NKorea's Twitter account hacked amid tension

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? Hackers apparently broke into at least two of North Korea's government-run online sites Thursday, as tensions rose on the Korean Peninsula.

The North's Uriminzokkiri Twitter and Flickr accounts stopped sending out content typical of that posted by the regime in Pyongyang, such as photos of North's leader Kim Jong Un meeting with military officials.

Instead, a picture posted Thursday on the North's Flickr site shows Kim's face with a pig-like snout and a drawing of Mickey Mouse on his chest. Underneath, the text reads: "Threatening world peace with ICBMs and Nuclear weapons/Wasting money while his people starve to death."

Another posting says "We are Anonymous" in white letters against a black background. Anonymous is a name of a hacker activist group. A statement purporting to come from the attackers and widely circulated online said that they had compromised 15,000 user records hosted on Uriminzokkiri.com and other websites. The authenticity of the statement couldn't be confirmed, but the North's official website did not open Thursday.

Tweets on the North's Twitter account said "Hacked" followed by a link to North Korea-related websites. One tweet said "Tango Down" followed by a link to the North's Flickr page.

North Korea opened its Twitter account in 2010. It has more than 13,000 followers. The North uses the social media to praise its system and leaders and also to repeat commentaries sent out by North's official Korean Central News Agency.

Tensions have been high in recent days between North and South Korea, and the North's military warned Thursday that it had been authorized to attack the U.S. North Korea is angry about sanctions against its nuclear program and joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea.

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The North Korean government on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/uriminzok

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkoreas-twitter-account-hacked-amid-tension-144646017.html

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UK small business lending stagnant, construction contracts

By David Milliken

LONDON (Reuters) - British small business lending remained stagnant and the construction sector shrank again, data showed on Wednesday, reinforcing a downbeat outlook for growth as the Bank of England holds its April policy meeting.

Boosting lending to smaller businesses is an important goal for the government, while sharp falls in construction output were largely responsible for the economy shrinking in late 2011 and early 2012, and threaten to tip Britain back into recession.

However the central bank has been sharply split for the last two months over whether the right response is to restart its purchases of government bonds, or try other measures.

Wednesday's data is unlikely to shift the debate too far, but shows the challenges facing the Monetary Policy Committee.

Markit/CIPS construction PMI data turned out weaker than expected. The monthly survey of purchasing managers rose to 47.2 in March from 46.8, suggesting the sector contracted again but not as sharply as in February.

Markit, which compiles the survey, said unusually cold weather combined with sluggish demand kept a lid on construction work in March.

"It seems highly probable that the sector suffered renewed and appreciable contraction in the first quarter of 2013 after all too rare expansion in the fourth quarter of 2012," said Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight.

A PMI survey for the service sector in March due out on Thursday will give a clearer sign of whether Britain's economy as a whole avoided its third recession in less than five years, having already contracted in late 2012.

A separate survey by the Bank showed British banks preferred to lend to home-buyers and big companies rather than small businesses during the past three months, and intend to do the same in the months to come.

The availability of mortgages and business loans more generally was forecast to expand, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year, banks said.

More than five years on from the start of the financial crisis, the distribution of bank lending is a politically and economically sensitive issue in Britain.

In the middle of last year the central bank and the government launched a scheme to boost lending and reduce interest costs, but it has had mixed success.

"A strong possibility is that the Funding for Lending Scheme will be adjusted to specifically favour banks that increase their lending to smaller companies," said Archer.

The banks surveyed by the Bank said small businesses' demand for lending dropped sharply in the three months to early March and banks were wary of the more risky loan applications.

Banks expected demand from both small and large businesses to improve significantly over the next three months, however.

They also said the BoE's Funding for Lending Scheme had reduced their borrowing costs and the premium they charged for mortgages and for lending to both large and small companies.

This was the first fall in loan spreads for small businesses since the survey started in late 2009, though banks said they were cutting rates for larger firms more sharply.

(Additional reporting by Olesya Dmitracova and William Schomberg; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/banks-not-plan-big-increase-corporate-lending-second-083315702--business.html

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Arkansas Oil Spill Sheds Light On Aging Pipeline System

A worker cleans up oil in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways.

Jeannie Nuss/AP

A worker cleans up oil in Mayflower, Ark., on Monday, days after a pipeline ruptured and spewed oil over lawns and roadways.

Jeannie Nuss/AP

Amber Bartlett was waiting last Friday for her kids to come home from school. One of them called from the entrance to the upscale subdivision near Little Rock, Ark., to tell her the community was being evacuated because of an oil spill. Bartlett was amazed by what she saw out her front door.

"I mean just rolling oil. I mean it was like a river," she says. "It had little waves in it."

ExxonMobil, the company that runs the pipeline, says it has collected hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil and water from Bartlett's neighborhood.

Bartlett says things could have been much worse. Her children's baby sitter lives in the house closest to where the pipeline burst.

"They play right there every day where it busted," she says. "We are fortunate our babies were not out there during that time."

Bartlett says ExxonMobil has paid hotel bills, fed families and even given children Easter baskets.

"I'm upset," she says. "But accidents happen."

'It Is Catastrophic'

It's not yet clear what caused the accident. Exxon's Pegasus pipeline is 65 years old. It runs 858 miles from Illinois to Texas. It was adapted a few years ago to increase its capacity by 50 percent.

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, who is investigating the spill, visited the subdivision Wednesday.

"I have been reminded by Exxon's representatives that this is a relatively small spill and cleanup is going just great," he said. "I hope that they realize that to the homeowners in this area it is not small. It is catastrophic."

McDaniel said he knows underground pipelines are essential to keeping the country's economy going. They carry fuel for cars, airplanes and home furnaces.

"We got to have that, but it has to be maintained," he said. "It has to be inspected."

McDaniel said Exxon has repeatedly told him that inspections were up to date and showed no cause for concern. He said the accident raises questions about whether the inspection process for aging pipelines is adequate.

In fact, more than half of the nation's pipelines were built before 1970. More than 2.5 million miles of pipelines run underground throughout the country. According to federal statistics, they have on average 280 significant spills a year. Most of these accidents aren't big enough to make headlines.

Accidents Preventable?

The National Transportation Safety Board has investigated 20 pipeline accidents since 2000. Debbie Hersman, who heads the agency, says by and large the system is safe.

"But that still doesn't mean that we should accept these accidents when they occur," she says. "Particularly if you can demonstrate that they are preventable. And I will tell you 100 percent of the accidents that we've investigated were completely preventable."

Hersman says her investigators repeatedly find the same problems. For example, cracks and corrosion that were discovered by inspections but never fixed.

"If companies invest in safety, we can get to zero accidents in the pipeline industry," she says.

John Stoody, director for government and public relations at the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, stresses that pipelines' safety record is getting better.

"We spend over a billion dollars every year inspecting the pipelines, checking them for any issues, performing maintenance on them as they're needed," he says. "And it's something we care a lot about. We certainly want to have as few incidents as possible."

Stoody says pipelines are the safest way to transport the fuel we need for our daily lives. He notes than 99.995 percent of petroleum barrels reach their destination safely.

But Anthony Swift, an attorney for the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Counsel, says that's "not a particularly comforting statistic if you look at the sheer amount of crude oil spilled."

Federal data show that on average over the past decade, nearly 3.5 million gallons of oil spilled from pipelines each year.

Swift says the spill in Arkansas sends a wakeup call: It's a reminder of the real risks of an aging pipeline system.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/04/04/176189205/arkansas-oil-spill-sheds-light-on-aging-pipeline-system?ft=1&f=1007

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'Tell Me the Truth, Doctor' Answers Your Health Questions

"Hey, Doc, Got a Minute?"

No matter where Dr. Richard Besser goes, a day doesn't go by without someone stopping him to ask that question. Often, that person is one of the millions who have come to rely on the vital information he shares on "Good Morning America," "World News With Diane Sawyer," and "Nightline."

Now in response to thousands of inquiries from viewers, Dr. Besser has written his first book -- a comprehensive health guide that will both inform and surprise as he deciphers fact from fiction for nearly 70 confusing medical questions, including:

"Should I take a daily aspirin to prevent a heart attack?" "If my doctors order more tests, does this mean they're more thorough?" "Do I need thirty minutes of exercise a day to stay healthy?"

Read Dr. Besser's "Tell Me the Truth, Doctor" column on ABCNews.com.

Recognizing the astonishing amount of misinformation that many important health decisions are based on, Besser's commitment to delivering the truth is critical. He isn't afraid to challenge the status quo -- or the interests within the health care industry -- to provide the knowledge you need to take control of your health.

Eager to help you make the choices that are right for YOU, he organizes his easy-to-understand answers into six lifestyle categories, including diet and nutrition; exercise and fitness; vitamins, supplements, and medicines; beating illness and injury; and navigating the perplexing world of health care, as well as a chapter dedicated to the questions you wished you asked before the doctor walked out of the door.

Throughout the book, Dr. Besser smashes myths, while translating invaluable information into problem-solving advice you can use, including a "Dr. B's Bottom Line" at the end of each topic. As accessible as it is empowering, Dr. Besser's "Tell Me the Truth, Doctor" is a necessary addition to every home, office, and dorm room.

"Tell Me the Truth, Doctor," hits stores April 23. Pre-order the book at Barnes & Noble, Amazon or your local independent bookseller.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/truth-doctor-answers-health-questions/story?id=18870466

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Man Sues Cat Owner For $100K After Attack, May or May Not Be Her Husband

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/man-sues-cat-owner-for-$100k-after-attack-may-or-may-not-be-her/

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Accused of complicity in Alzheimer's, amyloid proteins may be getting a bad rap

Apr. 3, 2013 ? Amyloids -- clumps of misfolded proteins found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders -- are the quintessential bad boys of neurobiology. They're thought to muck up the seamless workings of the neurons responsible for memory and movement, and researchers around the world have devoted themselves to devising ways of blocking their production or accumulation in humans.

But now a pair of recent research studies from the Stanford University School of Medicine sets a solid course toward rehabilitating the reputation of the proteins that form these amyloid tangles, or plaques. In the process, they appear poised to turn the field of neurobiology on its head.

The first study, published in August, showed that an amyloid-forming protein called beta amyloid, which is strongly implicated in Alzheimer's disease, could reverse the symptoms of a multiple-sclerosis-like neurodegenerative disease in laboratory mice.

The second study, to be published April 3 in Science Translational Medicine, extends the finding to show that small portions of several notorious amyloid-forming proteins (including well-known culprits like tau and prion proteins) can also quickly alleviate symptoms in mice with the condition -- despite the fact that the fragments can and do form the long tendrils, or fibrils, previously thought harmful to nerve health.

"What we're finding is that, at least under certain circumstances, these amyloid peptides actually help the brain," said Lawrence Steinman, MD, professor of neurology and neurological sciences and of pediatrics. "This really turns the 'amyloid-is-bad' dogma upside down. It will require a shift in people's fundamental beliefs about neurodegeneration and diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's."

Steinman is a noted expert in multiple sclerosis whose research led to the development of natalizumab (marketed as Tysabri), a potent treatment for the disease.

Taken together, the studies begin to suggest the radical new idea that full-length, amyloid-forming proteins may in fact be produced by the body as a protective, rather than destructive, force. In particular, Steinman's study shows that these proteins may function as molecular chaperones, escorting and removing from sites of injury specific molecules involved in inflammation and inappropriate immune responses.

Steinman, who is also the medical school's George A. Zimmermann Professor, is the corresponding author of the research. Jonathan Rothbard, PhD, a senior research scientist in the Steinman laboratory, is the senior author; postdoctoral scholar Michael Kurnellas, PhD, is the lead author.

Although the specific findings of Steinman's two studies are surprising, there have been inklings from previous research that amyloid-forming proteins may not be all bad. In particular, inhibiting, or knocking out, the expression of several of the proteins in the mouse models of multiple sclerosis -- a technique that should block the course of the disease if these proteins are the cause -- instead worsened the animals' symptoms.

And there's the fact that these so-called dangerous amyloid-forming molecules are surprisingly prevalent. "We know the body makes a lot of amyloid-forming proteins in response to injury," said Steinman. "I'm doubtful that that's done to produce more harm. For example, the prion protein is found in every cell in our bodies. What is it doing? It's possible that any therapeutic maneuver to remove all of these proteins could interfere with their natural function."

Understanding how amyloids form requires an understanding of the biology of proteins, which are essentially strings of smaller components called amino acids attached end to end. Once they're made, these protein strings twist and fold into specific three-dimensional shapes that fit together like keys and locks to do the work of the cell.

A misfolded protein is likely to be unable to carry out its duties and must be disposed of by the body's cellular waste-management system. Amyloid-forming proteins (of which there are around 20), however, don't go quietly, if at all. Instead, they initiate a chain reaction with other misfolded proteins -- forming long, insoluble strands called fibrils that mat together to form amyloid clumps. These clumps appear consistently in the brains of people with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, but not in the brains of healthy people.

Although these clumps are thought to be detrimental to nerve cells, it's not entirely clear how they cause harm. One possibility is the ability of the fibrils to form cylindrical pores that could disrupt the cellular membrane and interfere with the orderly flow of ions and molecules used by the cells to communicate and transmit nerve signals. Regardless, their very presence suggests a diagnosis of neurodegeneration to many clinicians, including -- until recently -- Steinman.

"We began this research because these molecules are present in the brains of people with multiple sclerosis," said Steinman. "We expected to show that the presence of beta amyloid made the disease worse in laboratory animals. Instead, we saw a great deal of benefit."

Intrigued by the results of their first study, the researchers next tested the effect of small, six-amino-acid portions of several amyloid-forming proteins, including beta amyloid, which appeared likely to share a three-dimensional structure. They found that nearly all of the tiny protein molecules, or hexamers, were also able to temporarily reverse the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the mice (when the treatment was stopped, the mice developed signs of the condition within a few days).

The researchers noted, however, that the curative effect of the hexamers was linked to their ability to form fibrils similar, but not identical, to their longer parent molecules. For example, these simplified hexamer fibrils are more easily formed and broken apart than those composed of whole proteins. They are also thought not to be able to form the cylindrical pores that might damage cell membranes. Finally, the hexamer fibrils appear to inhibit the formation of fibrils from full-length proteins -- perhaps by blocking, or failing to promote, the chain reaction that initiates fibril formation.

When Steinman and his colleagues mixed the fibril-forming hexamers with blood plasma from three people with multiple sclerosis, they found that the fibrils bound to and removed from solution many potentially damaging molecules involved in inflammation and the immune response.

"These hexamer fibrils appear to be working to remove dangerous chemicals from the vicinity of the injury," said Steinman.

The researchers are eager to pursue the use of these small hexamers as therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis. Much research is still needed, but Steinman is hopeful.

"The lessons we learn from our study of amyloid-forming proteins in multiple sclerosis could be helpful for stroke and brain trauma, as well as for Alzheimer's," said Steinman. "We're gaining insight into how current therapeutic approaches may be affecting the body, and beginning to understand the nuances necessary to design a successful treatment. Although it will take time, we're determined to move promising results out of the laboratory and into the clinic as quickly as possible."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford University Medical Center. The original article was written by Krista Conger.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Michael P. Kurnellas, Chris M. Adams, Raymond A. Sobel, Lawrence Steinman, and Jonathan B. Rothbard. Amyloid Fibrils Composed of Hexameric Peptides Attenuate Neuroinflammation. Sci Transl Med, 3 April 2013 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005681

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/bqH8-JhYFmg/130403141438.htm

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US moves on NKorea aimed at deterring new leader

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se, not pictured, at the State Department in Washington, on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se, not pictured, at the State Department in Washington, on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, shakes hands with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se, at the State Department in Washington, on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

FILE - In this June 27, 2008 file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, the cooling tower of the Yongbyon nuclear complex is demolished in Nyongbyon, also known as Yongbyon, North Korea, in a sign of its commitment to stop making plutonium for atomic bombs. The North's plutonium reactor began operations in 1986 but was shut down as part of international nuclear disarmament talks in 2007 that have since stalled. North Korea vowed Tuesday, April 2, 2013, to restart a nuclear reactor that can make one bomb's worth of plutonium a year, escalating tensions already raised by near daily warlike threats against the United States and South Korea. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Gao Haorong, File) NO SALES

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The parading of U.S. air and naval power within view of the Korean peninsula ? first a few long-range bombers, then stealth fighters, then ships ? is as much about psychological war as real war. The U.S. wants to discourage North Korea's young leader from starting a fight that could escalate to renewed war with South Korea.

Worries in Washington rose Tuesday with North Korea's vow to increase production of nuclear weapons materials. Secretary of State John Kerry called the announced plan "unacceptable" and stressed that the U.S. is ready to defend itself and its allies. But he and other U.S. officials also sought to lower the rhetorical temperature by holding out the prospect of the North's reversing course and resuming nuclear negotiations.

At a joint news conference with visiting South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Kerry said the U.S. would proceed "thoughtfully and carefully" and in consultation with South Korea, Japan, China and others.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, in a call late Tuesday to China's defense minister, called the North's development of nuclear weapons a "growing threat" to the U.S. and its allies.

Hagel, citing North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in his phone conversation with Chang Wanquan, said Washington and Beijing should continue to cooperate on those problems, according to a Pentagon statement describing the call.

Michael Green, an Asia specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it should be no surprise that North Korea is vowing to restart a long-dormant nuclear reactor and ramp up production of atomic weapons material.

"This is part of their protection racket," Green said in an interview. "I think the end state North Korea would like is that we, the U.S. in particular, but also China, Japan, South Korea, are so rattled by all this that we decide it's just better to cut a deal with them."

Tensions have flared many times in the six decades since a truce halted the 1950-53 Korean War, but the stakes are higher now that a defiant North Korea appears to have moved closer to building a nuclear bomb that could not only threaten the South and other U.S. allies in Asia but possibly, one day, even reach U.S. territory.

That explains, in part, why the U.S. is displaying military muscle to warn the North to hold its fire.

Washington also wants to leave no doubt that it has the South's back, and that Seoul should not act rashly. Nor does the U.S. want South Korea to feel compelled to answer the North's nuclear drive by building its own bomb.

"We are in the business of assuring our South Korean allies that we will help defend them in the face of threats," Pentagon press secretary George Little said, adding, "We are looking for the temperature to be taken down on the Korean peninsula."

Even without nuclear arms, the North poses enough artillery within range of Seoul to devastate large parts of the capital before U.S. and South Korea could fully respond. The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in the South, and it could call on an array of air, ground and naval forces to reinforce the peninsula from elsewhere in Asia and the Pacific.

In just the past few months, North Korea has taken a series of steps Washington deemed provocative, including an underground nuclear test in February. In December the North Koreans launched a rocket that put a satellite into space and demonstrated mastery of some of the technologies needed to produce a long-range nuclear missile. And several weeks ago, the North threatened to pre-emptively attack the U.S.

Bruce Bennett, a specialist in North Korean affairs for the RAND Corp., said he believes much of the recent taunting from North Korea reflects turmoil among the ruling elite in Pyongyang. He cited unusually high turnover among senior officials during the 15 months that Kim Jong Un ? grandson of the nation's founder ? has been the top leader.

"I think with the purges going on, he's got some instability that is generally not being recognized" outside of North Korea and that may be pushing Kim to take a more confrontational stance, Bennett said in an interview. "He's trying to be blustery to make it appear that he's really in control, he's really strong and he can defeat us."

In response, the Pentagon announced it would beef up missile defenses based on the U.S. West Coast, and it highlighted over a period of days the deployment of B-52 and B-2 bombers, as well as two F-22 stealth fighters, to South Korea as part of an annual U.S.-South Korean exercise called Foal Eagle, which lasts through April.

On Tuesday, officials said the Navy was keeping the USS Decatur, a destroyer armed with missile defense systems, in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula for an unspecified period instead of continuing its journey back to the U.S. after a Mideast deployment. And they said a similar ship, the USS McCain, had been shifted slightly to the waters off the southwest coast of the Korean peninsula as a further precautionary move.

North Korea has been an enigma to most outsiders since it was founded by Kim Il Sung in 1948. The United States has often misjudged the North's political path. After the founding Kim died in 1994, for example, U.S. intelligence officials said they believed his successor son, Kim Jong Il, would be more accommodating to the West.

"Flaky as he may be, (Kim Jong Il) nevertheless ... realizes the only way they're going to extricate themselves from the shambles that their economy is in now is to get outside help," James R. Clapper Jr. told a congressional panel in January 1995. Clapper was director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the time; today he is President Barack Obama's most senior intelligence adviser as director of national intelligence.

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AP broadcast correspondent Sagar Meghani contributed to this report.

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Follow Robert Burns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/robertburnsAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-03-US-US-North-Korea/id-138540f535b1422cb4df3e002febe7c4

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