Youth who have their first drink during puberty have higher levels of later drinking

May 18, 2013 ? Research shows that the earlier the age at which youth take their first alcoholic drink, the greater the risk of developing alcohol problems. Thus, age at first drink (AFD) is generally considered a powerful predictor of progression to alcohol-related harm. A new study shows that individuals who have their first drink during puberty subsequently have higher drinking levels than do individuals with a post-pubertal drinking onset.

Results will be published in the October 2013 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

"Most teenagers have their first alcoholic drink during puberty, however, most research on the risks of early-onset alcohol use up to now has not focused on the pubertal stage during which the first alcoholic drink is consumed," said Miriam Schneider, leader of the Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology at the Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, as well as corresponding author for the study. "Common thinking in alcohol research was that the earlier adolescents begin, the more deleterious become their drinking habits. However, a closer look at the statistics revealed a peak risk of alcohol use disorders for those beginning at 12 to 14 years of age, while even earlier beginners seemed to have a slightly lower risk. Since timing of puberty is not a simple function of chronological age, and also greatly differs between the sexes, the pubertal phase at first drink may therefore represent a stronger and better indicator for subsequent alcohol-related problems than simply the age."

"Usually this type of research has to be done retrospectively, and those studies are not very reliable," added Rainer Spanagel, head of the Institute of Psychopharmacology at the University of Heidelberg. "Prospective longitudinal studies like the one here ? are able to provide reliable conclusions on such a clinically and highly relevant research question. Alternatively, animal studies can be very informative -- and which the researchers have also provided."

"Adolescents have their first drink at very different ages," explained Schneider. "It would be unethical to make adolescents have their first drink in the course of a study, so this variable requires a longitudinal epidemiological study or experimental animal research to assess drinking behavior. Also, the determination of the pubertal stage at AFD is not trivial; even our study had to rely on estimations. Third, it takes longitudinal studies to assess drinking data in early adulthood. Fourth, both drinking behavior and pubertal development can be traced back to common factors such as psychosocial adversity. Finally, while puberty and adolescence are overlapping time periods, with puberty being a part of adolescence, the terms cannot be used interchangeably. 'Puberty' refers to the time period during which sexual maturity is achieved. 'Adolescence' refers to the gradual period of behavioral and cognitive transition from childhood to adulthood, where adult behavioral abilities are acquired, and the boundaries of this period are not precisely defined. Girls complete puberty much earlier than boys, indicating a difference in timing of neurodevelopmental processes."

Schneider and her colleagues determined pubertal age at first drink in 283 young adults (152 females, 131 males) that were part of a larger epidemiological study. In addition, the participants' drinking behavior -- number of drinking days, amount of alcohol consumed, and hazardous drinking -- was assessed at ages 19, 22, and 23 years via interviews and questionnaires. Furthermore, a rodent study concurrently examined the effects of mid-puberty or adult alcohol exposure on voluntary alcohol consumption in later life by 20 male Wistar rats.

"Both studies revealed that those individuals that initiated alcohol consumption during puberty tended to drink more and also more frequently than those starting after puberty," said Schneider.

"In other words," said Spanagel, "this study indicates that the period of puberty might serve as a risk window for AFD. Results also show a higher Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score later in life in those individuals who had their AFD in puberty. A higher AUDIT score is indicative of a high likelihood of hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption. This information is of great relevance for intervention programs. Even more interesting, neither pre-pubertal nor post-pubertal periods seem to serve as risk-time windows. Therefore, intervention programs should be directed selectively towards young people in puberty."

Both Schneider and Spanagel noted the influence of a high degree of brain development that occurs during puberty.

"Numerous neurodevelopmental alterations are taking place during puberty, such as maturational processes in cortical and limbic regions, which are characterized by both progressive and regressive changes such as myelination and synaptic pruning," said Schneider. "Typically, an overproduction of axons and synapses can be found during early puberty, followed by rapid pruning during later puberty, indicating that connections and communication between subcortical and cortical regions are in a highly transitional state during this period."

"Puberty is a phase in which the brain reward system undergoes major functional changes," said Spanagel. "For example, the endocannabinoid and dopamine systems are at their peak and these major neurobiological changes are reflected on the behavioral level; reward sensitivity is highest during puberty. Therefore, during puberty the brain is in a highly vulnerable state for any kind of reward, and drug rewards in particular. This high vulnerability might also affect reward seeking, or in this particular case, alcohol seeking and drinking behavior later in life."

"In summary," said Schneider, "puberty is a very critical developmental period due to ongoing neurodevelopmental processes in the brain. It is exactly during puberty that substances like drugs of abuse -- alcohol, cannabis, etc. -- may induce the most destructive and also persistent effects on the still developing brain, which may in some cases even result in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or addictive disorders. Prevention work therefore needs to increase awareness of specific risks and vulnerability related to puberty."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/UJdq6_mf21M/130518153740.htm

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OJ's ex-lawyer contradicts his testimony on guns

Defense attorney Patricia Palm, left, and O.J. Simpson appear at an evidentiary hearing in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (AP Photo/Ethan Miller, Pool)

Defense attorney Patricia Palm, left, and O.J. Simpson appear at an evidentiary hearing in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (AP Photo/Ethan Miller, Pool)

Former O.J. Simpson defense attorney Yale Galanter testifies during an evidentiary hearing for Simpson in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (AP Photo/Ethan Miller, Pool)

O.J. Simpson looks over at his lawyer Tom Pitaro during an evidentiary hearing in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (AP Photo/Ethan Miller, Pool)

Former O.J. Simpson defense attorney Yale Galanter laughs as he testifies during an evidentiary hearing for Simpson in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (AP Photo/Ethan Miller, Pool)

Former O.J. Simpson defense attorney Yale Galanter appears on the witness stand during an evidentiary hearing for Simpson in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (AP Photo/Ethan Miller, Pool)

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? O.J. Simpson's former lawyer defended himself point-by-point Friday against allegations he botched the former football star's armed-robbery trial, after giving damaging testimony that Simpson actually knew his buddies had guns when they went to a hotel room together to reclaim some sports memorabilia.

Miami-based attorney Yale Galanter quickly found himself under withering cross-examination from a Simpson lawyer intent on proving that Galanter's word couldn't be trusted ? that he knew ahead of time of Simpson's plan and spent more effort covering up his involvement than representing Simpson.

The weeklong hearing concluded late Friday with Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell telling attorneys she will issue her decision in writing. She didn't specify a date.

Simpson was returned to prison custody. His attorneys, Patricia Palm and Ozzie Fumo, said they were optimistic that the judge would grant a new trial.

"I just think the evidence of his claims is overwhelming," Palm said.

Galanter took the stand as the state's star witness in a hearing on Simpson's claim that he was so badly represented at trial and on appeal that his conviction should be thrown out.

He spent most of the day on the defensive, with Simpson lawyer Tom Pitaro grilling him with accusations and pointed questions.

"Mr. Simpson never told me he was going to go to the Palace (Station) hotel with a bunch of thugs, kidnap people and take property by force," Galanter said at one point. "To insinuate I, as his lawyer, would have blessed it is insane."

Galanter conceded at one point that Simpson's conviction was his responsibility.

At another point, he conceded that he "misspoke" when he told the trial judge, Jackie Glass, that crucial audio recordings had been carefully analyzed by experts.

"Clearly I misspoke," Galanter said as Pitaro bored in. "I would never, ever ... I would just never intentionally mislead a judicial officer or a lawyer. I'm falling on that sword."

Galanter denied giving Simpson the go-ahead to retrieve the photos and footballs he believed had been stolen from him. He denied keeping Simpson in the dark about offers of plea deals that carried only a few years in prison. He said his client agreed all along with the decision not to put him on the stand to testify at his trial.

And he disputed Simpson's testimony from earlier this week when the former NFL star said he didn't know anyone in the hotel room had guns.

"When you look at the entire trial, I don't think I could have fought harder, done more," Galanter said. "I put every ounce of blood, sweat and soul into it."

At another point, he said: "Simpson brought a lot of baggage into the courtroom. It's not like the 12 jurors didn't know he was accused of murder and acquitted."

Simpson, 65, was found guilty in 2008 of kidnapping and armed robbery over the hotel room episode and was sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison. The conviction came 13 years to the day after his "trial of the century" acquittal in Los Angeles in the murders of his ex-wife and a friend of hers.

Galanter testified that Simpson confided to him that he had asked two men to bring guns to the hotel room in September 2007, and "he knew he screwed up."

On the stand, Galanter brought up the guns only after he paused and was reminded that Simpson had waived attorney-client privilege. "I'm very uncomfortable doing this," he said.

Testifying about events leading up to the incident, Galanter said he was surprised when Simpson told him over dinner in Las Vegas that he and several other men were planning a "sting" the next morning to take back the mementos.

Galanter said he advised Simpson not to take matters into his own hands: "I said, 'O.J., you've got to call the police.'"

Simpson testified that Galanter advised him that he was within his rights to retrieve the items, told him not to testify at the trial, and failed to tell him prosecutors had offered plea bargains.

During questioning about how much Galanter was paid for the case, the judge asked Pitaro where he was going with his questions.

"What Mr. Galanter has done is, this man has received over a half-million dollars and has put his interest, his financial interest, above the interest of his client," Pitaro said.

Galanter insisted he told Simpson at least three times that prosecutors discussed plea bargains. He said Simpson rejected them.

Simpson said, "No deal. No way," to an offer from the district attorney of five to seven years in prison, Galanter said. Later, during the trial, Simpson turned down a better offer, Galanter said.

"I went out in the hall and said to O.J., 'There is an offer of two to five.' He said, 'See if they will take a year,'" Galanter testified. "I discussed a year with them, and they said no and the trial went on."

If Simpson succeeds in getting his conviction thrown out, prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry him or offer a plea bargain. If he loses, he will be sent back to prison and will probably appeal. He will be 70 before he is eligible for parole.

___

Find Ken Ritter at http://twitter.com/krttr .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-18-OJ%20Simpson/id-373e1c4471924d75b5c2a75f03abdaf1

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Obama: 'Our focus cannot drift' from jobs, economy

BALTIMORE (AP) ? Trying to reset the agenda amid scandal in Washington, President Barack Obama turned his attention Friday to the economy and said lawmakers should spend every day resolute on how to help it grow and get people back to work. "Our focus cannot drift," he said.

After a week that put him on the defensive and consumed by a trio of political controversies, Obama left the turmoil behind on a short helicopter flight about 40 miles north to Baltimore. The city has had its share of tough times in its move from an industrial to service economy, but Obama wanted to highlight its progress. Maryland overall has experienced job growth this year as part of a nationwide economic recovery.

Obama cited growth in the economy, a drop in unemployment nationwide and improvements in the housing and auto industries. But he said Washington still needs to do more to build a "rising, thriving middle class" that will boost economic growth even more.

"We're now poised for progress, but our work is not done and our focus cannot drift," he said in remarks to employees of a factory that makes digging and pumping equipment for the mining industry. "We've got to stay focused on our economy and putting people back to work and raising wages and bringing manufacturing back to the United States of America."

"That has to be what we're thinking about every single day," Obama said.

Obama's comments seemed almost like a plea to his political opponents, and even some supporters, to stay focused on the economy and jobs and to shift from all the questions that have been dogging the president, including about the administration's handling of the deadly September 2012 terrorist attack at a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. The past week also brought revelations that the Internal Revenue Service had been targeting conservative political groups and that the Justice Department had seized telephone records for Associated Press journalists as part of a leak investigation.

"Others may get distracted by chasing every fleeting issue that passes by," Obama said. "But the middle class will always be my No. 1 focus. Period. Your jobs, your families and your communities."

The White House said Obama's visit would focus on three areas of needed investment to grow the middle class: jobs, skills and opportunity.

He highlighted the manufacturing base that still thrives here by speaking at Ellicott Dredges, maker of equipment for underwater excavation. He visited with students in an early childhood education program along with a community center that provides job training. Obama has proposed making public preschool available for all 4-year-olds from low-income families.

At the elementary school, Obama watched a group of youngsters learn to write about their favorite zoo animals and quizzed them on simple arithmetic. When one girl had a hard time coming up with the answer to one equation, Obama said in a sympathetic tone that "subtraction is tougher than addition."

Obama's turn to the economy came in a state that added 31,200 jobs over a year, making for a 6.5 percent unemployment rate in April, according to the most recent data by the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. April saw a downturn, with Maryland losing 6,200 jobs after four consecutive months of job growth. The state unemployment rate for April was still a percentage point below the national rate of 7.5 percent for the month.

"Last year, we had the best-rated job creation of any state in our region and we have very nearly recovered 100 percent of the jobs that we lost during the recession," Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said at a bill-signing ceremony on Thursday.

Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland's only Republican congressman, criticized Obama's trip as a photo opportunity and said the president should have stayed in Washington to work on economic problems. Harris said Obama has been dragging his feet on developing the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil from western Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast and create jobs. The administration has not yet taken a position on the project, which is opposed by environmentalists but supported by the president of Ellicott Dredges, Peter Bowe, in testimony before Congress Thursday.

"That would boost jobs at Ellicott Dredges, but other than that, it's just going to be another photo op on a campaign-style tour when the president should be in Washington tending to the nation's business and to address the huge scandals that are popping up on a daily basis in Washington," Harris said in a conference call with other Maryland Republicans.

At the plant, Obama touted another effort to create jobs faster. He signed a memorandum Friday directing federal agencies to update infrastructure permit processes, aiming to cut their timelines in half. The White House said it's an important step in the president's goal of creating jobs by making urgent repairs to roads, bridges and railways.

The White House cited as an example the recently approved replacement of the aging Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River in the suburbs just north of New York City, which saved two to three years on the timeline.

___

Associated Press writer Brian Witte contributed to this report.

___

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nedrapickler

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-focus-cannot-drift-jobs-economy-182217721.html

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Syrian hackers compromise FT blogs, Twitter feeds

May 15 (Reuters) - Post positions for the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes, to be run at Pimlico on Saturday (Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds) 1. Orb, Joel Rosario, Shug McGaughey, even 2. Goldencents, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill, 8-1 3. Titletown Five, Julien Leparoux, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1 4. Departing, Brian Hernandez, Al Stall, 6-1 5. Mylute, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss, 5-1 6. Oxbow, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas, 15-1 7. Will Take Charge, Mike Smith, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1 8. Govenor Charlie, Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 12-1 9. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-hackers-compromise-ft-blogs-twitter-feeds-131048564.html

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Know your customs and excise duties before you begin importing ...

You may have started a business in a EU country which involves importing goods and even services to your country but if your know your customs and excise duties before you begin importing goods then you can save lots of money and hassle. It is extremely vat validation important that you be aware of exact duty rates including vat rates if you want to extract the best profits out of your sales, and purchases.

Each country possesses its own specific customs and excise rules, and countries which have adopted vat or vat have their own vat rules that should be followed with perfect precision. As an example if your import organization is based in the UK then you?ll need to follow hm customs and excise rules while importing your goods while following hmrc vat rules for import as well as for selling your products or services in the local market.

You may first need to verify as to which of the over 14,000 classifications pertain to your specific product that you intend to import into the UK. While customs duties pertain to virtually all imported products, excise duties in the united kingdom usually apply to most tobacco and alcohol products. Again, for example if you plan to import a product to the UK from Sweden where local vat is already paid then you may qualify to reclaim that vat amount in Sweden. This would be possible if only you?re vat registered trader in the UK and supply enough documentary proof in Sweden to show that you?ve sold the item locally and also have paid vat in UK for the same.? ?

You will thus need to know all customs and excise vat rules and rates in greater detail before you start importing and selling any services or goods imported originating from a member EU state or other country. You need to engage the services of a dependable vat agent that is not only conversant with uk vat but also be amply trained in eu vat since you will need to make an application for vat refund in the nation of origin while filing vat returns regularly in your own country. Additionally, there are certain custom duties and vat exemptions that can help you save on taxes but as long as you know about them.?? ?

Once you get your company vat registration you will then be allotted a vat number and will have to issue vat invoices whilst selling your services and goods. If you intend to export the items outside your country then you?ll also have to be conversant with export laws of your own plus the destination country. Since vat customs and excise rules and rates keep changing at regular intervals it is crucial that you and your vat agent know the latest rules so that you avoid getting a rude shock when your goods reach your country?s dock or airport. ?

It is extremely crucial that you cover every aspect of one?s business including purchase, sales, and all sorts of related duties and taxes before you decide to actually implement your plans website. This move includes scrutinizing all customs and excise duties related to your products or services so your final product costs tally exactly against your predictions since this is the only way you can start your enterprise on firm ground.

Source: http://aliciawoods.sexyi.am/know-your-customs-and-excise-duties-before-you-begin-importing-goods/

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Greek PM hails "Greekovery" replacing "Grexit"

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has hailed kinder words from lenders and revived interest in the country's deeply-discounted bonds and stocks as a "Greekovery" to replace last year's "Grexit" catchphrase.

Although there is little sign of economic recovery, Greece is finally attracting some of the cheap funds that are being pumped out by major central banks and feeding an investment boom on stock and bond markets.

Greek bond yields are at a three-year-low and its stock market has hit a two-year high, helped by praise from foreign lenders for government efforts in getting its bailout program back on track.

"Until recently, many analysts believed that Greece was a lost case. We proved them wrong," Samaras said in a speech in Beijing during a trip to China on Friday.

"Most of them now witness not a "Grexit" - an exit from the euro zone - but a "Greekovery" - a recovery of the Greek economy."

The economy, however, remains mired in sixth year of recession with unemployment at a record 27 percent and living standards have sunk due to wage and pension cuts.

"Samaras's 'success story' insults the country's youth, of whom 70 percent are unemployed," George Varemenos, a lawmaker from the main opposition Syriza party, told Skai TV.

Investor interest in Greece revived this week after the Fitch agency upgraded the country's sovereign credit rating to B-minus - still highly speculative - from CCC on Tuesday.

"Steadily Greece convinces more and more that it is on the course of becoming a true success story," said Samaras, who is on a trip to China and Azerbaijan to win business investment and reverse a 20 percent fall in output since the debt crisis began in 2009.

Chinese shipping group Cosco has already made a major investment in Greece's largest port at Piraeus (OLP), which is 74 percent state-owned and is on the government's privatizations agenda.

China is also interested in acquiring the Mediterranean nation's biggest airport in the capital - the Athens International Airport - when the government puts it on sale next year, the Greek finance ministry has said.

But Moody's rating agency still rates Greece as C, near default, while it has just raised emerging manufacturing powerhouse Turkey to investment grade.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Additional reporting by Koh Gui Qing in Beijing; Editing by Deepa Babington/Ruth Pitchford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greek-pm-hails-greekovery-replacing-grexit-133828378.html

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Trajet?ria dos Beatles inspira espet?culo na Broadway. O nome? Let It Be

Trajet?ria dos Beatles inspira espet?culo na Broadway. O nome? Let It Be

9/05/2013

10:31

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When I find myself in times of trouble (algo como, ?quando eu me encontro em tempos dif?ceis). ? assim que come?a a letra de Let It Be, can??o que ? considerada o canto do cisne dos Beatles. Pois bem, para driblar as baixas vendas de ingressos na temporada da Broadway, o que poderia ser melhor do que resgatar os Fab Four mais uma vez?
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A montagem inglesa Let It Be vai aterrissar no St James Theatre, em Nova York, com abertura prevista para julho e deve ir at? o final de dezembro. Combina m?sicos reproduzindo trechos de cerca de 40 cl?ssicos da banda de John, Paul, George e Ringo, como Hey Jude, Come Together e Yesterday, com proje??es de v?deo e uma s?rie de coreografias. A ideia ? contar a hist?ria espetacular do grupo dos shows apertados no Cavern Club em Liverpool at? o megaestrelato global que moldou o pop com a beatlemania.
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N?o ? a primeira ? nem ser? a ?ltima vez ? que os Beatles ganham um espet?culo teatral. O Cirque Du Soleil mexeu no ba? deles com Love, entre outras diversas vers?es. Todas bem-sucedidas, ? claro.
_

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Source: http://revistamonet.globo.com/coluna/blog/musica/trajetoria-dos-beatles-inspira-espetaculo-na-broadway-o-nome-let-it-be/

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Fleury struggles in Penguins' 6-4 loss to Isles

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) ? Marc-Andre Fleury sat with his head in hands for several minutes before taking questions in the cramped Pittsburgh Penguins dressing room.

After struggling in a disappointing 6-4 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, Fleury needed time to gather himself enough to discuss his difficult outing.

"I'm not happy, that's for sure," Fleury said softly. "It's frustrating."

It could soon be worse for Fleury, who might be the backup goalie when the Penguins host the Islanders in Game 5 of the first-round series on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

Veteran Tomas Vokoun was signed by the Penguins as an insurance policy just in case a replacement for Fleury was needed.

Fleury has started all 78 playoff games the Penguins have played since 2007, but Vokoun has had success against the Islanders. He went 3-0 against New York this season in four outings and posted a 0.90 goals-against average ? stopping 98 of 101 shots.

Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma spoke glowingly about Vokoun after the Game 4 loss, but stopped short of saying a change would occur.

"He has had success and won hockey games against this team and has been successful this year," Bylsma said. "We're going to regroup and come back and come out for Game 5 with a new focus.

"One of the reasons we wanted Tomas Vokoun was to play hockey games and win hockey games for us. Marc-Andre Fleury is our starting goaltender and started this series and won us some hockey games, made a lot of saves for us, but we're not going to talk about our starting goaltender for Game 5."

Leads aren't safe in the wild first-round playoff matchup between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh. Suddenly, neither are the top-seeded Penguins.

Through four games of the best-of-seven series, both teams have two wins. The latest big momentum shift has swung sharply in the direction of the No. 8 Islanders.

John Tavares scored with 9:49 left, and the Islanders beat the Penguins to get even in the series.

"We found a way today. Another roller coaster ride," Tavares said. "We learned from those games when we gave up leads ? a lot of us said that one bounce can change a season."

Or end one.

The Penguins were ousted in the first round in each of the previous two years. They now face the prospect of another early summer if they can't turn things around quickly.

"We've got a lot of veteran guys in this room that have been through this," Penguins forward James Neal said. "We just need to regroup here. We'll come out ready to go and fired up in our own building.

"We knew what we were up against. Once you get into playoffs, seeds and where you finished is out the door."

Tavares slammed in his own rebound in front after Brad Boyes fed him following a turnover by Penguins star Evgeni Malkin. It was the Islanders' third one-goal advantage in the game. This highly entertaining series has already featured 5-4 and 6-4 finishes at Nassau Coliseum.

"This was intense and fun," said Islanders captain Mark Streit, who had two goals. "We got big chances and scored big goals. Now we have a best two of three."

Tavares was serenaded with cheers of "M-V-P" from the frantic crowd that is believing an upset is possible. Casey Cizikas shoved in a shot with 1:16 left to add some much-needed insurance.

Brian Strait and Kyle Okposo also had goals. Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves for the Islanders.

"You get into the playoffs, you put in so much effort to get here, we want to make the most of it," Tavares said. "We believe in this room. We have a lot of character."

Neal, in his return after injuring his ankle in the series opener, scored in the first period. Malkin added a tying goal in the second, and Brandon Sutter and Pascal Dupuis provided the Penguins with a pair of one-goal leads they couldn't protect.

"Momentum shifts so quickly," Neal said. "Once you regain it you've got to keep it. You saw how energetic their crowd was and how much they fed off that. We just need to put this one behind us and get back to our game. I don't think we've gotten there yet."

Fleury stopped only 18 shots. Last year, he allowed 26 goals in a six-game loss to Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh beat New York 5-4 in overtime on Sunday in a game in which both teams squandered two-goal leads.

Dupuis gave the Penguins their second lead of Tuesday night 41 seconds into the third period when he tipped in a shot from Chris Kunitz. It was Dupuis' fourth goal of the series.

The Islanders responded again, just as Pittsburgh did in erasing a pair of one-goal deficits. Streit netted the tying goal when his shot from the center of the blue line hit the skate of Penguins defenseman Douglas Murray and deflected in.

A second-period goal originally credited to Streit was changed to Tavares, then back to Streit.

The game continued its back-and-forth trend in the second period with each team giving up a one-goal lead.

Streit put New York back in front from the left point with a long-awaited power-play goal. The Islanders had scored only one man-advantage goal in 11 chances over the first three games, and then failed on their first three opportunities in this one before connecting.

But as in the first period, the Islanders didn't enjoy the lead for long. Just 58 seconds later, Malkin raced into the New York end on a 2-on-1 and snapped a shot in from the right circle.

Pittsburgh then grabbed its first lead of the night on Sutter's first career playoff point. The son of Brent Sutter, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Islanders, snapped a shot from the left circle that beat Nabokov over the left shoulder.

However, the young, pesky Islanders weren't deterred, and they got even with 1:24 remaining in the middle period.

Okposo continued his superb series by scoring for the third straight game, with some help from Fleury. Okposo sent the puck from behind the Penguins' net toward the front near the right post. Fleury was there, facing in Okposo's direction, when the puck hit him while he was crouched, and found its way in.

"That was not a good goal and one where he was a little bit out of position," Bylsma said. "That one hurt. We would've had a 3-2 lead going into the third."

Strait broke the Game 4 deadlock with 5:55 left in the first, just moments after his shot deflected high near the throat area of Sidney Crosby. The Penguins captain skated slowly, hunched over following a whistle, but he was back on the ice for his next shift.

The fans had been chanting "Princess Crosby" just before he was struck, and quickly cheered his injury. Crosby missed a big chunk of this season with a broken jaw, an injury sustained when he was hit by a deflected puck in a game against the Islanders.

Neal took a crisp feed from Malkin from the high slot to the right circle and beat Nabokov with a tough-angle shot inside the right post to tie it 45 seconds after Strait's goal.

NOTES: Strait's goal was quite momentous as it was his first in the NHL ? regular season or playoffs. Strait, claimed off waivers by the Islanders from Pittsburgh in January, had never had a point in his previous six playoff games, and only five assists in 31 regular-season contests. ... Islanders D Andrew MacDonald sustained an upper body injury in the second period and didn't return. ... Penguins D Brooks Orpik returned after missing five games with an injury.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fleury-struggles-penguins-6-4-loss-isles-074457513.html

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Ouya Delayed to End of June, Snatches $15m in New Funding, Lures Ex-EA Boss Bing Gordon

The most visible of the Android-based micro-consoles with the name that sounds like what Kool-Aid man says when he?s busting through painted styrofoam walls will delay its $100 Ouya game cube until the end of June: specifically June 25 ? about two weeks after E3 wraps.

The reason for the delay? The company doesn?t say in a press release that?s mostly about other stuff, burying the revised launch date at the end (the system was originally due out June 4), but Joystiq managed to speak with Ouya honcho Julie Uhrman, who explains the sudden pushback:

We?ve had incredibly positive reactions from our retail partners, and so in order to meet their greater than expected demand, we decided to shift the launch date by a couple of weeks ? three weeks ? which will allow us to create more units and, basically, have more units on store shelves in June.

You know all the worry about the controller feeling cheap? Complaints about some of the buttons sticking under the top plate when hammered? It sounds like Ouya?s already addressed this (well, the button-sticking part anyway): Uhrman says the company?s made the holes for the face buttons a trifle larger to rectify the problem.??We made that change very early so all the units are being produced with those larger button holes,? says Uhrman. The revised controllers are already shipping to Kickstarter backers.

As Gamasutra notes, the new launch date pits Ouya squarely against GameStick, a flash drive-sized, Android-based game console designed to plug directly into Smart TVs (or to a standard TV through an HDMI dock). GameStick has a launch date of June 10, but the company?s said the first units won?t be in the hands of those who preordered it until the final week of June.

But what Ouya?really wants everyone to know, is that it just secured $15 million in new funding led by Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm?Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with participation from?Mayfield Fund, NVIDIA, Shasta Ventures and Occam Partners. If KPCB rings some distant game history bells, it may be because it?s the company EA?Chief Creative Officer Bing Gordon joined upon leaving Electronic Arts in 2008. Gordon originally signed up with EA in 1982 (just a few months after its inception), devoting over a quarter century to the game giant Trip Hawkins started. As part of the Ouya funding deal, Gordon will join Ouya?s?board of directors alongside Uhrman as well as Roy Bahat, chairman of the board (Gordon also serves on the board of directors at Amazon, Klout, Lockerz, MEVIO, Zazzle and Zynga).

Ouya raised nearly $8.6 million last summer, with over 63,000 Kickstarter backers throwing in to propel the conceptual console well beyond its stated $950,000 goal. Preliminary reviews of initial ?beta? systems dispatched to backers in late March have been mixed, spawning a handful of apologias. No, Kickstarter projects aren?t by necessity ?grab something and hang on!? beta pilgrimages ? Nataly Dawn?s Kickstarter-funded album How I Knew Her sounds like something that cost a lot more than $100k to produce, and for my money, games column?Tom vs. Bruce?(also Kickstarter-funded) is absolutely peerless ? but yes, it?s true, mass-manufactured technology with ergonomic variables and questionable launch software lineups rarely arrive blemish-free.

In any event, Ouya?s real challenge isn?t pricing ($100 is plenty cheap) or patching up gamepad glitches (already well in hand) or whether this button should have been here or there, it?s about what this thing?s going to let you do when you power it on. No one cares about the aesthetics (it?s a grayish plastic cube, so what), and you have to try pretty hard at this point to screw up a gamepad with conventional face buttons, thumbsticks and triggers. But if Ouya launches with a stable of been-there-played-that games, well?will gamers leap in for the fiddly emulators and tiny handful of media services, all for the elusive promise of better to come? That?s the $8.6 million dollar question.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ouya-delayed-end-june-snatches-15m-funding-lures-142114220.html

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Bluth's Original Frozen-Banana Stand on tour!

By Tony Maglio

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Fans of "Arrested Development" don't have to wait until the series returns on Netflix on May 26 to have an authentic Bluth family experience.

Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand is reopen for business in England.

The stand will be popping-up in different locations in London Wednesday, Thursday and May 15 and 21, before it heads to America, where it will appear in different cities leading up to the Season 4 premiere, Netflix said.

The Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand Worldwide Tour will include special surprise appearances by the Bluth family and friends.

Fans can follow @ArrestedDev on Twitter for information about the stand's location that day and special activities in each city.

All 15-episodes of the Emmy Award-winning comedy's revival will be available for Netflix streaming members to watch instantly at launch in all territories where the service is available - U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Latin America, Brazil and the Nordics. The first three seasons of "Arrested Development" already are available to stream in all Netflix territories.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bluths-original-frozen-banana-stand-tour-213838831.html

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English May Have Retained Words From an Ice Age Language

Some anthropologists think our ancestors already "had language" when our species began to spread around the world. If so, it may be that every language in the world is related. (The alternative being that language was invented independently more than once, and that more than one lineage has survived to the present.)

The problem is how you demonstrate it rigorously. Every historical linguist accepts the relatedness of languages in 5000-year-old families. But for proposed older relations (e.g., Nostratic, 10,000-15,000 ybp), the number of linguists that accept them is pretty much inversely proportional to the time depth.

As one of the linked summary articles points out, the further back you go the less evidence you have (lexical replacement), and the more noise (spurious similarities arising from chance). Beyond a certain point you just can't demonstrate relatedness reliably, though exactly what that point is is up for debate.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/hY7usjsHo1o/story01.htm

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