albertkimxy

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Sequencing tracks animal-to-human transmission of bacterial pathogens

Public release date: 25-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Barry Whyte
barry.whyte@embo.org
European Molecular Biology Organization

HEIDELBERG, 25 March 2013 Researchers have used whole genome sequencing to reveal if drug-resistant bacteria are transmitted from animals to humans in two disease outbreaks that occurred on different farms in Denmark. The results, which are published today in EMBO Molecular Medicine, confirm animal-to-human transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a disease-causing bacterium that carries the recently described mecC gene. The mecC gene is responsible for resistance to the penicillin-like antibiotic methicillin.

Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a significant challenge to public health and may have severe and sometimes fatal consequences. As the costs of whole genome sequencing methods continue to plummet and the speed of analysis increases, it becomes increasingly attractive for scientists to use whole genome sequencing to answer disease-related questions.

"We used whole genome sequencing to see if we could determine if the two disease outbreaks were caused by the same bacterium and to investigate if the pathogens were transmitted from animal to humans or the other way around," remarked Mark Holmes, from the University of Cambridge and the senior author on the paper. "At first glance, it seems reasonable to expect the same pathogen to be the source of the two outbreaks at the two geographically close locations. By looking at the single differences in nucleotides or SNPs in the DNA sequences of each isolate, it became obvious that two different strains of bacteria were responsible for the two disease outbreaks. In one case, the results also clearly showed that the most likely direction of transmission was from animal to human."

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus can lead to debilitating skin and soft tissue infections, bacteremia, pneumonia and endocarditis. The researchers used an Illumina HiSeq sequencing system to take a close look at the nucleotide sequence of each pathogen. By comparing single difference in nucleotides in the two sequences (single nucleotide polymorphisms) they were able to reach conclusions about the identity of the pathogens and the routes of infection.

The researchers emphasize that while whole genome sequencing cannot replace other more traditional types of diseases analysis it can greatly increase the ability of scientists to distinguish between different pathogens as the cause of disease.

"Our findings demonstrate that the MRSA strains we studied are capable of transmission between animals and humans, which highlights the role of livestock as a potential reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria," remarked Ewan Harrison, one of the lead authors of the study.

###

Whole genome sequencing identifies zoonotic transmission of MRSA isolates with the novel mecA homologue mecC

Ewan M. Harrison, Gavin K. Paterson, Matthew T.G. Holden, Jesper Larsen, Marc Stegger, Anders Rhod Larsen, Andreas Petersen, Robert L. Skov, Judit Marta Christensen, Anne Bak Zeuthen, Ole Heltberg, Simon R. Harris, Ruth N. Zadoks, Julian Parkhill, Sharon J. Peacock, Mark A. Holmes

Read the paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

doi: 10.1002/emmm.201202413

**Further information on EMBO Molecular Medicine is available at: http://www.embomolmed.org

Media Contacts
Barry Whyte
Head | Public Relations and Communications
About EMBO
EMBO is an organization of more than 1500 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information, and help build a European research environment where scientists can achieve their best work.

EMBO helps young scientists to advance their research, promote their international reputations and ensure their mobility. Courses, workshops, conferences and scientific journals disseminate the latest research and offer training in techniques to maintain high standards of excellence in research practice. EMBO helps to shape science and research policy by seeking input and feedback from our community and by following closely the trends in science in Europe. ?

For more information:** http://www.embo.org
[ | 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.

Sequencing tracks animal-to-human transmission of bacterial pathogens Public release date: 25-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Barry Whyte
barry.whyte@embo.org
European Molecular Biology Organization

HEIDELBERG, 25 March 2013 Researchers have used whole genome sequencing to reveal if drug-resistant bacteria are transmitted from animals to humans in two disease outbreaks that occurred on different farms in Denmark. The results, which are published today in EMBO Molecular Medicine, confirm animal-to-human transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a disease-causing bacterium that carries the recently described mecC gene. The mecC gene is responsible for resistance to the penicillin-like antibiotic methicillin.

Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a significant challenge to public health and may have severe and sometimes fatal consequences. As the costs of whole genome sequencing methods continue to plummet and the speed of analysis increases, it becomes increasingly attractive for scientists to use whole genome sequencing to answer disease-related questions.

"We used whole genome sequencing to see if we could determine if the two disease outbreaks were caused by the same bacterium and to investigate if the pathogens were transmitted from animal to humans or the other way around," remarked Mark Holmes, from the University of Cambridge and the senior author on the paper. "At first glance, it seems reasonable to expect the same pathogen to be the source of the two outbreaks at the two geographically close locations. By looking at the single differences in nucleotides or SNPs in the DNA sequences of each isolate, it became obvious that two different strains of bacteria were responsible for the two disease outbreaks. In one case, the results also clearly showed that the most likely direction of transmission was from animal to human."

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus can lead to debilitating skin and soft tissue infections, bacteremia, pneumonia and endocarditis. The researchers used an Illumina HiSeq sequencing system to take a close look at the nucleotide sequence of each pathogen. By comparing single difference in nucleotides in the two sequences (single nucleotide polymorphisms) they were able to reach conclusions about the identity of the pathogens and the routes of infection.

The researchers emphasize that while whole genome sequencing cannot replace other more traditional types of diseases analysis it can greatly increase the ability of scientists to distinguish between different pathogens as the cause of disease.

"Our findings demonstrate that the MRSA strains we studied are capable of transmission between animals and humans, which highlights the role of livestock as a potential reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria," remarked Ewan Harrison, one of the lead authors of the study.

###

Whole genome sequencing identifies zoonotic transmission of MRSA isolates with the novel mecA homologue mecC

Ewan M. Harrison, Gavin K. Paterson, Matthew T.G. Holden, Jesper Larsen, Marc Stegger, Anders Rhod Larsen, Andreas Petersen, Robert L. Skov, Judit Marta Christensen, Anne Bak Zeuthen, Ole Heltberg, Simon R. Harris, Ruth N. Zadoks, Julian Parkhill, Sharon J. Peacock, Mark A. Holmes

Read the paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

doi: 10.1002/emmm.201202413

**Further information on EMBO Molecular Medicine is available at: http://www.embomolmed.org

Media Contacts
Barry Whyte
Head | Public Relations and Communications
About EMBO
EMBO is an organization of more than 1500 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information, and help build a European research environment where scientists can achieve their best work.

EMBO helps young scientists to advance their research, promote their international reputations and ensure their mobility. Courses, workshops, conferences and scientific journals disseminate the latest research and offer training in techniques to maintain high standards of excellence in research practice. EMBO helps to shape science and research policy by seeking input and feedback from our community and by following closely the trends in science in Europe. ?

For more information:** http://www.embo.org
[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/embo-sta032113.php
solar flare joseph kony 2012 arian foster dennis kucinich apple ipad kony kony 2012

Huawei Ascend D2 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 ? Hardware, Display, Camera Comparison

Posted on 24 March 2013.

Today we compare two of the most powerful next generation smartphones announced in the mobile market. We have the flagship device of Huawei, the Huawei Ascend D2 going one on one against the flagship device of Samsung, the Samsung Galaxy S4.
This is going to be one tough battle of specs, as both these smartphones have an extremely high profile configuration. It will be the minor differences and enhancements that will decide the winner in this battle. Let us compare the specs of these two smartphones.

Huawei Ascend D2

Samsung Galaxy S4

Galaxy S4s

DISPLAY
The Huawei Ascend D2 has a 5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display. It has a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels with a pixel density of 441 ppi. The display supports 16M colors and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and pixel density of 441 ppi (pixel per inch). The display will be protected by the all new Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

HARDWARE
The Huawei Ascend D2 has the Huawei K3V2 chipset. This smartphone is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor. It has a standard GPU and a 2 GB RAM. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has two quad-core processors. The device is powered by a 1.6 GHz quad-core Cortex A15 processor and a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex A7 processor. The device has 2 GB of RAM and the powerful PowerVR SGX 544MP3 GPU takes care of the crisp clear graphics.

OPERATING SYSTEM
The Huawei Ascend D2 runs on the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. The company might soon announce updates so that this smartphone can be upgraded to the latest Android 4.2 version. The Samsung Galaxy S4 runs on the latest version of Android operating system ? Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy S4 also has the latest version of TouchWiz UI as a part of the system.

STORAGE
The Huawei Ascend D2 has an in-built storage space of 32 GB. There is not other option available apart from the 32 GB version and also there is no micro SD card support. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has in-built storage space options of 16, 32 and 64 GB. The smartphone has a micro SD card that supports cards of up to 64 GB.

CAMERA
The Huawei Ascend D2 has a high quality 13 MP Primary Camera with autofocus and LED flash. This camera supports a resolution of up to 4032 x 224 pixels. Other features include geo-tagging, face detection and HDR. This smartphone also has a 1.3 MP Secondary Camera. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a high quality 13 MP Primary Camera with autofocus and LED flash. This camera allows you to shoot videos at full resolution ? 1080p HD. The Secondary Camera on the Galaxy S4 is a standard 2 MP camera.

BATTERY
The Huawei Ascend D2 has a very powerful 3000 mAh Li-Ion battery. It gives a stand by time of up to 144 hours and a talk time of up to 8 to 10 hours. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a very powerful 2600 mAh battery. We do not have the official data about the talk time and stand by time offered by the Galaxy S4 as of now.

DIMENSIONS
The dimensions of the Huawei Ascend D2 are 140 x 71 x 9.4 mm whereas the dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 are 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm.

WEIGHT
The Huawei Ascend D2 weighs about 170 grams whereas the Samsung Galaxy S4 weighs about 130 grams.

CONCLUSION
Let us start with the common part. The Ascend D2 and Galaxy S4 both have a 5-inc display with the same resolution and pixel density, 2 GB of RAM and a 13 MP Primary Camera. But the Galaxy S4 is better than the Ascend D2 in a lot of ways. It as a much better processor no matter which variant you consider, it also has one of the best GPU available for mobiles, it also has a micro SD card support which means you can always have 64 GB of extra space. There is also a significant difference between the weight and dimensions of these two devices, and the Galaxy S4 manages to be slimmer and lighter than the Ascend D2.
The Ascend D2 also has its own set of advantages over the Galaxy S4. It has a better battery and has a body that is dustproof and water resistant.
Here is a specifications chart of Huawei Ascend D2 and Samsung Galaxy S4:

SC - Ascend D2 vs Galaxy S4

Source: http://www.captees.com/6361-huawei-ascend-d2-vs-samsung-galaxy-s4-hardware-display-camera-comparison/

Buffalo Wild Wings Superbowl Start Time Jim Harbaugh Who Won The Superbowl Super Bowl Halftime Show 2013 Super Bowl Commercials 2013 Ray Lewis Murders

AP interview: Couple reflects on gay marriage

This photo taken Feb. 8, 2013, shows Sandy Stier, left, and Kris Perry, the couple at the center of the Supreme Court's consideration of gay marriage, at their home in Berkeley, Calif. Whatever the outcome of their momentous case, Perry and Stier, who have been together 13 years, will be empty-nesters as the last of their children will heads off to college. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

In this photo taken Saturday, March 23, 2013, Jessica Skrebes of Washington reads while waiting in line with others outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington in anticipation of Tuesday's Supreme Court hearing on California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage, and Wednesday's Supreme Court hearing on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) ? Big change is coming to the lives of the lesbian couple at the center of the fight for same-sex marriage in California no matter how the Supreme Court decides their case.

After 13 years of raising four boys together, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier are about to be empty nesters. Their youngest two children, 18-year-old twins, will graduate from high school in June and head off to college a couple of months later.

"We'll see all the movies, get theater season tickets because you can actually go," Stier said in the living room of their bungalow in Berkeley. Life will not revolve quite so much around food, and the challenge of putting enough of it on the table to feed teenagers.

They might also get married, if the high court case goes their way.

Perry, 48, and Stier, 50, set aside their lunch hour on a recent busy Friday to talk to The Associated Press about their Supreme Court case, the evolution of their activism for gay rights and family life.

On Tuesday, they plan to be in the courtroom when their lawyer, Theodore Olson, tries to persuade the justices to strike down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages and to declare that gay couples can marry nationwide. Supporters of California's Proposition 8, represented by lawyer Charles Cooper, argue that the court should not override the democratic process and impose a judicial solution that would redefine marriage in the 40 states that do not allow same-sex couples to wed.

A second case, set for Wednesday, involves the part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that prevents same-sex couples who are legally married from receiving a range of federal tax, pension and other benefits that otherwise are available to married people.

The Supreme Court hearing is the moment Perry and Stier, along with Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo of Burbank, have been waiting for since they agreed four years ago to be the named plaintiffs and public faces of a well-funded, high-profile effort to challenge Proposition 8 in the courts.

"For the past four years, we've lived our lives in this hurry-up-and-wait, pins-and-needles way," Perry said, recalling the crush of court deadlines and the seemingly endless wait for rulings from a federal district judge, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, also based there, and the California Supreme Court.

Stier said Olson told them the case could take several years to resolve. "I thought, years?" she said.

But the couple has been riding a marriage rollercoaster since 2003, when Perry first asked Stier to marry her. They were planning a symbolic, but not legally recognized, wedding when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. So they were married, but only briefly. Six months later, the state Supreme Court invalidated the same-sex unions.

They went ahead with their plans anyway, but "it was one of the sadder points of our wedding," Perry said.

Less than four years later, however, the same state court overturned California's prohibition on same-sex unions. Then, on the same day Perry and Stier rejoiced in President Barack Obama's election, voters approved Proposition 8, undoing the court ruling and defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Their lawsuit was filed six months later, after they went to the Alameda County courthouse for a marriage license and were predictably refused.

"It's such a weird road we've been on," Perry said.

All the more so because neither woman defined herself as a gay rights activist before the marriage fight.

Perry, a native Californian from Bakersfield, and Stier, who grew up in rural Iowa, moved in together in 2000, with Stier's two children from a heterosexual marriage and Perry's from a previous relationship. Utterly conventional school meetings, soccer games and band practice ? not the court case ? have defined their lives together.

As if to highlight this point, their son, Elliott, briefly interrupted the interview to ask for a pair of headphones. Perry said the boys find her useful for two basic reasons these days. "Do I have any headphones and do I have any money?" she said with a smile.

Perry has spent her professional life advocating on behalf of early childhood education. Stier works for the county government's public health department.

"When you've been out as long as I have been, 30 years, in order to feel OK every day and be optimistic and productive, you can't dwell as much on what's not working as maybe people think you do," Perry said.

Even with Proposition 8's passage, Perry and Stier said they were more focused on Obama's election.

"I was all about health care reform and Kris is all about education reform and that was everything. Gay rights, that would be great, but it's a way off," Stier said.

They don't take the issue so lightly anymore. Of course, they could not imagine a U.S. president would endorse gay marriage along with voters in three states just last November.

When Obama talked about equal rights for gay Americans in his inaugural speech in January, Perry said she felt as if "we've arrived at the adults' table. We're no longer at the kids' table."

They will watch the argument in their case and then return home to wait for the decision, worried that it could come the same day as the boys' high school graduations in mid-June.

They know the court could uphold Proposition 8, which would almost certainly lead to an effort to repeal it by California voters. Recent polls show support for repeal.

Any other outcome will allow them to get married. But Perry said they are hoping the court strikes "a tone of more inclusion" and issues the broadest possible ruling.

They will get married quickly, in a small, private ceremony. "We did the big celebration a long time ago," Perry said. "I hope this will be something a lot bigger than the two of us."

___

Follow Mark Sherman at http://twitter.com/shermancourt

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-25-US-Supreme-Court-Gay-Marriage/id-a3ff930d228a4eb9927cc190b29758af

Inauguration Schedule barack obama dear abby WRAL John Harbaugh jill biden jill biden

Anxiety, hope as Supreme Court ponders gay marriage

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases concerning marriage rights for same-sex couples. In one, United States v. Windsor, the court could determine whether the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the constitutional rights of same-sex couples. The other, Hollingsworth v. Perry, tackles Proposition 8, California?s ban on gay marriage that voters narrowly passed in 2008.

Yahoo News asked Americans who will be affected by these cases to share their stories and perspectives. Here's a sampling of what they said.

'I can't help but hold on to a thread of hope'

In 2010, Jacob Z. Flores had two weddings. He and his husband got married first in Provincetown, Mass., and three weeks later they had a ceremony in their hometown of Victoria, Texas.

Their marriage was legal in Massachusetts. But, Flores writes, they held the second ceremony ?to demonstrate to our friends and family that we were just like the other married couples they knew, whether it was legal in Texas or not."

?Yet, when both weddings were over, I couldn't help but feel cheated," he continued. "In each other's eyes and in the eyes of our friends, we were husbands, but to the federal government we were not.?

So for Flores, this week?s arguments over same-sex marriage in the nation?s highest court are a reason to be hopeful. He sees the cases on DOMA and Proposition 8 as similar to bans on interracial marriage and notes that the Supreme Court struck down such laws.

?I can't help but hold on to a thread of hope,? Flores writes. ?My marriage might be recognized on a federal level soon.?

'I could not perform a gay wedding'

D.L. Teamor, 39, a pastor in Michigan, says she ?cannot and will not judge another person,? but that she feels gay marriage violates the tenets of her faith.

?I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman as illustrated in the Bible, the nucleus of my faith,? Teamor writes. ?The laws and lessons contained therein do not change according to modern times or popular outlooks.?

She adds that performing a gay wedding ?would completely oppose my Christian beliefs."

?Sacrilege?

Another clergy member, Gerald Watt, has the same worries as Teamor. Watt says he supports civil unions but is opposed to same-sex marriage. ?To attempt to join two same sex individuals in the sacrament of marriage would be a sacrilege for me,? Watt writes.

He lives in Illinois, which is debating legalizing gay marriage. He notes that the proposed law allows for clergy to be exempt from performing same-sex weddings, but he fears that provision might not last.

?I can see a time when test cases will eventually force the government to withdraw credentials from clergy like me,? he writes. ?I might even be sued for violation of someone's civil rights.?

?Anxiety and anticipation?

Kate Coenen has been engaged since July, but she hasn?t made any solid wedding plans. Her fianc?e is finishing her degree at the University of Michigan, and they don?t know where they?ll live after graduation.

?Because each state has its own approach to same-sex marriage, we may end up in a state that won't recognize our relationship,? Coenen, 26, writes. Regardless of where they wind up, Coenen says she and her fianc?e ?plan on building our lives together whether or not we end up living in a state where we can marry legally.?

To her, the potential for broader recognition of gay marriage is more than just a symbol. She, too, wants to take advantage of ?tangible benefits that many people in straight couples take for granted.?

The end of DOMA ?would give our lives a greater degree of stability and certainty,? she writes.

But no matter how the Supreme Court cases turn out, Coenen, who was a student at the University of Iowa when the state?s Supreme Court legalized gay marriage there in 2009, is optimistic about the prospects for gay marriage.

?I look forward to sharing that future with my wife-to-be,? she writes.

?DOMA is a slap in the face?

A.R. Treadway lives with her partner of seven years in DeLand, Fla., where they are raising her son from, as she puts it, her ?former life.?

She believes ?DOMA is a slap in the face??one with practical implications for her family.

?I want to be able to have the same rights and protections my parents have,? Treadway writes. ?When my father passes away, my mother is eligible to collect his benefits [and] make arrangements for his burial. ... If I died tomorrow, my fianc? couldn't make funeral arrangements for me or claim my son as her son, which would mean a nasty court battle between my family and his birth father.?

She also hopes to one day see gay marriage recognized in all 50 states. But, as she awaits the outcome of the DOMA and Proposition 8 cases, she is seeing some advances for LGBT rights in Florida and is ?enjoying the little victories.?

Worry at church and at work

Matt Bianco, 36, of Southern Pines, N.C., works at a Christian company and is an elder in his church. He fears that broad legalization of gay marriage could force both institutions to violate their conscience.

?In both cases, they have the right, and possibly the duty, to oppose gay marriage, including the funding of health and benefits coverage for the gay spouse,? Bianco writes.

For him, the root of the problem is the government?s involvement in marriage in the first place. He writes that ?the government has usurped authority it does not have? by giving benefits to married couples. And now, with the Supreme Court cases looming, he sees moral conflicts on the horizon over the granting of those benefits.

?This is not simply a matter of gays wanting equal access to marriage; this is a case of the government imposing acceptance of and financial support of gay marriage upon individuals and employers who are morally opposed to gay marriage,? he writes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/anxiety-hope-ahead-supreme-court-hearings-gay-marriage-170513043--politics.html

louis oosthuizen phil mickelson 10 year old gives birth c. difficile carmelo anthony nurse jackie nurse jackie

Monday, 25 March 2013

Winning $338M Powerball jackpot ticket sold in N.J.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) ? When Teddy Jackson heard Sunday morning that the lone winning ticket for a $338.3 million Powerball drawing was sold in New Jersey, the Toms River resident combed through his 40 tickets and hoped for the best.

About 20 minutes later, after checking each ticket at least a couple times, Jackson realized he would have to go work on Monday.

"There were a few where I had one or two numbers, but that was it," the 45-year-old electrician said Sunday. "Now, I have to watch someone else get my money, buy the powerboat I would have gotten .... it was fun to dream about those things for a few minutes while I checked everything."

Details on where and when the winning ticket was purchased and other related information were not disclosed Sunday by New Jersey Lottery officials, who also would not say if anyone claiming to hold the ticket had contacted them as of Sunday afternoon.

They said information on the ticket would be released at a news conference on Monday morning at the lottery's headquarters in Lawrenceville.

Lottery officials say it was the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history. The numbers drawn were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31. A lump sum payout would be $221 million.

Retailers in New Jersey said the growing jackpot had spurred a big boost in ticket sales in recent days, and many people were willing to stand in long lines to get their tickets. Staffers at some stores said Sunday that they didn't know where the winning ticket had been sold.

"We are hoping that we sold it here because that would be a blessing for one of our customers in these tough times," said a worker at a Camden area convenience store.

Lottery officials said 13 tickets worth $1 million apiece ? matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball ? were sold in Arizona, Florida (2), Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina and Virginia.

Powerball said on its website that the grand prize jackpot has now been reset to an estimated $40 million or a lump sum cash amount estimated at $25 million for Wednesday's next drawing.

No one had won the Powerball jackpot since early February, when Dave Honeywell in Virginia bought the winning ticket and elected a cash lump sum for his $217 million jackpot.

The largest Powerball jackpot ever came in at $587.5 million in November. The winning numbers were picked on two different tickets ? one by a couple in Missouri and the other by an Arizona man ? and the jackpot was split.

Nebraska still holds the record for the largest Powerball jackpot won on a single ticket ? $365 million. That jackpot was won by eight workers at a Lincoln meatpacking plant in February 2006.

Powerball is played in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chance of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is about 1 in 175 million.

Powerball said on its website that the game is played every Wednesday and Saturday night when five white balls are drawn from a drum of 59 balls and one red ball is picked from a drum with 35 red balls. It added that winners of the Powerball jackpot can elect to be paid out over 29 years at a percentage set by the game's rules ? or in a lump sum cash payment.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/winning-338m-powerball-jackpot-ticket-sold-nj-074556709.html

rashard lewis curacao curacao home run derby kourtney kardashian kourtney kardashian DNS Changer

Sunday, 24 March 2013

Tilda Swinton takes a nap in New York museum

Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images

By Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter

Tilda Swinton knows how to give an arresting performance -- even in her sleep. The actress surprised guests visiting New York?s Museum of Modern Art Saturday by napping in a glass box as part of an art installation, Gothamist reports. Crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the Oscar-winning actress, whose appearance was unannounced. (Photos can be found here.)

"Museum staff doesn't know she's coming until the day of, but she's here today," a museum source said. "She'll be there the whole day. All that's in the box is cushions and a water jug."

PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of THR's philanthropy shoot: The museum trustees

Saturday was her first time performing the piece at MoMa. Swinton was located by the ticket collectors, but the location may be changed in the future.

Swinton first performed the piece, called ?The Maybe,? in 1995 in London?s Serpentine Gallery. She collaborated with artist Cornelia Parker on the project and went went on to perform it at the Museo Barracco in Rome.

?An integral part of The Maybe's incarnation at MoMA in 2013 is that there is no published schedule for its appearance, no artist's statement released, no no museum statement beyond this brief context, no public profile or image issued,? the museum said in a statement. ?Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real -- shared -- time: now we see it, now we don't.?

STORY:? New David Bowie video stars Tilda Swinton

Swinton, who was named the new face of Chanel last month, has been embracing her artistic side as of late. She honored David Bowie in a stirring speech Wednesday at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

michigan football askew blue moon ann romney farrah abraham Paul Ryan Speech chris cooley

Biden: 'No Leadership' in GOP

Vice President Joe Biden said today the Republican Party is struggling with an identity crisis, with "no leadership" and "the tail wagging the dog."

"There is no leadership," he told donors for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City, according to the pool report. "There is nobody you can sit across the table from and shake hands, make a deal with.

"The problem is we have the tail wagging the dog in the Republican Party," he added.

Biden led negotiations with Republican leaders in Congress in what resulted in the fiscal cliff deal earlier this year. While he did not cite the specific negotiations, the vice president said that in at least five instances, House Republicans took back an offer they had agreed to, calling Biden to say, "What we agreed to Joe, we can't do."

"The reason this is so dysfunctional now - with whom do you make a deal? With whom do you speak to get something done?" he said.

But Biden had kind words for one Republican senator, Rand Paul, calling him "a fine man, he's a decent man." When talking about Rep. Paul Ryan, his former opponent in 2012, the vice president got laughs from the crowd, saying "The Ryan budget is absolutely - the Ryan budget."

The vice president thanked the crowd of 250 people at the DCCC conference for supporting him and other Democratic candidates in recent years.

"When I first ran, you just hoped that I'd turn out the right way," he joked, adding that "some of you may still not be [convinced]."

And the vice president made light of his now infamous moment where a hot mic caught him calling President Obama's healthcare plan a "big f***ing deal."

"Thank God my mom's not alive - can't trust those microphones," he joked.