Seaweed may provide new malaria drugs

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology say that a type of tropical seaweed may hold the key to producing the next generation of treatments for malaria.

A group of chemical compounds used by a species of tropical seaweed to ward off fungus attacks may have promising anti-malarial properties for humans.

The compounds are part of a unique chemical signaling system that seaweeds use to battle enemies – and that may provide a wealth of potential new pharmaceutical compounds.

Using a novel analytical process, researchers found that the complex antifungal molecules are not distributed evenly across the seaweed surfaces, but instead appear to be concentrated at specific locations – possibly where an injury increases the risk of fungal infection.

The class of compounds is known as bromophycolides.

"These molecules are promising leads for the treatment of malaria, and they operate through an interesting mechanism that we are studying," said Julia Kubanek, an associate professor in Georgia Tech''s School of Biology and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

"There are only a couple of drugs left that are effective against malaria in all areas of the world, so we are hopeful that these molecules will continue to show promise as we develop them further as pharmaceutical leads."

The new findings have been reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C.

Churchill.com Review

About us:
Churchill Insurance launched in 1989 as one of the UK's first direct motor insurers. In 1990, we started selling home insurance and, over the years, have extended our services, now offering car insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, breakdown cover, van insurance and motorcycle insurance.

We are a UK based company with all our call centres in the UK and sell insurance policies by phone and on the Internet.

In 2003, Churchill was acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and now forms part of the RBS Insurance division.

Your Money Awards 2007:
* Best Online Motor Insurance Provider
* Best Online Home and Contents Insurance Provider
* Best Motor Insurance Provider 2006
* Best Home and Contents Insurance Provider 2005
* Best Online Home and Contents Insurance Provider 2004

Our values:
*People focused
*Challenging
*Passionate
*Action orientated
*Straightforward

History:
Churchill Insurance was launched by founder Martin Long in June 1989 as a direct car insurance provider. Long was backed by Winterthur, then a Credit Suisse subsidiary. One of Long’s early team members, Henry Engelhardt, went on to found Admiral.[1]

Home insurance was added to the Churchill product range in 1990.

The company grew over the next few years and in October 1993 they signed a three year deal to sponsor the World Indoor Bowls Championship.

1994 saw the adoption of a bulldog as the company’s mascot.

In 1995 Churchill launched their first website, a credit card and also became the first UK insurer to offer motor insurance estimates via interactive media kiosks.

In 1996 Churchill was awarded Investors in People and ISO9002 accreditation. This was also the year that the nodding dog was introduced to their advertising. A new product was also launched in the shape of breakdown cover, provided in association with Green Flag.

Churchill Insurance was named in Britain’s Best Employers for the first time in 1997, the year the company moved to its current headquarters, Churchill Court. Travel insurance and pet insurance products were also introduced.

Motorcycle insurance broker Devitt was acquired in 1999. The company also launched its first e-commerce facility, enabling online car and home insurance quotes.

The following year they acquired the Churchill.com name for online activity and acquired NIG. 2000 also saw them win their first Your Money Awards and become shirt sponsors of Crystal Palace FC, the football team Martin Long supported and would eventually share the chairmanship of.[2]

Churchill bought Prudential’s insurance business in 2002 before they too were purchased. RBS paid Credit Suisse £1.1bn for the insurer in 2003, bringing Churchill into its insurance division alongside Direct Line – another company Long had been involved in launching. [3]

In 2006 the high profile "Challenge Churchill" campaign was launched, involving the people of Britain challenging the brand mascot to find them cheaper car and home insurance.

A new look website went live in October 2008. The following year the company adopted a new strapline: "Count on Churchill". Television adverts were launched featuring the Churchill dog alongside celebrities including Rolf Harris CBE and Roy Walker.

Churchill will find itself under new ownership by 2013.

No. 3 Stanford women win at No. 9 UCLA | College basketball

LOS ANGELES — Faced with a rare close Pac-10 game at the half, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer implored Chiney Ogwumike to take over.

The freshman responded, scoring 13 of her 18 points in the second half to help No. 3 Stanford beat ninth-ranked UCLA 67-53 Sunday for its 18th victory in a row.

"We made it clear at halftime to Chiney," VanDerveer said of the decision to get her the ball in the post. "This is what you have to do."

Ogwumike also had 15 rebounds.

Kayla Pedersen and Toni Kokenis scored 13 points each and Jeanette Pohlen added 10 for the Cardinal (24-2 overall, 15-0 Pac-10), which was missing Chiney's older sister, Nnemkadi, because of an ankle injury.

With a chance at ending Stanford's 52-game conference winning streak, the Bruins drew 6,725 people for the biggest women's regular-season game at Pauley Pavilion in 13 years. Unfortunately, UCLA (22-3, 12-2) couldn't put the ball in the basket too often.

"We've got to make shots," coach Nikki Caldwell said. "We must have missed 20 layups."

The Bruins shot 31 percent from the field and lost to Stanford for the 10th consecutive time.

"They came out with a different sense of urgency than we did the second half," Caldwell said of the Cardinal. "They did an unbelievable job of forcing us on our heels."

Caldwell said the message for her team was a simple one: "If you want to play with the big dogs, your big dogs have to show up. Stanford has done it over the years."

Darxia Morris scored 14 points to lead UCLA.

Female comics becoming a force to be reckoned with

"It is an aggressive, masculine business," says Linda Mizejewski, a professor of women's studies at Ohio State University.

About 80 percent of all comics are men, Mizejewski notes, but female comics are becoming more mainstream.

Mizejewski will talk about the rise of female comedians at the 2011 Friends of Women's Studies Annual Dinner at Old Dominion University on Feb. 28.

Mizejewski said that the industry long was resistant to funny women, but that belief has been turned upside down by the success of Joan Rivers, Tina Fey, Wanda Sykes, Ellen DeGeneres and others.

Mizejewski, who taught at ODU in the late 1970s, is writing a book about female comics. She argues that the ascent of women in comedy is a framework for understanding how ideas about women and their roles have changed in society.

Comedy is an arena where traditional ideas about how women should look, act and behave have been challenged.

While women in show business are expected to be attractive, Mizejewski said that good looks aren't always an advantage for those trying to make others laugh.

Over the years, women's stage material has changed, she said, so that dirty talk no longer is the sole domain of men.

"It is now more acceptable for women to be raunchy, to say edgy things just like the guys," she said. "The double standard has, on some level, been eclipsed."

Mizejewski has published several books, including "Hardboiled and High Heeled: The Woman Detective in Popular Culture" and "Divine Decadence: Fascism, Female Spectacle, and the Makings of Sally Bowles."

Old Dominion University's Women's Studies Program, founded in 1977, was the first in Virginia. The Friends of ODU Women's Studies was established in 1986 to support the department. Each year, the group sponsors a dinner.

Mizejewski said that although comedy may seem like a lighthearted topic, she wants her audience to think critically about comedy.

"We take popular culture for granted because it's everywhere," she said, "but it tells us a lot, shows us big trends and cycles."

Serge Ibaka: Was His Dunk The Most Underrated In Recent Memory?

No one expected Serge Ibaka to come out and throw down one of the most impressive dunks we've seen in a long, long time, but that's exactly what he did last night.

Ibaka came out and launched himself from the foul line. This was nothing like when Julius Erving and Michael Jordan did it and made questionable foul line dunks. The man was behind the line and he soared through the air and threw it down. Not only that, but the man is 6'10.

The crowd went nuts watching it on replay, but the judges only gave him a 45. There was some bad judging last night, but this was the worst of them all. When you throw down a legit foul line dunk, it should be a guaranteed 50.

Ibaka got robbed on that dunk and that, coupled with his overproduced second dunk, cost him a spot in the finals. However, I have a feeling we'll be talking about Ibaka's dunk for years to come and calling it one of the most underrated dunks of all time.

The man didn't get any respect coming into the contest and he certainly didn't get any once he took part in it either. it's a shame, but if he had done it in last year's contest, it might have stolen the show. It was just that bad last year.

Sandy Bentley’s jewels’ murder case under new investigation

The link between Playboy’s Sandy Bentley’s expensive jewellery and the murder of two men in L.A. had been made 9 years ago. Now investigators hope that a new show and a $75,000 reward will help them finally crack the case.

The CBS show “48 Hours Mystery: “Playing with Fire” was aired on Saturday night and has inspired fresh interest in the killing of part-time model and doorman Michael Tardio and his friend, Chris Monsoon. The pair was found in a Mercedes SUV shot at close range. The culprit had attempted to burn the car.

Detectives could not find any evidence they could use and no one in the neighborhood had heard shots fire, giving rise to the belief that the murder took place somewhere else and the bodies then driven to another location.

CBS cites retired L.A. homicide detective Bill Cox, who says he still can’t put the case out of his mind. “I think about it quite a bit more than I should,” Cox said. “In all my 20 years of working homicide, I have never run across a case like this one!”

Tardio and Monsoon are believed to have been trying to secretly sell $750,000 worth of jewellery on the night they were killed. These jewels belonged to Tardio’s then-girlfriend and former Playboy bunny Sandy Bentley, whom he met on the Hollywood club scene. The pin-up girl had acquired the valuable items from ex-boyfriend and Ponzi schemer Mark Yagalia before his $40 million Asbury Capital fund collapsed, who claims to have been “madly in love” with her. She, in turn was “madly in love with his money”.

Yagalia estimates that he spent between $6 or $7 million on Bentley during the 13 months they dated. The money went on a house, furs, cars, Rolex watches and jewellery, including an exact diamond and ruby replica of the necklace and earring set Richard Gere gives to Julia Roberts in the film Pretty Woman, costing around a quarter of a million dollars.

Before meeting Yagalia, Bentley was a live-in girlfriend of Hugh Hefner at his Playboy mansion, together with her twin Mandy. According to Hef’s other girlfriend Izabela St.James, who went on to write a book about her experiences at the mansion, Sandy did not treat the octogenarian well and cheated on him repeatedly. Eventually Yagalia found his “ultimate trophy” and Sandy left Hef for good.

The ill-gotten jewels that he was to give her would later cause the killing of two innocent men. Tardio and Monsoon were trying to unload the stash, which was illegally paid for by Yagalia clients’ money and not his own, as federal authorities were under orders to seize it.

R World is also designed to deliver high value and highly relevant content and applications on the mobile platform

Reliance Communications, India’s leading telecom service provider,announced its plans to roll-out a Next Generation Mobile Portal (R World) to deliver a host of futuristic Mobile Internet and Data Services to its over 125 mn customers.


Reliance will use Motricity’s m-Core platform to deliver these advanced capabilities to help in fulfilling its vision of providing cutting-edge services and applications on its 3G, GSM and CDMA mobile platforms.



“The initial customer response to R World has been exceptional. We believe the future of mobile experiences is going to be based on the delivery of highly personalized offerings which include localized content, delivered to our customers in their native language,” said Prashant Gokarn, Head – 3G Business, Reliance Communications.


“Reliance is pioneering a new way of delivering personalized information anytime, anyplace and through any device. Motricity’s mCore Platform provides us the scale and the capabilities we need to deliver on this vision.”



Breaking the language barrier, Reliance intends to offer a new multi-lingual R World that will offer personalization option in Hindi, followed by other popular regional languages. R World is also designed to deliver high value and highly relevant content and applications on the mobile platform.


Easy to access M-Commerce options and highly targeted M-Advertising capabilities are amongst the key futuristic features that Reliance intends to make available through the new R World. R World will continue to evolve with emerging customer requirements and preferences.



“Motricity is pleased to continue to work closely with Reliance to evolve R World” said Ryan Wuerch, chief executive officer of Motricity. “Through the delivery of highly relevant experiences, Reliance will be in position to delight and retain its customers, and further monetize these offerings through the marketing of targeted mobile value added services, as well as, targeted mobile marketing and advertising campaigns”.


Key features which Reliance intends to make available through R World:


* Highly-targeted mobile marketing and advertising campaigns, to further monetize the mobile Internet experience
* Localized regional content to serve individual consumer interests and tastes
* Multiple language support, starting with Hindi, the native language of over 250 mn Indians
* Location-based services to help ensure users get what matters most to them based on where they are at any given time