Sunday, January 27, 2013

Huawei is now the world?s third largest smartphone vendor, but still far behind Samsung and Apple

Smartphone Market Share Q4 2012IDC

Research firm IDC released the latest numbers from its Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker this week and found that a total of 482.5 million mobile phones were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012, an increase from 473.4 million in 2011. Smartphones accounted for nearly half, or 45.5%, of all mobile phone shipments, the highest percentage ever. Samsung (005930) and Apple (AAPL) remained the two top vendors with market shares of 29% and 21.8% respectively. The report did include some surprises, however.

[More from BGR: Sony?s PS Vita: Dead again]

?The high-growth smartphone market, though dominated by Samsung and Apple, still presents ample opportunities for challengers,? said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC. ?Vendors with unique market advantages, such as lower-cost devices, can rapidly gain market share, especially in emerging markets?

[More from BGR: Unlocking your smartphone will be illegal starting next week]

The remaining top five smartphone vendors are very different now, however ? they no longer include LG (006570), HTC (2498) or Motorola, all of which have been replaced by Huawei (002502), Sony (SNE) and ZTE (0763).

Huawei, a company previously known for its telecom equipment, spying scandals and low-end smartphones, is in the midst of a major transition. Rather than focusing on cheap and carrier-branded phones, the Chinese company has begun to compete with high-end manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple with its new flagship devices.

Huawei experienced unprecedented growth in the fourth quarter of 2012 with shipments increasing 89.5% year-over-year for a 4.9% market share. Close on the company?s heels are both Sony and Chinese rival ZTE with 4.5% and 4.3% shares of the market respectively.

?The fact that Huawei and ZTE now find themselves among the Top 5 smartphone vendors marks a significant shift for the global market,? noted Ramon Llamas, research manager with IDC?s Mobile Phone team. ?Both companies have grown volumes by focusing on the mass market, but in recent quarters they have turned their attention toward higher-end devices. In addition, both companies have pushed the envelope in terms of industrial design with larger displays and smaller form factors, as well as innovative applications and experiences.?

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/huawei-now-world-third-largest-smartphone-vendor-still-211639015.html

Horshack Beady Eye Eric Idle rory mcilroy Fatboy Slim

Spam hits five-year low

1 day

A new report from Kaspersky Lab indicates that the amount of spam in the world continues to decline, although it's nowhere near disappearing. It's also being replaced with other, more substantial threats.

Spam levels dropped throughout 2012, and by the end of the year it was steadily below 70 percent of all email detected. In the heyday of spam, it consistently made up around 85 percent, according to Kaspersky's numbers.

A number of factors have contributed to this. People and email providers have instituted more effective spam filters, for one thing, and a major security hole that allowed people to spoof an email's sender was closed this year.

The reduced effectiveness of spam emails means spammers have to send more to get any hits. Kaspersky calculates that it cost spammers $150 for every million emails sent ? cheap indeed, but the success rate is so low that legal, normal advertising on Google and Facebook actually end up beinga better deal.

Of course, not every spammer is just aiming for cheap advertising. There are plenty?selling illegal services or products, or looking to hijack your computer with malicious attachments or phishing attempts. Since legal advertisement isn't an option, they're doubling down on spam. For that reason, Kaspersky suggests spam reduction in 2013 will be "negligible at best."

The full, detailed report, with many more details about the origins and types of 2012's spam, can be read here.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/spam-hits-five-year-low-its-still-two-thirds-all-1C8125282

jo paterno dead south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails red tails heidi klum

Importance of Trademark Protection, Why Is It needed ? Internet ...

bookcover4_corporatelaw.jpg

Like any trademark, even domain names are subject to the legal protections from any sort of infringement that they go through; thus, domain name registrants can get protection from the intellectual protection right laws that are applicable in almost all advanced countries and member of international trade laws. Moreover, as there are a number of existing and potential buyers of international names that may come across with infringement of their rights, they may get the same addressed at WIPO as it provides arbitration and mediation when some dispute with respect to the same arises.

However, legal cure of infringement comes next and it may not even appear if there is right trademarks protection strategy at place. The domains and sub-domains can get maximum protection using right technology and hiring the companies that are known to provide trademarks protection. Nevertheless, it is quite essential from the point of view of brand protection to get protection for domains and sub-domains which have become trademark of their own type. The major function of the entire trademarks protection is to protect the brand from any sort of abuse or misuse by miscreants or unscrupulous elements.

Nevertheless, registering a domain name as a trademark and registering a domain name are slightly two different things. Thus, a user cannot register the the .com, however, if the use of the fits the laws criteria, the same can be registered without much hassle. There cannot be better thing than consulting an attorney for the purpose of domain name registration as trademark for they know well what are the specific requirements for a to become a trademark and get protection from intellectual property right laws.

The buyers can get a registered if it does not infringe upon any other or it is not confusingly similar to some existing domain name. The lawyers who are familiar with the Internet, and their qualification to become trademarks can provide the much needed legal consultation with respect to the intellectual property laws that are applicable. Thus, the laws prior to registering the concerned as a trademark are lucid clear, that is, a can though be bought, getting the same as trademark is little different and needs additional qualifications.

Trademark protection using technical inputs and envisaging the legal tools that are essential to provide the much needed protection for trademark have become right option for companies that are brand conscious.

There cannot be better thing than consulting an attorney for the purpose of domain name registration as trademark for they know well what are the specific requirements for a domain name to become a trademark and get protection from intellectual property right laws.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://rawbusinesslaw.com/2013/01/26/importance-of-trademark-protection-why-is-it-needed-internet-domain-names/

blue moon ann romney marco rubio marco rubio farrah abraham Paul Ryan Speech chris cooley

Genealogy's Star: Editing entries in FamilySearch Family Tree


Most of the information contained in FamilySearch.org's Family Tree program can be edited or, in some cases, deleted by any registered user. This includes most of the personal information about individuals and the relationships between individuals. The ability to edit or delete information is not limited to the people who contributed the information. In Family Tree's predecessor program,?New.FamilySearch.org, everyone "owned" the information they personally contributed and no one else could edit the submitted information. If the information was inaccurate or inappropriate, the only response was to add more, hopefully, accurate information. But all the information, both accurate and inaccurate, was preserved at the same level and availability.? Family Tree changes this scenario dramatically. Any registered user can edit (or where allowed) delete any information. Not just the information they personally contributed.? Whenever I present this function of the program in any class, there are always the same two questions. These are:
  • If anyone can change the information then why doesn't the whole database devolve into chaos or fill up with garbage? (Integrity of the database)
  • Do you mean to say that anyone can change my family information? (Ownership of the data)
Usually, my explanations of these two issues does not satisfy those asking the question. The issue of the ownership of genealogical data is extremely ingrained in the psyche of the average genealogist. I find the attitude of ownership to be almost pervasive. Researchers have a tendency to think of the information they find to be "their" data. It is relatively easy to point out that all of the descendants "own" their own ancestry, so no one ancestor is owned by any one of the descendants. Although this simple explanation is true, an attitude of possession is hard to overcome. Well, whether or not you or anyone else believes they own their genealogical data, Family Tree still allows anyone to make changes. So this issue has more to do with participation in the program at all, rather than affecting the manner in which the information is edited.? The remaining question concerning the integrity of the data is a little more difficult to address. It is true that allowing anyone to edit data in a database would intuitively seem to move the data towards chaos. But in fact, as counter-intuitive as it may be, allowing everyone to edit the data raises the overall reliability of the data. The reason this occurs is dictated by basic human nature. There are two factors; some people are driven to correct the world around them and most people could care less. In other words, it a lot more likely that people possessing the correct information about the people in Family Tree will be motivated to edit and update the data than those who do not care about either genealogy or Family Tree. This is the premise that makes the wiki-based programs work where registered users can make changes. Family Tree is not strictly a wiki but it does have wiki-like characteristics.? In fact this is the case. Counter intuitively; the information in a wiki (or a wiki-like) program becomes more reliable rather than less reliable. But this brings up another common question: What happens if I change the information and then someone changes it back and then I change it again and so forth? Although this might happen, Family Tree has several layers of features that make this type of disagreement (commonly called a ?revert war?) highly unlikely. First of all, anyone can ?watch? any ancestor in Family Tree. Watching an ancestor initiates a process where the program notifies the user of any changes to the watched individual. Secondly, and more importantly, the program allows for communication between users through email. Obviously, if there is a difference in the data offered for any individual, the users can communicate and come to an understanding concerning the ?correct? data to be entered. Finally, abuses of the program can be reported to FamilySearch. If the users carefully rely on sources, then the possibility of any disagreements will be minimized. If in the end, there is a genuine disagreement about a certain item, then the family will have to ?agree to disagree? and get on with additional research to resolve the controversy. Unfortunately, many of the duplications and errors in New.FamilySearch.org have been inherited by Family Tree. It may take some time to work through these errors, but ultimately, through the editing mechanism of the Family Tree program all of those errors can be corrected and information mutually acceptable to the family can be maintained. Another comment I get at this point in teaching classes concerns the need to correct the duplications and errors in the program. The answer is yes, we are the ones who must start the work of correcting the information in Family Tree. We all hope we have more than one person per family to do the work.?

Source: http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2013/01/editing-entries-in-familysearch-family.html

david bradley david foster wallace pinterest attwireless taylor swift zac efron

Republican Chambliss says retiring from Senate because of gridlock

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia announced on Friday he will not seek a third term in 2014, saying he was fed up with the partisan gridlock in Congress that has left the country lurching from one fiscal crisis to another.

Targeted by the conservative Tea Party movement for backing a year-end deal that raised taxes on the wealthy, Chambliss was one of the few Republicans willing to work with Democrats on a debt reduction plan.

Chambliss, 69, who earlier served in the House of Representatives, stressed that he was not retiring because he feared more conservative Republicans would try to unseat him in the primary election.

"This is about frustration, both at a lack of leadership from the White House and at the dearth of meaningful action from Congress, especially on issues that are the foundation of our nation's economic health," Chambliss said in a statement.

During December's negotiations to avoid the New Year's Day austerity measures known as the "fiscal cliff," Chambliss rebelled against anti-tax lobbyist Grover Norquist and said he was open to President Barack Obama's plan to raise taxes on the wealthy.

He was criticized by fellow conservatives, who have signed Norquist's "taxpayer protection pledge." But Chambliss said he cared "more about this country" than he did about a 20-year-old pledge.

Congress eventually passed a last-minute deal that extended tax breaks for all Americans except families earning more than $450,000 per year.

But conservative activists were irate with lawmakers for raising taxes without cutting spending and started looking for replacements for Chambliss and other Republicans who backed the deal.

No Republican challenger to Chambliss had yet announced for the Georgia primary, but U.S. Representatives Tom Price and Paul Broun are seen as potential candidates.

On Friday, Broun's office in a statement said he was considering running for the Senate. A spokeswoman for Price had no immediate comment.

A spokesman for Newt Gingrich said the former Republican presidential candidate from Georgia would not run in the 2014 Senate race. Herman Cain, another former Republican presidential candidate from the state, could not be reached for comment.

Democrats said Georgia now offered their party one of the best pick-up opportunities. "There are already several reports of the potential for a divisive primary that will push Republicans to the extreme right," the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said in a statement.

Chambliss is a member of the so-called Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group of senators working for deficit reduction that has so far failed to come up with a viable plan.

"Sadly, I don't see the legislative gridlock and partisan posturing improving any time soon," Chambliss said, citing the 2011 debt ceiling impasse and the fiscal cliff battle as "Congress at its worst."

(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/georgia-republican-senator-chambliss-retire-aide-160756662--business.html

michael buble brandi glanville Jenni Rivera Alive Facebook Down bo jackson bo jackson hanukkah

BlackRock Buys A Stake In Twitter - Business Insider

">Matt Rosoff Business Insider

As Twitter slowly prepares for a public offering, BlackRock, the money-management firm, is taking a small stake in the company by buying shares from early employees.

The Financial Times reports that BlackRock is spending $80 million for a little under 1 percent of the company, valuing the whole at $9 billion.

That's a lower price than investors paid in deals last year that valued Twitter at $11 billion, but those involved smaller blocks of shares. Private-market transactions also tend to be volatile, given the lack of liquidity.

Twitter recently promoted its CFO, Ali Rowghani, to COO, and hired Zynga executive Mike Gupta to fill the CFO role. Twitter chairman Jack Dorsey and CEO Dick Costolo have described the company as preparing itself to go public, but deliberately and at a time of their choosing.

Costolo has also said that Twitter has a "truckload" of money still in the bank. So until a public offering happens, purchases from employees are likely to be the main source of shares for investors who want a stake in the company.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/blackrock-buys-stake-twitter-employees-2013-1

williams syndrome hoya casa de mi padre corned beef and cabbage diners drive ins and dives jeff who lives at home 49ers news

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Docs to former NYC Mayor Koch: Lay off the salt

Seth Wenig / AP file

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch

By Gil Aegerter and Isolde Raftery, NBC News

Former New York Mayor Ed Koch was released Saturday from the hospital after a weeklong stay for treatment of fluid in his lungs and swollen ankles -- his third hospitalization in recent months.

Koch, 88, had expected to remain at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital through the weekend, but doctors decided to let him out Saturday, The Associated Press reported, citing a spokesman.

Koch was admitted last Saturday night. He lost 16 pounds of water weight in the hospital, the AP reported, and was told to limit his salt intake. At a short press conference at his release, Koch sat in a wheelchair with an oxygen tube in his nose and said he would continue treatment at home.


A physician with him, Dr. Joseph Tenenbaum, said Koch still had a way to go to restore his energy level. Koch was hospitalized in December with a respiratory infection and in September with anemia.

Koch was mayor from 1978 to 1989 and a congressman from New York from 1969 to 1979. A decade after leaving the mayor's office, he spent two years as a television show judge on "The People's Court."?He has remained active on Twitter, where he occasionally tweets as @mayoredkoch.?

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/26/16715341-doctors-to-former-nyc-mayor-ed-koch-you-can-leave-hospital-but-lay-off-the-salt?lite

atlanta falcons voting hours election results Doug Martin Barack Obama & Joe Biden

ugliness tabla: Discount Web Hosting Plans Added Online at ...


Houston, Texas (PRWEB) January 24, 2013

Website hosting is one of the requirements of owning a website. Entrepreneurs, small business owners and companies selling online make use of various hosting features on a daily basis. The SuperCheapDomainNames.com company has added discount web hosting plans to its online services.

These plans are designed to offer a low price point for new or existing businesses. Plans can be purchased in monthly or annual configurations. Discount codes from GoDaddy are accepted for these new plans.

The use of social media websites has not decreased the amount of websites that are constructed annually according to research. New Internet domain name extensions have been approved to help fill the gap leftover from the shortage of available .com and .net extensions. These new extensions are expected to be available for registration in 2013. The new hosting plans that are now available are designed to help companies of all sizes save money.

Streaming online audio and video content is now possible with faster web servers. This technology has been updated annually to improve video and audio quality. The dedicated packages for hosting that are now available from SuperCheapDomainNames.com includes multimedia streaming. These inclusions are important for companies that deliver streaming content to website visitors. Each server account now includes a generous amount of streaming bandwidth to make delivery of audio and video data effortless and error-free.

To go with the cheaper server packages, a reduction in the domain name registration costs was added this month. The current price before coupon codes are applied is $ 9.99 for any available .com, .net or .org extension. This low price can be reduced downward with any GoDaddy 2013 coupon codes found online.

This special offer for reduced prices for company services is expected to remain in place through the first quarter of this year. The news announcement for the domain price drop can be found on the Internet at http://www.chron.com/business/press-releases/article/Cheap-Domains-Website-Launches-at-4210424.php.

Additional services that are provided by this company online includes SSL certificates, dedicated IP addresses, email services and SEO services for small businesses. Any of these services can be explored on the company website by business owners or individuals.

About Super Cheap Domain Names

The Super Cheap Domain Names company has been offering its discounted services since 2010 online. As a smaller and more focused company, the packages that are offered are priced to help businesses of all sizes. The useful services like domain name registration, hosting and SSL certificates are designed by this company to help provide an easy way for anyone to start selling products or services through a website. The Super Cheap Domain Names company frequently discounts its pricing to match the demands by small business owners in all industries.

Source: http://michiganwebsitedesignllc.org/?p=344

russell westbrook horsetail falls ice t new york knicks president day lin j.r. smith

Source: http://ugliness-tabla.blogspot.com/2013/01/discount-web-hosting-plans-added-online.html

some like it hot duke university whale shark whale shark platypus platypus overboard

Beyond room service: Order up a fighter

6 hrs.

Hotel guests need not head out with an unknown entity for adventure when they book a room. Properties around the globe are tempting travelers with one-of-a-kind experiences on the grounds or directly through the hotel.?

Whether you fancy a Muay Thai lesson with a fighter in Bangkok or an exclusive cooking class in Costa Rica, if you choose well, your hotel can arrange a day you'll remember long after check-out.

?Hotels are just now recognizing that they have resources that other travel-related industries have been tapping for years,? said?Ted Mandigo, director of hotel consulting firm?TR Mandigo & Company. The?company has tracked the travel habits of U.S. consumers for more than?20 years. ?Hotels have been passive providers, nicely fitting into the travel industry, but not aggressively promoting their resources,? he said.

Now that properties see the light, they're getting on the bandwagon with an array of offerings.?

For wannabe fighters, or anyone drawn to the idea of punching and kicking a champion Muay Thai fighter, guests at the Peninsula Bangkok can go a few rounds with a real live kickboxer at an outdoor makeshift ring overlooking the Chao Phraya, commemorated with photo, certificate and boxing shorts.

At The Wauwinet in Nantucket, Mass., guests can try their hand at hauling in lobster traps aboard The Wauwinet Lady. The hotel chef will later prepare a lobster feast with their catch. Those who would prefer to limit their catch to waves can learn from the resident professional surfer at Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa in the Maldives, with beginner lessons that include everything a surfer newbie may need. ?

Not?that into the hang ten scene? Those aspiring to dance with the stars can learn the tango without leaving the hotel at Tango Lodge Palermo Soho in Buenos Aires. The six-days-a-week classes always include an English speaker.

These activities tap into the need to?experience something "new and different" that Peter C. Yesawich, vice chairman of MMGY Global (a marketing communications company specializing in the travel, leisure and entertainment industries) says has ?become increasingly important for consumers when selecting hotel or resort accommodations ? particularly true for younger (millennial) travelers. It's access to experiences that would otherwise be 'inaccessible' that appear to be growing in their allure."

Andrea Duvall, an avid traveler from Louisville, Ky., took advantage of?just such an exclusive-to-hotel-guests option: a cooking class at Los Altos de Eros, a small hotel in Costa Rica.?

?It?s a remote hotel on top of a hotel,? she said. ?The class was an easy option rather than arranging transfers to offsite activities, and a great way to learn to prepare local food yourself.??

Duvall said?she and her husband?seek out uniquely local experiences and this fit the bill.?

?The experience we had felt very intimate,? she said. ?We were literally in the kitchen of the property ? it felt like an authentic experience?versus?a big cooking school off-site.?

While offering experiences are??savvy selling points for hotels trying to distinguish themselves,??some can be??terrific perks,? according to Pauline Frommer, nationally-syndicated host of "The Travel Show" with Clear Channel Media. She offers a word of caution: "Sometimes hotel tours and additional activities are not the best value because they've been simply thrown together in an attempt to get more money."

?Independently-arranged activities can be more interesting because they'll draw the kind of thinking traveler who researches his options in advance ... and the variety of travelers will be greater,??Frommer said.??Remember, a lot of the travel experience consists of interacting with other travelers, so getting out of your hotel can be a good idea.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/beyond-room-service-order-fighter-1B8041250

this means war bobby brown suzanne somers colbert colbert report legionnaires disease underwear bomber

Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified ...

Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Boyoorisha: 10:55pm On Jan 24[Shafay Thobani, 8, youngest IT prodigy]


KARACHI: Shafay Thobani, an eight-year-old child has won the honour of being the world?s youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, Geo News reported.

Born on March 13, 2004, Shafay grew interested in computers ever since he was a baby.

On April 9, 2012, Shafay appeared in the Prometric test and secured 91 per cent marks, thus making him the world?s youngest Microsoft Certified Training Specialist (MCTS) at the age of eight years and 24 days.

The young man is certified professional in Microsoft Windows 7 Configuration and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. Before appearing in the exam, he remained under training of Microsoft certified trainers for 13 months.

His trainer Faisal Durrani said it was a challenge for him to teach complicated concepts such as Domain Name System (DNS) and Internet Protocol (IP) address to a child as young as Shafay. ?So we split the 40-hour course designed for grown-up IT specialists into 13 months for the child. We taught him by giving him easy examples in order to grasp the concepts. Teaching him for three to four hours everyday, we would also allow him breaks to let him be the normal kid that he is, swimming, playing football or rollerblading,? said Mr Durrani.

Speaking of the boy?s main areas of interest, Shafay?s father Dr. Shah Thobani said he liked network and communication programming. ?He has already completed 65 per cent of Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization, too,? he added.

?Shafay was born in 2004, the same year Arfa was declared the world?s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at the age of nine. Arfa was an inspiration for us and I hope that Shafay, too, would be a role model for more children to show their tremendous achievements,? Dr Thobani said.

Shafay said, ?I am proud of myself and I will work for Pakistan in any

In 2008, a 9-year-old girl from India achieved certification and reports surfaced that she was the youngest. Another girl who was from Pakistan -- and sadly passed away in January at the age of 16 -- had been certified in 2005 when she was 9 years old.

New record or not, Shafay notes on his website that his life dreams include helping the poor people of his country, and meeting Bill Gates. He is also open to being hired as a consultant.

Shafay said, ?I am proud of myself and I will work for Pakistan in any way possible.?

http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-58305-Shafay-Thobani-IT-prodigy

3 Likes

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Wizee(m): 7:59amRe: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by musKeeto(m): 8:00amNigerian own na
- young girl speaks in tongues and preaches

Other countries dey arrange their future well.. Our govt still dey hustle to fix power..

E go beta, congrats to the young fella..

EDIT: his claim to being the youngest might be bogus..


Shafay Thobani, an
eight-year-old Pakistani, claimed to
be the world?s youngest Microsoft
Certified Technology Specialist
(MCTS) during a press conference
on Tuesday. However, ProPakistani
reported on Wednesday that the
title is nothing but a self-
proclamation.

During the press conference at the
Marriot Hotel, Shafay, wearing a two-
piece suit was flanked by his family
members and a trainer, and was
seated at the centre of the stage with
his feet dangling from his chair.

But when ProPakistani contacted
Microsoft regarding the claim, it was
confirmed that Shafay?s certification
is legitimate, but surprisingly the
claim of being the world?s youngest
MCTS could not be verified as
Microsoft does not count the age of its
professionals.

On the one hand, ProPakistani
claimed that Shafay?s guardians went
a ?step ahead? to hire a PR agency to
organise the press conference to
?push their son to the media? rather
than pulling the media, while on the
other hand, Shafay?s father said that
the family was hiding this from the
media that Shafay is attempting to
become the world?s youngest MCTS.
?But now when he has finally got
through the certification successfully,
this is worth celebrating,? said Dr
Shah Thobani. ?Today I stand here
not as a father, but as a proud
Pakistani.?

According to ProPakistani, Microsoft
is worried about these self-
proclaimed child prodigies, who have
been surfacing very often now ?
some of them even being fake.

When contacted by ProPakistani, a
Microsoft official said that the
company has already ?disowned?
Shafay for his claim of being the
?world?s youngest MCTS? and also
announced that Microsoft does not
keep track of ages of its certified
professionals.


Link: tribune.com.pk/story/406713/shafay-thobani-worlds-youngest-mcts-or-self-proclaimed-child-prodigy/

2 Likes

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Goldenheart(m): 8:03amnice to meet you... kid

btw...............32C. (3rd to comment)

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by DJDOLA(m): 8:04am

Mtchhewwww...make una come nigeria come see as talent dey waste..a 5 years old nigeria boy can repair radio and tv...without learning it oooo

3 Likes

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Collins Roy: 8:05am

Congrats Kid, let's hope Bill doesn't use u 4 sumtin else

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Ile-Ife(m): 8:07am

1 Like

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Brand_new(m): 8:07am

Indians/Pakistani's are really going hard at ICT. We Nigerians have a very long way to go.
Internet accessibility and penetration is still poor. Computer literacy rate is still very low.
We are generally backward. Not even enough power supply to power computers and other tech gadgets.
***sighs***

1 Like

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by lalaosky: 8:09amwoooooooooww!!...congrats to the young lad.

It aint easy.i wish this could be the kinda of news that will be trending on NL's front page rather than evils perpertuated by boko haram, murders and all other societal ills that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society

1 Like

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by e-herbal(m): 8:10am

1 Like

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by VellyG(m): 8:14am

To pass MCTS at this age shows he's really a guru

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by OmolodMilkman93(m): 8:15amI was a child prodigy in my sec skul days too, until uniport pharmacy killed me,

he is cute BTW,

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by DJDOLA(m): 8:16am
Brand_new: Indians/Pakistani's are really going hard at ICT. We Nigerians have a very long way to go.
Internet accessibility and penetration is still poor. Computer literacy rate is still very low.
We are generally backward. Not even enough power supply to power computers and other tech machines.
***sighs***
but I thout they said one nigeria guy is among people dat creat computerm.niger got talent oooRe: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by adeaugustus(m): 8:17amRe: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by HNosegbe(m): 8:21amImagine.... The article even called him a "young man".

Very impressive.

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Don Tim: 8:23am

dont underestimate d power of dumps too. those concept win7 n ws08r2 are not for 8yrars old, even peeps with years of experience still dont grasp it all. congrats to d kid though

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by neksummi(m): 8:23am

That's great!

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by binger(m): 8:25am

What was i doing at 8?...*muses*ermm...i was 'chasing' my neighbour's daughter then

1 Like

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Symphony007: 8:26am

Meanwhile in nigeria most teens want to be musicians...an educational career is taking a back seat to ghastly music!! We really need to address this perception "some" teens are learning and are actually seeing of "some" artiste droping out from school to do music and make money. It makes "some" teens ask themeselves why they have to go to school..i'm not saying this is rampant but it's there and creeping futher.

1 Like

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by chidexy(m): 8:28am
Brand_new: Indians/Pakistani's are really going hard at ICT. We Nigerians have a very long way to go.
Internet accessibility and penetration is still poor. Computer literacy rate is still very low.
We are generally backward. Not even enough power supply to power computers and other tech machines.
***sighs***

You blame the parents. An average Nigerian parent would probably prefer to buy one or more cars before (if at all they do consider it) thinking of owning a computer. And when they do purchase one, the kids are forbidden to use it. In most of these countries, parents buy their kids computers at a very young age and they grow up exploring its functionalities.

How many Nigerian Students (at all levels) own their own computer? But most would likely have phones that cost as much as a scaled down computer

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by wellmax(m): 8:36amAn eight year old just made records in Nigeria too.....

She is pregnant.

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Onlinebiz2012: 8:41amRe: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by KINGwax(m): 8:47am

Jes help them bring down america's defence network in 2minutes. U shld be groomed for a purpose.
Congrats though

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Bolt2011(m): 8:48amWork for Pakistan, hmmm? I hope it won't be in the area of terrorism grin

Anyway congrats Shafay; a challenge to Africa

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by alala dakosta(f): 9:03am

at that age i play suwe non stop till nigth before settling down to watch willi willi don die.nice one though.happy for him.

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by DWJOBS.com(m): 9:03am

Trust me naija IT gurus exist!!! They are silently working on something big and will soon pop up. Most of them are tugged in somewhere slaving and working for one firm or the other to survive but slowly doing their thing.....patiently wait for and believe in Nigeria

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by Bolt2011(m): 9:05amRe: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by horlatunde: 9:14am
VellyG: To pass MCTS at this age shows he's really a guru
Every body can learn in his area of interest only if d teachers are Good in making academics Easy. Nigeria teachers are Dull.Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by ge-ne(m): 9:15am

nice one

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by nuorlah: 9:18amThese are what the ministry gor youths and sports should look into abi.

Give enabling environments for Nigerian minds to grow

God help us

Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by knorkle2: 9:35am
nuorlah: These are what the ministry gor youths and sports should look into abi.

Give enabling environments for Nigerian minds to grow

God help us


very horrible Re: Eight-year-old Shafay Is The Youngest Microsoft Tech Certified Specialist by tellwisdom(m): 9:35am

Source: http://www.nairaland.com/1174104/eight-year-old-shafay-youngest-microsoft-tech

madonna super bowl performance superbowl commercials best superbowl commercials madonna half time m.i.a

NASA sees troublesome remnants of Cyclone Oswald still causing problems

NASA sees troublesome remnants of Cyclone Oswald still causing problems [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
443-858-1779
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Ex-tropical cyclone Oswald doesn't know when to stop causing problems for Queensland, Australia, and now teamed up with a low pressure area, it continues to bring heavy rainfall. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the remnants and saw Oswald hugging the southeastern Queensland coast.

Oswald has dropped a lot of rainfall throughout Queensland. An earlier rainfall analysis using NASA's TRMM satellite data showed Oswald and its remnants had dropped over 600 mm (~23.6 inches) of rain in areas of the Cape York Peninsula near the Gulf of Carpentaria. Higher rainfall totals have been recorded over the southern Capricornia district.

On Saturday, Jan. 26 at 4 a.m. Queensland local time (or 3 p.m. EST/U.S. on Jan. 25) ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald was located over land in Queensland, Australia, about 55 nautical miles (63 miles/ 102 km) northeast of Emerald and 85 nautical miles (97.8 miles/ 157.4 km) west northwest of Rockhampton. Oswald and a trough of low pressure are bringing heavy rainfall to eastern Queensland. The trough, an elongated area of low pressure, stretches from the southern Gulf of Carpentaria to ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald and over to the southern Capricornia coast. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald and the trough are expected to continue moving southwards over the next few days.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Oswald's remnants on Jan. 25 at 1458 UTC (9:58 a.m. ES/U.S.) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard captured an infrared image of the storm. At the time, Oswald's maximum sustained winds were near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph), and minimum central pressure was near 995 millibars. At the time Aqua passed over some of the strongest storms and heaviest rainfall appeared west and east of Yeppoon and over Hervey Bay.

As Oswald's remnants continue to hug the eastern Queensland coast, residents can expect gusty winds, rough seas, heavy rainfall, and possible flash flooding.

There are gale warnings in effect over many areas, including: St. Lawrence to Burnett Head; Burnett Heads to Double Island Point, including Hervey Bay; Double Island Point to Point Danger, including Moreton Bay; and Bowen to St. Lawrence.

According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABM), on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. EST, the heaviest rainfall was occurring over the southern Capricornia district. ABM noted that rainfall in excess of 27.5 inches (700 mm) in less than 2 days, leading to rapid river and stream rises in the area.

###

For updates on Oswald's remnants, visit: http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings/index.shtml


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


NASA sees troublesome remnants of Cyclone Oswald still causing problems [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
443-858-1779
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Ex-tropical cyclone Oswald doesn't know when to stop causing problems for Queensland, Australia, and now teamed up with a low pressure area, it continues to bring heavy rainfall. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the remnants and saw Oswald hugging the southeastern Queensland coast.

Oswald has dropped a lot of rainfall throughout Queensland. An earlier rainfall analysis using NASA's TRMM satellite data showed Oswald and its remnants had dropped over 600 mm (~23.6 inches) of rain in areas of the Cape York Peninsula near the Gulf of Carpentaria. Higher rainfall totals have been recorded over the southern Capricornia district.

On Saturday, Jan. 26 at 4 a.m. Queensland local time (or 3 p.m. EST/U.S. on Jan. 25) ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald was located over land in Queensland, Australia, about 55 nautical miles (63 miles/ 102 km) northeast of Emerald and 85 nautical miles (97.8 miles/ 157.4 km) west northwest of Rockhampton. Oswald and a trough of low pressure are bringing heavy rainfall to eastern Queensland. The trough, an elongated area of low pressure, stretches from the southern Gulf of Carpentaria to ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald and over to the southern Capricornia coast. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald and the trough are expected to continue moving southwards over the next few days.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Oswald's remnants on Jan. 25 at 1458 UTC (9:58 a.m. ES/U.S.) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard captured an infrared image of the storm. At the time, Oswald's maximum sustained winds were near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph), and minimum central pressure was near 995 millibars. At the time Aqua passed over some of the strongest storms and heaviest rainfall appeared west and east of Yeppoon and over Hervey Bay.

As Oswald's remnants continue to hug the eastern Queensland coast, residents can expect gusty winds, rough seas, heavy rainfall, and possible flash flooding.

There are gale warnings in effect over many areas, including: St. Lawrence to Burnett Head; Burnett Heads to Double Island Point, including Hervey Bay; Double Island Point to Point Danger, including Moreton Bay; and Bowen to St. Lawrence.

According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABM), on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. EST, the heaviest rainfall was occurring over the southern Capricornia district. ABM noted that rainfall in excess of 27.5 inches (700 mm) in less than 2 days, leading to rapid river and stream rises in the area.

###

For updates on Oswald's remnants, visit: http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings/index.shtml


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2013-01/nsfc-nst012513.php

shark tank john wall gordon hayward gas prices rising stars challenge star trek 2 kathy ireland

Twitter ordered to ID anti-Semitic tweeters

6 hrs.

PARIS ???A French court on Thursday ordered Twitter to help identify the authors of anti-Semitic posts or face fines of the?equivalent?of?$1,300?a?day, as the social network firm comes under renewed pressure to combat racist and extremist messages.?

The order, requested by a Jewish student union and rights groups, concerned anti-Semitic material but could open the floodgates to legal pursuit of Twitter users who post a wide range of messages deemed illegal or offensive.?

"This is an excellent decision, which we hope will bring an end to the feeling of impunity that fuels the worst excesses," said Stephane Lilti, lawyer for the groups who sought the ruling.?

The anti-Semitic messages started appearing last October, and have since been deleted.?

The Paris court gave privately?held Twitter, whose general policy is that it does not control content posted on its network, 15 days to hand over data identifying people who have published messages judged anti-Semitic.?

The court also ordered Twitter to set up a system in France that helps people draw attention to illegal content. Under French law, people found guilty of inciting racial hatred can be jailed for a year and fined.?

Twitter's lawyer in France, Alexandra Neri, declined to comment.?

Failure to comply would expose the firm, founded in 2006 and now boasting 140 million monthly active users worldwide, to daily fines of 1,000 euros if the groups who sought the order request it, which Lilti said they would not hesitate to do.?

A rights group involved in the case was quick to point out that the injunction, while limited to a case of anti-Semitic traffic, set a precedent that could also have a wider impact.?

"This marks a decisive step forward in the battle against racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic offences on the Internet," the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) said in a statement.?

"Nobody can ignore French law, not even the giants of the American digital economy."?

For a first time, Twitter deployed a new message-blocker in Germany last October to jam the posting of messages by a neo-Nazi group banned by police.?

A tool Twitter calls "country withheld content" allows it to censor tweets considered illegal in a given country.?

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/twitter-ordered-id-anti-semitic-tweeters-france-1C8103590

red wings penguins the band colton dixon houston weather dwyane wade the night they drove old dixie down

Barclays forced to name executives on Libor list

LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays was forced to name former chief executives Bob Diamond and John Varley, current finance director Chris Lucas and other top executives and traders who are linked to a global rate-fixing probe, despite their requests for anonymity.

A UK judge ordered the bank to reveal their identities on Thursday during a preliminary hearing for a British test case on the mis-selling of interest rate swaps brought by a residential care home operator.

Guardian Care Homes alleges Barclays mis-sold interest rate hedging products based on Libor (London interbank offered rate)in a case that is shining a light on those involved in the bank's interest rate-setting process.

"The cat is out of the bag," said Judge Julian Flaux, as he dismissed requests by 104 former and current Barclays staff for anonymity, citing the public interest.

Barclays was the first bank to be fined for trying to game Libor, a central cog in the global financial system and a benchmark for around $550 trillion in contracts ranging from interest rate derivatives to home loans and credit cards.

Other banks remain under investigation in a probe stretching from the U.S. to Japan that is triggering lawsuits from those alleging rate-rigging pushed up their loan costs.

Barclays released a list of staff on Thursday whose email accounts it had previously disclosed to regulators.

The list includes a subset of 24 people who have been named in regulatory documents referring to Barclays' attempted rigging of Libor. That shorter list was not immediately available.

None of those named is necessarily implicated in any wrongdoing.

"There is a legitimate public interest in the true picture in relation to the manipulation of Libor by banks generally, not just Barclays, being brought fully to light," Flaux said.

"In my judgment, fair and accurate media reporting of all aspects of Libor manipulation, including the involvement of employees and ex-employees of Barclays and their identity, is an important aspect of the public obtaining that true picture."

NAME CALL

Those named include Rich Ricci, head of Barclays' investment bank and former compliance head Stephen Morse, who was notified in 2008 about problems brewing, according to documents that were made public last year. He left to become lead the compliance department at Canada's Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Benoit de Vitry, the current treasurer who used to run commodities and emerging markets, Ivan Ritossa, now retired, who ran currency and prime services business, money markets desk head Mark Dearlove and former group treasurer Jon Stone were also named.

Others include Ryan Reich, a 30-year-old former Barclays swaps trader based in New York who was fired in 2010. U.S. prosecutors are investigating Reich's activities while at Barclays between August 2006 and March 2010, according to several people familiar with the situation.

Ritankar "Ronti" Pal, who oversaw desk trading since 2006, was also on the list. He recently left Barclays.

Other names included Eric Bommensath, a French bond trader who became global head of fixed income and a member of the bank's executive committee, and Harry Harrison, a UK banker in charge of dollar-denominated fixed-income trading in New York who is now head of rates.

Lawyers welcomed the publication of the names.

"This shows the judges will not allow the banks to escape scrutiny," said Rich Eldridge of law firm Manches. "Borrowers will be encouraged by the issue being given such importance that it outweighs the risk of innocent people being named."

Barclays was fined $450 million by U.S. and UK authorities last June and Diamond forced out for allowing traders to try to rig Libor and its euro cousin Euribor and for low-balling rates during the 2007/08 credit crunch.

Switzerland's UBS was fined $1.5 billon in December and Royal Bank of Scotland is expected to be penalised shortly.

Barclays says it has fired five employees and disciplined eight others after an internal investigation into how it submitted Libor rates. Many identified in that investigation have also left the bank, it told lawmakers in November.

"This started as an alleged mis-selling case which the bank considers has no merit," Barclays said in a brief statement on Thursday. "The addition of a claim based on what happened with Libor does not change the bank's view.

"The fact that someone's documents were reviewed by the bank during its review of millions of documents does not mean that such person was involved in any wrongdoing."

(Additional reporting by Steve Slater, writing by Kirstin Ridley; Editing by Erica Billingham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-court-names-top-barclays-staff-executives-libor-114422399--sector.html

cmas tcu dr. oz heart attack grill las vegas the heart attack grill

National Cancer Centre Singapore scientists discover p53 mutation hinders cancer treatment response

National Cancer Centre Singapore scientists discover p53 mutation hinders cancer treatment response [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Rachel Tan
Rachel.Tan.C.H@nccs.com.sg
65-623-69535
SingHealth

Reducing the level of mutant p53 gene increases susceptibility to treatment

Scientists from the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) have discovered the workings of the gene that has been hindering treatment response in cancer patients. This discovery was made after 5 years of studying the mutant form of the p53 gene, the major tumor suppressor in humans, which is generally found mutated in over 50% of all type of human cancers.

The dominant-negative (DN) effect of the mutant p53 gene in cancers was found to affect the outcome of cancer treatment modalities. DN effect is a phenomenon whereby one copy of mutant p53 that exists in cancer cells inhibits the tumor suppressor activity of the other wild-type p53 copy when they co-exist. The result is that a patient may either have poor response or earlier relapse of tumours after their treatment.

The research findings is significant in that it offers hope to improve cancer treatment outcomes by selectively inhibiting mutant p53's DN effect through several methods by generating selective and specific inhibitory molecules specific for some of the common hot-spot p53 point mutations. There are currently no drugs or compounds that can alleviate DN effects of mutant p53.

In order to understand the specific roles of mutant p53 DN properties in regulating acute treatment response and long-term tumourgenesis, a team of five researchers led by NCCS Prof Kanaga Sabapathy, the Principal Investigator in the Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Head of the Division of Cellular & Molecular Research from NCCS, carried out experiments by generating genetically engineered knock-in mouse strains expressing varying levels of mutant p53. The results showed that DN effect is observed after acute p53 activation by a variety of chemotherapeutic drugs and irradiation, thereby affecting anti-cancer treatment. This breakthrough came after five years of intensive research.

It was found that mutant p53 have DN effects in a cell-type and dose-dependent manner, especially during acute p53 activation where p53 levels are elevated. Based on the above observations, efforts to generate specific inhibitors for the common hot spot p53 point mutations are underway. The inhibition of mutant p53 expression in cells carrying a wild-type and mutant p53 alleles can improve response to chemotherapeutic drugs.

In a further study, the researchers also questioned the possibility of the mutant p53 acquiring new functions (or Gain of Function) to drive carcinogenesis, transforming normal cells to cancerous cells. Their investigation comparing cells from genetically engineered mouse strains expressing 2 different types of p53 mutations: the R172H mutation versus the R246S mutation, which showed that Gain of Function (GOF) was found only in the former. This showed that GOF of mutated p53 is specifically dependent on mutation-type but not across all kinds of genetic mutations, highlighting diversity in properties of the different types of p53 mutations, thereby indicating that mutations found in human cancers can behave differently, and thus, need to be carefully assessed prior to treatment.

Thus, the existence of mutant p53 certainly has a negative impact on cancer treatment, whether it is through DN effect or GOF. Prof Sabapathy said that the team is now embarking on more research to determine the possibility of targeting mutant p53 without affecting wild-type p53 in human cells, paving way to clinical trials in the future to test the efficacy on cancer therapeutic response.

###

The research was supported by grants from the National Medical Research Council of Singapore and the Singapore Millennium Foundation to KS. The publication has been accepted and published by Cell Press, publisher of biomedical journals, in the premier cancer journal Cancer Cell, on 10 Dec 2012, Monday. Prof Sabapathy also teaches at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


National Cancer Centre Singapore scientists discover p53 mutation hinders cancer treatment response [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Rachel Tan
Rachel.Tan.C.H@nccs.com.sg
65-623-69535
SingHealth

Reducing the level of mutant p53 gene increases susceptibility to treatment

Scientists from the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) have discovered the workings of the gene that has been hindering treatment response in cancer patients. This discovery was made after 5 years of studying the mutant form of the p53 gene, the major tumor suppressor in humans, which is generally found mutated in over 50% of all type of human cancers.

The dominant-negative (DN) effect of the mutant p53 gene in cancers was found to affect the outcome of cancer treatment modalities. DN effect is a phenomenon whereby one copy of mutant p53 that exists in cancer cells inhibits the tumor suppressor activity of the other wild-type p53 copy when they co-exist. The result is that a patient may either have poor response or earlier relapse of tumours after their treatment.

The research findings is significant in that it offers hope to improve cancer treatment outcomes by selectively inhibiting mutant p53's DN effect through several methods by generating selective and specific inhibitory molecules specific for some of the common hot-spot p53 point mutations. There are currently no drugs or compounds that can alleviate DN effects of mutant p53.

In order to understand the specific roles of mutant p53 DN properties in regulating acute treatment response and long-term tumourgenesis, a team of five researchers led by NCCS Prof Kanaga Sabapathy, the Principal Investigator in the Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Head of the Division of Cellular & Molecular Research from NCCS, carried out experiments by generating genetically engineered knock-in mouse strains expressing varying levels of mutant p53. The results showed that DN effect is observed after acute p53 activation by a variety of chemotherapeutic drugs and irradiation, thereby affecting anti-cancer treatment. This breakthrough came after five years of intensive research.

It was found that mutant p53 have DN effects in a cell-type and dose-dependent manner, especially during acute p53 activation where p53 levels are elevated. Based on the above observations, efforts to generate specific inhibitors for the common hot spot p53 point mutations are underway. The inhibition of mutant p53 expression in cells carrying a wild-type and mutant p53 alleles can improve response to chemotherapeutic drugs.

In a further study, the researchers also questioned the possibility of the mutant p53 acquiring new functions (or Gain of Function) to drive carcinogenesis, transforming normal cells to cancerous cells. Their investigation comparing cells from genetically engineered mouse strains expressing 2 different types of p53 mutations: the R172H mutation versus the R246S mutation, which showed that Gain of Function (GOF) was found only in the former. This showed that GOF of mutated p53 is specifically dependent on mutation-type but not across all kinds of genetic mutations, highlighting diversity in properties of the different types of p53 mutations, thereby indicating that mutations found in human cancers can behave differently, and thus, need to be carefully assessed prior to treatment.

Thus, the existence of mutant p53 certainly has a negative impact on cancer treatment, whether it is through DN effect or GOF. Prof Sabapathy said that the team is now embarking on more research to determine the possibility of targeting mutant p53 without affecting wild-type p53 in human cells, paving way to clinical trials in the future to test the efficacy on cancer therapeutic response.

###

The research was supported by grants from the National Medical Research Council of Singapore and the Singapore Millennium Foundation to KS. The publication has been accepted and published by Cell Press, publisher of biomedical journals, in the premier cancer journal Cancer Cell, on 10 Dec 2012, Monday. Prof Sabapathy also teaches at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2013-01/s-ncc012513.php

rand paul detained asexual jim carrey san francisco chronicle kourtney kardashian pregnant kourtney kardashian pregnant billy cundiff