to sketch an identikit for the next pope and ponder who among them might be best to lead a church beset by crises.
They arrived by private car, taxi and minibus at the gates of the Vatican for gatherings known as general congregations, closed-door meetings in which they will get to know each other and decide when to start a conclave to choose a man to lead the 1.2 billion member church.
The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected next week and officially installed several days later so he can preside over the Holy Week ceremonies starting with Palm Sunday on March 24 and culminating in Easter the following Sunday.?
Pope Benedict left the church in a state of shock when he announced last month that he would be the first pontiff in 600 years to resign instead of ruling for life. He formally stepped down on Thursday, leaving the papacy vacant.?
High on the agenda at the general congregations will be the daunting challenges that will face the next pontiff, including the sexual abuse crisis that has rocked the church and last year's "Vatileaks" scandal which exposed corruption and rivalries in the Vatican's bureaucracy.?
"We need a man of governance, by that I mean a man who is able with the people he chooses to help him in an intimate way to govern the church," Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the former Archbishop of Westminster in London, told BBC radio.?
"Among the things we will be talking about out here are precisely the need in looking for a new pope for these failings that have happened again to be treated, to be faced strongly."?
The cardinals, numbering about 150, are expected to hold one or two meetings a day. The Vatican seems keen to have only a week of preliminary talks so the 115 "cardinal electors" aged under 80 can enter the Sistine Chapel for the conclave next week. The exact date for its start has not been decided.?
"We have meetings all this week to get to know each other better and consider the situations that we face," said Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris as he entered. He said he could not say at this stage "who will be the best one to respond to them".?
Cardinals expect to be briefed on a secret report to the pope on the problems highlighted by the Vatileaks scandal, when documents which alleged corruption in the Vatican and infighting over the running of its bank were leaked to the media.?
Shadow of abuse crisis The crisis involving sexual abuse of children by priests and inappropriate behavior among adult clerics continues to haunt the church and has rarely been out of the headlines.
Former Scottish cardinal Keith O'Brien, who resigned a week ago, has issued a statement effectively admitting inappropriate relations with other priests. Meanwhile, the Cardinals remain at the Vatican, preparing to select a new pope. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.
One elector ? Cardinal Keith O'Brien ? quit as Edinburgh archbishop last week and pulled out of attending the conclave because of accusations that he behaved inappropriately with priests and seminarians in the past.?
O'Brien initially denied the allegations but issued a statement late on Sunday apologizing because "my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal".?
"The church has a particular responsibility to set a moral standard and that's what it tries to do and if sometimes it doesn't, if it fails with certain individuals occasionally it's going to repent and carry on," said Murphy-O'Connor, who will not take part in the conclave as he is aged over 80.?
He said about O'Brien: "I think that's clearly very sad and the person involved has in fact apologized and is now going to leave, as it were, public life as a priest, as a bishop."?
The preliminary meetings also give cardinals the chance to size up potential candidates by watching them closely in the debates and checking discreetly with other cardinals about their qualifications or any skeletons in their closets.?
Cardinals never reveal publicly who they prefer but drop hints in interviews by discussing the identikit for their ideal candidate. The most frequently mentioned quality here is an ability to communicate the Catholic faith convincingly.?
Most cardinals say the new pope could come from outside Europe, but it is not clear if the conclave, which has a slight majority of European cardinals, will break the long-standing tradition of choosing men only from the continent.?
No front-runner stands out but leading candidates include Peter Turkson of Ghana, Leonardo Sandri of Argentina, Austrian Christoph Schoenborn, Brazil's Odilo Scherer, Canadian Marc Ouellet and Angelo Scola, from Italy.?
In an interview with Reuters, Cardinal Sandri, 69, said the next pope should not be chosen according to a geographic area but must be a "saintly man" who was "best qualified".?
Sandri said one of the greatest problems facing the church was "the loss of faith" among many who had "turned their back on God" and need to be brought back into the life of the church.?
He also said the church must open itself up to women in the next pontificate, giving them more decision-making positions in the Vatican and beyond.?
Related:
Late dinners, grappa: The behind-the-scenes work of picking a pope
Benedict leaves Vatican for final time as pope?
Full coverage of papal abdication from NBC News
This story was originally published on Mon Mar 4, 2013 7:27 AM EST
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
An international group of researchers has discovered seven new regions of the human genome?called loci?that are associated with increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. The AMD Gene Consortium, a network of international investigators representing 18 research groups, also confirmed 12 loci identified in previous studies. The findings are reported online today in the journalNature Genetics. Supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health, the study represents the most comprehensive genome-wide analysis of genetic variations associated with AMD.
"This compelling analysis by the AMD Gene Consortium demonstrates the enormous value of effective collaboration," said NEI Director Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D. "Combining data from multiple studies, this international effort provides insight into the molecular basis of AMD, which will help researchers search for causes of the disease and will inform future development of new diagnostic and treatment strategies."
AMD affects the macula, a region of the retina responsible for central vision. The retina is the layer of light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye that houses rod and cone photoreceptor cells. Compared with the rest of the retina, the macula is especially dense with cone photoreceptors and is what humans rely on for tasks that require sharp vision, such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces. As AMD progresses, such tasks become more difficult and eventually impossible. Some kinds of AMD are treatable if detected early, but no cure exists. An estimated 2 million Americans have AMD.
Scientists have shown that age, diet, and smoking influence a person's risk of developing AMD. Genetics also plays a strong role. AMD often runs in families and is more common among certain ethnicities, such as Asians and people of European descent.
Since the 2005 discovery that certain variations in the gene for complement factor H?a component of the immune system?are associated with major risk for AMD, research groups around the world have conducted genome-wide association studies to identify other loci that affect AMD risk. These studies were made possible by tools developed through the Human Genome Project, which mapped human genes, and related projects, such the International HapMap Project, which identified common patterns of genetic variation within the human genome.
The AMD Gene Consortium combined data from 18 research groups to increase the power of prior analyses. The current analysis identified seven new loci near genes. As with the previously discovered 12 loci, these seven loci are scattered throughout the genome on many different chromosomes.
"A large number of samples was needed to detect additional genetic variants that have small but significant influences on a person's disease risk," said Hemin Chin, Ph.D., NEI associate director for ophthalmic genetics, who assembled the consortium and helped coordinate the study. "By cataloging genetic variations associated with AMD, scientists are better equipped to target corresponding biological pathways and study how they might interact and change with age or other factors, such as smoking."
The consortium's analysis included data from more than 17,100 people with the most advanced and severe forms of AMD, which were compared to data from more than 60,000 people without AMD. The 19 loci that were found to be associated with AMD implicate a variety of biological functions, including regulation of the immune system, maintenance of cellular structure, growth and permeability of blood vessels, lipid metabolism, and atherosclerosis.
"Like a map that identifies neighborhoods where the electricity has been knocked out by a storm, the AMD Gene Consortium's study effectively tagged regions within the genome where researchers are most likely to find short circuits in DNA that cause AMD," said Anand Swaroop, Ph.D., chief of the NEI Laboratory of Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration and Repair, and one of the group leaders of this consortium effort. "Once you are in the right neighborhood, going block to block or house to house to look for downed power lines goes much faster. Likewise, by limiting their search to the 19 genomic regions identified by the AMD Gene Consortium, scientists can more efficiently search for specific genes and causative changes that play a role in AMD."
As with other common diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, an individual person's risk for getting AMD is likely determined not by one but many genes. Further comprehensive DNA analysis of the areas around the 19 loci identified by the AMD Gene Consortium could turn up undiscovered rare genetic variants with a disproportionately large effect on AMD risk. Discovery of such genes could greatly advance scientists' understanding of AMD pathogenesis and their quest for more effective treatments.
Thanks to NIH/National Eye Institute for this article.
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Scientists call for greater access to biodiversity resources, dataPublic release date: 4-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. Robert Gropp rgropp@aibs.org 202-628-1500 x250 American Institute of Biological Sciences
Creation of a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance will increase research productivity, solve societal problems, and drive innovation
Washington, DC The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) has released a report from a workshop of experts that was convened last fall to outline the steps needed to build a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (NIBA) in the next ten years. NIBA is a national scientific, engineering, and data management initiative first called for in 2010. When built, NIBA will provide online access to digitized data for biological specimens held in natural history museums, universities science departments, and government laboratories, among other repositories.
The experts' workshop was convened by AIBS with support from the National Science Foundation.
NIBA is a coordinated, large-scale and sustained effort to digitize the nation's biological collections in order to make their data and images available through the Internet. The Implementation Plan for a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/biocollections.html) "provides a detailed roadmap to achieve a vital national goal, which will be extremely important in coping with consequences of climate change, invasive species, pollution and other major environmental problems," said Dr. James Hanken, director of Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology and an author of the report.
In 2010, the scientific community developed a Strategic Plan for NIBA. The Strategic Plan has been well received, but the scientific community also recognized a need to augment the Strategic Plan by identifying the key steps, milestones, and stakeholders required to fully achieve its goals. Thus, AIBS convened a workshop to develop an Implementation Plan for NIBA. Both documents have emerged from the biocollections community and have been widely informed through workshops of experts. The broader scientific community and the public have also provided input that informed the final Implementation Plan.
"Scientists are eager to see the NIBA implemented," said Dr. Lucinda McDade, Interim Executive Director of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and an author of the report. Hanken concurs and notes that NIBA is required to help move research forward and to ensure that policymakers and the public have access to the information they need to make informed decisions.
"This report strongly emphasizes research applications while also highlighting important educational components and focusing on workforce training that will be necessary to achieve and sustain NIBA," said McDade.
The National Science Foundation already is showing earnest commitment to achieving many of the goals identified in the report through several current funding initiatives, notes Hanken. "Full implementation of NIBA will require additional investments by other federal and state agencies that hold major biocollections."
The report identifies many specific activities that can and should be led by individual scientific societies, biocollections institutions, federal and state agencies, colleges and universities, and other consumers of digitized data.
The Implementation Plan includes detailed recommendations to:
1) Establish an organizational and governance structure that will provide the national leadership and decision-making mechanism required to implement NIBA and to fully realize its Strategic Plan.
2) Advance engineering of the US biocollections cyberinfrastructure.
3) Enhance the training of existing collections staff and to create the next generation of biodiversity information managers.
4) Increase support for and participation in NIBA by the research community and a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
5) Establish an enduring and sustainable knowledge base.
6) Infuse specimen-based learning and exploration into formal and informal education.
"We urge all stakeholders to join the NIBA effort," said McDade.
###
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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.
Scientists call for greater access to biodiversity resources, dataPublic release date: 4-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. Robert Gropp rgropp@aibs.org 202-628-1500 x250 American Institute of Biological Sciences
Creation of a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance will increase research productivity, solve societal problems, and drive innovation
Washington, DC The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) has released a report from a workshop of experts that was convened last fall to outline the steps needed to build a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (NIBA) in the next ten years. NIBA is a national scientific, engineering, and data management initiative first called for in 2010. When built, NIBA will provide online access to digitized data for biological specimens held in natural history museums, universities science departments, and government laboratories, among other repositories.
The experts' workshop was convened by AIBS with support from the National Science Foundation.
NIBA is a coordinated, large-scale and sustained effort to digitize the nation's biological collections in order to make their data and images available through the Internet. The Implementation Plan for a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/biocollections.html) "provides a detailed roadmap to achieve a vital national goal, which will be extremely important in coping with consequences of climate change, invasive species, pollution and other major environmental problems," said Dr. James Hanken, director of Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology and an author of the report.
In 2010, the scientific community developed a Strategic Plan for NIBA. The Strategic Plan has been well received, but the scientific community also recognized a need to augment the Strategic Plan by identifying the key steps, milestones, and stakeholders required to fully achieve its goals. Thus, AIBS convened a workshop to develop an Implementation Plan for NIBA. Both documents have emerged from the biocollections community and have been widely informed through workshops of experts. The broader scientific community and the public have also provided input that informed the final Implementation Plan.
"Scientists are eager to see the NIBA implemented," said Dr. Lucinda McDade, Interim Executive Director of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and an author of the report. Hanken concurs and notes that NIBA is required to help move research forward and to ensure that policymakers and the public have access to the information they need to make informed decisions.
"This report strongly emphasizes research applications while also highlighting important educational components and focusing on workforce training that will be necessary to achieve and sustain NIBA," said McDade.
The National Science Foundation already is showing earnest commitment to achieving many of the goals identified in the report through several current funding initiatives, notes Hanken. "Full implementation of NIBA will require additional investments by other federal and state agencies that hold major biocollections."
The report identifies many specific activities that can and should be led by individual scientific societies, biocollections institutions, federal and state agencies, colleges and universities, and other consumers of digitized data.
The Implementation Plan includes detailed recommendations to:
1) Establish an organizational and governance structure that will provide the national leadership and decision-making mechanism required to implement NIBA and to fully realize its Strategic Plan.
2) Advance engineering of the US biocollections cyberinfrastructure.
3) Enhance the training of existing collections staff and to create the next generation of biodiversity information managers.
4) Increase support for and participation in NIBA by the research community and a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
5) Establish an enduring and sustainable knowledge base.
6) Infuse specimen-based learning and exploration into formal and informal education.
"We urge all stakeholders to join the NIBA effort," said McDade.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
We all know that plastic mini blinds are magnets for filth, and they're nearly impossible to clean without kicking a ton of dust into the air. Next time you tidy up the house, try giving the blinds a bath.
All you have to do is lay the blinds flat in your bathtub, mix some dish soap and a little vinegar with a few inches of warm water, and let them soak for about an hour. Once the blinds are clean, rinse them off with fresh water to get rid of soap residue, then hang them back up to dry. While this method does take some time, it's worth it force dust down the drain, rather than into your lungs.
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Public release date: 4-Mar-2013
Share ] 
We all know that plastic mini blinds are magnets for filth, and they're nearly impossible to clean without kicking a ton of dust into the air. Next time you tidy up the house, try giving the blinds a bath.