Opera about Nazi atrocity shown in Austria

TO GO WITH STORY BY GEORGE JAHN Robert Holzer and Katerina Beranova, from left, perform during the opera 'Spiegelgrund' by Austrian composer Peter Androsch in the imperial council hall of the Austrian parliament in Vienna, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Androsch goes where few others have dared, with an opera depicting how Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children. The performance premieres to mark International Holocaust Day in the parliament of Austria _ a nation still atoning for its role in atrocities committed by the Nazis. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

TO GO WITH STORY BY GEORGE JAHN Robert Holzer and Katerina Beranova, from left, perform during the opera 'Spiegelgrund' by Austrian composer Peter Androsch in the imperial council hall of the Austrian parliament in Vienna, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Androsch goes where few others have dared, with an opera depicting how Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children. The performance premieres to mark International Holocaust Day in the parliament of Austria _ a nation still atoning for its role in atrocities committed by the Nazis. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

TO GO WITH STORY BY GEORGE JAHN Katerina Beranova, Robert Holzer, Karl M. Sibelius and Silke Doerner, from left, perform during the opera ' Spiegelgrund' by Austrian composer Peter Androsch in the imperial council hall of the Austrian parliament in Vienna, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Androsch goes where few others have dared, with an opera depicting how Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children. The performance premieres to mark International Holocaust Day in the parliament of Austria _ a nation still atoning for its role in atrocities committed by the Nazis. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

TO GO WITH STORY BY GEORGE JAHN Katerina Beranova and Silke Doerner, from left, perform during the opera 'Spiegelgrund ' by Austrian composer Peter Androsch in the imperial council hall of the Austrian parliament in Vienna, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Androsch goes where few others have dared, with an opera depicting how Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically defficient children. The performance premieres to mark International Holocaust Day in the parliament of Austria _ a nation still atoning for its role in atrocities committed by the Nazis. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

TO GO WITH STORY BY GEORGE JAHN - Katerina Beranova, Robert Holzer and Silke Doerner, from left, perform during the opera 'Spiegelgrund ' by Austrian composer Peter Androsch in the imperial council hall of the Austrian parliament in Vienna, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Androsch goes where few others have dared, with an opera depicting how Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children. The performance premieres to mark International Holocaust Day in the parliament of Austria _ a nation still atoning for its role in atrocities committed by the Nazis. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

TO GO WITH STORY BY GEORGE JAHN -Speaker of the Austrian Parliament Barbara Prammer smiles during an interview with the Associated Press about Austrian composer Peter Androsch's opera "Spiegelgrund" at the parliament in Vienna, Austria, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Androsch goes where few others have dared, with an opera depicting how Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children. The performance premieres to mark International Holocaust Day in the parliament of Austria _ a nation still atoning for its role in atrocities committed by the Nazis. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

VIENNA (AP) ? Thousands of children were murdered by the Nazis because they fell short of the Aryan ideal. On Friday, a hushed audience gathered in Austria's Parliament to watch the world premiere of an opera depicting how the Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children at a Vienna hospital during World War II.

The killings were part of a greater campaign that led to the deaths of about 75,000 people ? homosexuals, the handicapped, or others the Nazis called "unworthy lives" ? and served as a prelude to the Holocaust.

Austrians played a huge role in these and other atrocities of the era ? nearly 800 children were killed at Vienna's Spiegelgrund psychiatric ward ? and Friday's premiere of the opera "Spiegelgrund" was the latest installment of a national effort to atone for such acts in word and deed.

The timing was picked to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, which will be observed worldwide Sunday, and the performance was streamed live on the Internet for international audiences. But the parliamentary venue was chosen for a particularly Austrian reason: as a reminder of how the country's politicians fomented the atmosphere of intolerance and authoritarianism that allowed Hitler's troops to walk in in 1938, and a determination to not let history repeat itself.

Composer Peter Androsch said his focus on the era was in part born of his own family's history. His great grandfather died in a Nazi concentration camp. Androsch said the fact that that was hidden for generations "says a lot about conditions in totalitarian regimes and should serve as a reminder for me and many others."

At the premiere ? a hauntingly effective hour-long performance ? legislators were joined in the audience by diplomats, Holocaust survivors, former Spiegelgrund patients and other invited guests in an ornate chamber lined with Ionic columns and used for special legislative sessions.

Spiegelgrund survivor Friedrich Zavel was in the audience. He was brought to the clinic in 1940 after being accused of homosexuality. Now 83, he still shudders when he speaks of his ordeals: humiliation, solitary confinement and torture.

The "Wrap Treatment" consisted of orderlies binding a child first in two sheets soaked in ice water, then two dry sheets, followed by waiting for days without food and drink until the body warmth dried the sheets. There also were beatings and injections that either made the child vomit or left him unable to walk for days.

Asked Friday how he felt about the wrongs done to him, Zavel said: "I know neither revenge nor hate."

The opera itself was more of an oratory. Backlit in gloomy purple and red, and accompanied by strings, flute, percussion and a harpsichord, a trio slipped into each other's roles in an allegorical depiction of how all are victims and perpetrators.

Thus a white-coated doctor embodying "The Law" switched from vocalizing about Sparta's doctrine of letting weak newborns die to singing a child's ditty before moving to the role of "Memory" ? singing broken phrases that harken back to the horrific experiences of the victimized children. The two other singers shifted roles accordingly as a narrator dryly recited facts reflecting the atrocities committed.

"On some days, so many children were killed that the orderlies had to pile the little bodies on a wheelbarrow," narrator Karl Sibelius intones in one sequence before reading a letter from a mother addressed to an institute doctor and pleading for the return of her son.

Bass Robert Holzer was "The Law," and sopranos Katerina Beranova and Alexandra Diesterhoeft sang "Memory" and "Children's Song" respectively. All were very solid.

Parliament President Barbara Prammer said the nation could no longer focus only on glorifying its past.

"We can't choose our history," she told The Associated Press.

___

AP video journalist Philipp Jenne contributed.

___

Online: www.sonostream.tv

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-25-Austria-Holocaust%20Opera/id-6d5a73aac48643adb851257d4cf9dc57

tomb of the unknown soldier tomb of the unknown soldier HMS Bounty dominion power Heather Clem Con Edison LaGuardia Airport

China's Lenovo sees RIM as M&A option, CFO says

TORONTO (Reuters) - A senior Lenovo executive said on Thursday that the Chinese computer maker may consider Research in Motion as a takeover target, sending the Blackberry maker's shares up 2 percent just a week before it launches a make-or-break line of redesigned smartphones.

But Lenovo, which vaulted into the personal computer market with its 2005 purchase of IBM's PC division, would face formidable hurdles if it tried to buy a company that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper once described as a national "crown jewel." The Chinese company would also encounter tough regulatory scrutiny in Washington, cybersecurity experts say.

Lenovo, on track to become the world's largest PC maker, has held talks with RIM and its bankers about various combinations or strategic ventures, its chief financial officer, Wong Wai Ming, said on Thursday.

"We are looking at all opportunities - RIM and many others," Wong told Bloomberg in an interview at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "We'll have no hesitation if the right opportunity comes along."

A spokesman for Lenovo said Wong was asked about RIM by the Bloomberg journalist and that Wong was speaking broadly about Lenovo's M&A strategy.

CRUCIAL JUNCTURE

RIM, once a pioneer in the smartphone industry, has struggled in recent years as its aging line-up of devices have ceded market share to Apple Inc's iPhone and devices based on Google Inc's Android operating system.

RIM hopes its new touch-screen and keyboard devices, powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system, will help it claw back some of the lost ground. Optimism surrounding the launch has powered the stock higher in recent weeks.

Last May the Waterloo, Ontario-based company announced a far-reaching strategic review under which it was expected to examine all options, from software licensing deals to an outright sale of the company.

Earlier this week, RIM shares surged to a 13-month high after Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said RIM might consider strategic alliances with other companies after next week's BlackBerry 10 launch.

In an interview with a German newspaper on Monday, Heins said RIM's ongoing strategic review could lead to the sale of its handset business or the licensing of its software to rival smartphone companies.

Even so, analysts expressed skepticism about a Lenovo bid.

"Anybody who's serious about buying a company doesn't go talking it up. ... It sounds to me like a comment made more for publicity's sake than a serious approach for RIM," said Charter Equity analyst Ed Snyder. "It is a very long shot at the best.'

NET BENEFIT TEST

Any bid for RIM would face a rigorous review by the Ottawa to determine whether the deal would bring a "net benefit" to Canada. The Investment Canada Act gives the government the authority to kill deals that could harm Canadian interests or threaten the country's national security.

In response to the comments by Heins, Canada's Industry Minister Christian Paradis told Reuters earlier this week that Canada may even go to the extent of reviewing a sale of RIM's handset business if such a deal was proposed.

"Research in Motion has made an important contribution to information and communications technology in Canada, a sector that is so important to the Canadian economy. We hope they continue to do so well into the future," Paradis said in an emailed response to the Lenovo comments on Thursday.

Cybersecurity experts said Lenovo would likely go up against tough U.S. government scrutiny as well since the Defense Department and other agencies rely on the Blackberry, which is considered more secure than other smartphones.

"A potential acquisition of RIM by Lenovo would raise a number of important security issues," said Michael Wessel, a Commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, appointed by Congress.

"Government employees are one of the largest users of RIM's BlackBerry products and the security of their communications has to be of paramount concern," said Wessel, adding that he was speaking on behalf of himself and not the Commission.

After the comments from Lenovo, a RIM spokesman said the company had nothing new to report on its strategic review.

RIM shares closed 2.2 percent higher at $17.74 on Thursday the Nasdaq. The Toronto-listed shares closed 2.9 percent higher at C$17.80. RIM is a volatile stock, and moves of 3 percent and more are not uncommon.

Its shares are down almost 90 percent from an all-time high of over $148 in 2008, but the stock has rallied in the last four months as the launch of the BlackBerry 10 devices nears. The company's shares have nearly tripled in value since dipping as low as $6.22 in late September.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha in Toronto, Diane Bartz in Washington, Randall Palmer in Ottawa and Sinead Carew in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-lenovo-sees-rim-m-option-cfo-says-021217460.html

daytona race the cutting edge fox 8 news indy 500 angelina jolie leg daytona artie lange

Obama supports Pentagon decision to allow women serve in combat

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama fully supports the Pentagon's decision to lift a ban on women serving in frontline combat roles, White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Thursday.

Ahead of the Pentagon's formal announcement later on Thursday, Carney told reporters Obama is "very pleased" with the decision and "fully supports this effort to expand opportunities for women."

Carney said the recommendation emerged from military commanders, although Obama had discussed it with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and others.

(Reporting By Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-supports-pentagon-decision-allow-women-serve-combat-154753424.html

jk rowling new book between two ferns ihop statins chardon sean young juan pablo montoya

Genetic landscape of common brain tumors holds key to personalized treatment

Friday, January 25, 2013

Nearly the entire genetic landscape of the most common form of brain tumor can be explained by abnormalities in just five genes, an international team of researchers led by Yale School of Medicine scientists report online in the Jan. 24 edition of the journal Science. Knowledge of the genomic profile of the tumors and their location in the brain make it possible for the first time to develop personalized medical therapies for meningiomas, which currently are only managed surgically.

Meningioma tumors affect about 170,000 patients in the United States. They are usually benign but can turn malignant in about 10 percent of cases. Even non-cancerous tumors can require surgery if they affect the surrounding brain tissue and disrupt neurological functions.

Approximately half of the tumors have already been linked to a mutation or deletion of a gene called neurofibromin 2, or NF2. The origins of the rest of the meningiomas had remained a mystery.

The Yale team conducted genomic analyses of 300 meningiomas and found four new genetic suspects, each of which yields clues to the origins and treatment of the condition. Tumors mutated with each of these genes tend to be located in different areas of the brain, which can indicate how likely they are to become malignant.

"Combining knowledge of these mutations with the location of tumor growth has direct clinical relevance and opens the door for personalized therapies," said Murat Gunel, the Nixdorff-German Professor of Neurosurgery, professor of genetics and of neurobiology, and senior author of the study. Gunel is also a member of Yale Cancer Center's Genetics and Genomics Research Program.

For instance, two of the mutations identified ? SMO and AKT1 ? have been linked to various cancers. SMO mutations had previously been found in basal cell carcinoma and are the target of an already approved drug for that form of skin cancer. Another, KLF4, activates a suite of genes and is known for its role in inducing stem cell formation, even in cells that have fully differentiated into a specific tissue type. Mutations in a TRAF7, a gene not previously associated with cancer, were found in approximately one-fourth of tumors. Meningiomas with these mutations are found in the skull base and are unlikely to become cancerous. In contrast, NF2 mutant tumors that flank the brain's hemispheres are more likely to progress to malignancy, especially in males.

Doctors may be able to use targeted chemotherapy on patients with non-NF2 mutations, especially those with recurrent or invasive meningiomas and those who are surgically at high risk. Individualized chemotherapies could also spare patients irradiation treatment, a risk factor for progression of these generally benign tumors. Gunel said it may also be possible to extend these approaches to more malignant tumors.

###

Yale University: http://www.yale.edu

Thanks to Yale University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 42 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126464/Genetic_landscape_of_common_brain_tumors_holds_key_to_personalized_treatment

extreme makeover home edition coachella 2012 constitution day constitution day dolly parton stephen colbert running for president richard threlkeld

Deal of the Day: 48% off Seidio ACTIVE Case (with kickstand) for iPhone 5

Today Only: Buy the Seidio ACTIVE Case (with kickstand) for iPhone 5 and save $16.95!

Created for those that have and want to maintain their active lifestyle in mind, the Seidio ACTIVE Case provides great shock and impact absorption while adding minimal bulk to your iPhone 5. This two-layer case features a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a precisely positioned hard skeleton for added protection. The back of the case includes a retractable kickstand for convenient viewing. Color options include black, blue, red, purple, white, and green.

List Price: $34.95???? Today Only: $18.00

Learn More and Buy Now

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!

?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/p9cHNJf9Vdg/story01.htm

chocolate covered strawberries shrimp scampi kate upton si cover lobster recipes hearts roses flower delivery

Shrunken Proton Baffles Scientists

The proton's three quarks are (mostly) confined within a region 0.87 femtometers wide ? or is it 0.84? Image: Flickr/Argonne National Laboratory

One of the Universe's most common particles has left physicists completely stumped. The proton, a fundamental constituent of the atomic nucleus, seems to be smaller than thought. And despite three years of careful analysis and reanalysis of numerous experiments, nobody can figure out why.

An experiment published today in Science only deepens the mystery, says Ingo Sick, a physicist at the University of Basel in Switzerland. "Many people have tried, but none has been successful at elucidating the discrepancy."

The proton's problems started in 2010, when a paper published in Nature seemed to show that the particle was 4% smaller than originally thought. Researchers began with a target of hydrogen, an atom that consists of one proton and one electron. When they bombarded the hydrogen with muons ? heavier cousins of electrons ? from a particle accelerator, a muon would occasionally replace an electron. Probing the muonic hydrogen with a laser yielded a high-precision measurement of the proton's size. The problem is that the measurement differed from those obtained by two other methods?by 4%, or 0.03 femtometers (fm). That's a tiny amount ? 1 fm is 0.000000000001 millimeter ? but is still significantly larger than the error bars on either of the other measurements.

The latest experiment also used muonic hydrogen, but probed a different set of energy levels in the atom. It yielded the same result as the Nature paper ? a proton radius of 0.84 fm, says Aldo Antognini, a physicist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in Switzerland and an author of both muonic papers. The second measurement "is totally compatible with the previous value," he says.?

But it is still not compatible with the measurements taken by non-muonic techniques, says John Arrington, a nuclear physicist at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois. Errors in the muon-based measurements of the proton radius are unlikely to be to blame, Arrington says, and yet it seems equally unlikely that all the other measurements are wrong, too.

Perplexing puzzle
One possibility is that Antognini's team has inadvertently discovered new physics. It is the only one to use muons to probe the proton ? the others all used electrons, and there is a small possibility that muons interact with protons differently from electrons. The effect would have to be small, or it would also show up in other places, such as the Large Hadron Collider, the big particle accelerator near Geneva, Switzerland.

Arrington and Sick both have their doubts. "I'm a big believer in our understanding of physics," Arrington says. Given the power of existing theories, Sick says, the idea of fundamental differences between muons and electrons is "sort of hard to imagine".

But equally hard to imagine is what might have gone wrong. Experimentalists have combed back over their data. Theorists have recrunched their equations. There could be a problem with the models used to estimate the proton size from the measurements, but so far, none has been identified. "Many of the ideas that have been stated have all been looked at in more detail," Sick says. "Nobody has come up with a clear result."

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on January 24, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=fc9268c4da7f4fc281c5bbc9476f55ab

mario manningham mario manningham williams syndrome hoya casa de mi padre corned beef and cabbage diners drive ins and dives

High school senior comes out at awards ceremony (video) (Americablog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279132108?client_source=feed&format=rss

Election 2012 Michigan Election Results Missouri Election Results Amendment 64 marijuana huffington post elizabeth warren