Clinton seeks greater openness from Myanmar

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during the Special Session on Gender at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during the Special Session on Gender at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, Pool)

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday she is looking forward to her historic trip to isolated Myanmar this week and will suggest specific reforms to the country's leadership to improve ties with the United States.

Clinton travels to Myanmar's capital later Wednesday on the first visit to the Southeast Asian nation by a secretary of state in more than 50 years. She told reporters at an international aid conference in South Korea before her departure that she was cautiously optimistic about her trip but said Myanmar would have to implement more reforms before the U.S. will reciprocate.

"I am obviously looking to determine for myself and on behalf of our government what is the intention of the current government with respect to continuing reforms both political and economic," she said.

She declined to discuss the specific measures she would suggest or how the U.S. might reciprocate.

After meeting with senior Myanmar officials on Thursday, Clinton will travel to the commercial capital of Yangon where she will see opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Obama administration is betting that the visit will pay dividends, promoting human rights, limiting suspected cooperation with North Korea on ballistic missiles and nuclear activity and loosening Chinese influence in a region where America and its allies are wary of China's rise.

"We and many other nations are quite hopeful that these flickers of progress ... will be ignited into a movement for change that will benefit the people of the country," she said, reflecting the administration's hopes for the trip.

Clinton is expected to seek assurances from Myanmar's leadership that they will sign an agreement with the U.N. nuclear watchdog that will permit unfettered access to suspected nuclear sites. The U.S. and other western nations suspect that Myanmar has sought and received nuclear advice along with ballistic missile technology from North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions.

She will also press the government's baby steps toward democratic reform after 50 years of military rule that saw brutal crackdowns on pro-democracy activists like Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy party.

Clinton's private dinner on Thursday and formal meeting with Suu Kyi on Friday will likely be the highlights of the visit. Suu Kyi, who intends to run for parliament in upcoming elections, has welcomed Clinton's trip and told President Barack Obama in a phone call earlier this month that engagement with the government would be positive. Clinton has called Suu Kyi a personal inspiration.

The trip is the first major development in U.S.-Myanmar relations in decades and comes after the Obama administration launched a new effort to prod reforms in 2009 with a package of carrot-and-stick incentives.

The rapprochement sped up when Myanmar held elections last year that brought a new government to power that pledged greater openness. The administration's special envoy to Myanmar has made three trips to the country in the past three months, and the top U.S. diplomat for human rights has made one.

Those officials pushed for Clinton to make the trip, deeming a test of the reforms as worthwhile despite the risks of backsliding.

President Thein Sein, a former army officer, has pushed forward reforms after Myanmar experienced decades of repression under successive military regimes that cancelled 1990 elections that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won.

Last week, Myanmar's parliament approved a law guaranteeing the right to protest, which had not previously existed, and improvements have been made in areas such as media and Internet access and political participation. The NLD, which had boycotted previous flawed elections, is now registered as a party.

But the government that took office in March is still dominated by a military-proxy political party, and Myanmar's commitment to democratization and its willingness to limit its close ties with China are uncertain.

Corruption runs rampant, hundreds of political prisoners are still jailed and violent ethnic conflicts continue in the country's north and east. Human rights activists have said Clinton's visit should be judged on improvements in those conditions.

Myanmar's army continues to torture and kill civilians in campaigns to stamp out some of the world's longest-running insurgencies, according to rights groups. They say ongoing atrocities against ethnic minorities serve as a reminder that reforms recently unveiled by the country's military-backed government to worldwide applause are not benefitting everyone.

And, although the government suspended a controversial Chinese dam project earlier this year, China laid down a marker ahead of Clinton's trip by having its vice president meet the head of Myanmar's armed forces on Monday.

China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Vice President Xi Jinping pledged to maintain strong ties with Myanmar and encouraged Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to push for solutions to unspecified challenges in relations.

Myanmar also remains subject to tough sanctions that prohibit Americans and U.S. companies from most commercial transactions in the country.

U.S. officials say Clinton's trip is a fact-finding visit and will not result in an easing of sanctions. But officials also say that such steps could be taken if Myanmar proves itself to be serious about reform. Other steps being contemplated include upgrading diplomatic relations that would see the two countries exchange ambassadors. The nations are now represented in each other's capitals by charges d'affaires.

Despite high hopes, U.S. officials remain decidedly cautious about prospects for Clinton's visit and that caution has been echoed by members of Congress, some of whom have expressed concern that the trip is an undeserved reward for the regime.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-30-AS-Clinton/id-ea8be3933db6442c9d6639777b4f8b3b

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Do MRIs Relieve Symptoms of Depression?

News | Mind & Brain

Researchers continue to explore whether magnetic fields produced by magnetic resonance imaging devices and others improve mood in those who suffer from depressive disorders

By Ferris Jabr ?| November 28, 2011?|

MOOD-MANIPULATING MAGNET? Image: Wikimedia

When a researcher asks a volunteer to slide head-first into the open eye of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, the expectation is that the device's magnetic field will penetrate the skull to produce a faithful picture of the brain without changing its behavior. A new study suggests, however, that MRI machines do, in fact, manipulate brain activity?and they change the brain in a way that helps treat depression. In other words, MRIs may be unintentional antidepressants.

Hadi Rokni-Yazdi of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran and his colleagues organized 51 volunteers with major depressive disorder into three 17-person groups. Volunteers in the first two groups received one of two kinds of MRI scan. Those in the third group received phony MRI scans: The magnet was never switched on, but a recording of the sound generated by a genuine session was played to convince the volunteers they had been scanned. All the subjects were taking common antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and all had their level of depression assessed by standard scales before and after the procedure.

Two weeks after the scans, volunteers in the first two groups scored between 35 and 40 percent lower on the depression scales than they scored before the scan. The placebo effect may have played a role; when people believe they are receiving a helpful treatment for anything, they often feel better afterward. But volunteers in the pretend MRI group improved less, only by 15 to 19 percent. So, the researchers reasoned, some other factor must explain why volunteers who received phony MRIs showed less improvement. The results are discussed in the November issue of Brain Imaging and Behavior.

One possibility is that the magnetic field created by the MRI machine somehow acts as an antidepressant. Scientists have been investigating the idea that magnets can relieve depression for more than a decade. Most studies have focused on repetitive transcranial magnetic simulation (rTMS), in which an alternating magnetic field induces electric currents in specific regions of the brain, with mixed results. However, a few studies have asked the same questions about MRIs, which create a weaker magnetic field and thus weaker electric currents. Previously, researchers have found that MRIs or devices that generate similarly weak magnetic stimulation improved mood in patients with bipolar disorder?who fluctuate between mania and depression?and helped relieve depression in rats and mice.

But the evidence so far has failed to persuade most scientists, not least because no one has been able to explain exactly how magnetic stimulation alters brain activity in a way that improves depression?although at least one researcher has a few ideas.

About eight years ago, Michael Rohan of Harvard Medical School?s McLean Hospital was running MRI studies of people with depression and noticed that the volunteers emerged from the scans with improved moods. Rohan has been looking into the matter ever since and has recently finished an as-of-yet unpublished study that "looks favorable," he says. He has even created a tabletop device that produces the same electric fields generated by magnetic pulses inside the MRI machine. Because the electric fields generated by an MRI's magnet are too weak to change the behavior of axons?the long tails of neurons that send out signals?Rohan thinks that, instead, the electric fields somehow synchronize signals in a neuron's dendrites, the many branches that receive signals from nearby cells. Out-of-sync electrical activity has been implicated in many brain disorders.

"We're still in the early stages," Rohan stresses. "All of this is exploratory."

As neuroscience blogger Neuroskeptic points out, another possibility is that the results in the new study are a statistical fluke. Almost all the volunteers improved, and those who recovered the most may have wound up in the first two groups by chance. The smaller the number of participants, the more likely this kind of statistical fluke can occur.

Or, perhaps, it was the placebo effect after all. Volunteers in the fake scan group may have improved less overall because some noticed that, despite attempts to hide it, something was a little off or simply did not buy into the idea as much as volunteers who had received real scans, especially if they had prior experience with MRIs?a question the researchers did not ask.

The study is only the first clinical trial to specifically investigate whether MRIs can help people suffering from major depressive disorder, and the intriguing results will likely inspire other researchers to try similar experiments of their own.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=e91c8ab0a9740dcc0a5ebf403b78a9b0

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College Prep: Top 10 Largest American Schools

Arizona State University has four campuses, but the Tempe location has the largest enrollment with over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Tempe is in metropolitan Phoenix, so you'll have the experiences of both going to a large university and going to college in an urban city, so if you're a small-town girl, ASU will definitely help you come out of your shell! ASU is known for its football team, the Sun Devils, but their academic renown in engineering and nursing programs attracts scholars from all over the globe in addition to athletes on their way to the professional level. Arizona State boasts more than 13,300 out-of-state and international students, and has a freshman retention rate of over 80 percent, which is significantly higher than most undergraduate institutions. It's been ranked as one of the Top 100 world universities by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, and has top programs in a variety of concentrations. Its Tillman Center also offers one of the best support facilities for student veterans.

Arizona State University has four campuses, but the Tempe location has the largest enrollment with over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Tempe is in metropolitan Phoenix, so you'll have the experiences of both going to a large university and going to college in an urban city, so if you're a small-town girl, ASU will definitely help you come out of your shell!

ASU is known for its football team, the Sun Devils, but their academic renown in engineering and nursing programs attracts scholars from all over the globe in addition to athletes on their way to the professional level. Arizona State boasts more than 13,300 out-of-state and international students, and has a freshman retention rate of over 80 percent, which is significantly higher than most undergraduate institutions. It's been ranked as one of the Top 100 world universities by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, and has top programs in a variety of concentrations. Its Tillman Center also offers one of the best support facilities for student veterans.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/27/college-prep-top-10-bigge_n_1114740.html

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Acer Iconia Tab A200 gets sentimental, strengthens families and makes video debut

Acer wants you to know that Apple doesn't have a monopoly on sappy tech commercials -- no Siri, Bob! The Taiwanese manufacturer wants to run with the big boys when it comes to overselling the emotional power of a gadget. Take, for instance, this promotional clip for the upcoming Iconia Tab A200. Yes, we understand that the 10-inch slate can play games and "share memories" but, what exactly Honeycomb has to do with creating family rituals or why you'd bring a tablet camping is lost on us. Sadly, the clip doesn't reveal too much about Acer's new slab. We can see that vanilla Android is out, simply by looking at the navigation icons, and there's a new feature called Acer Ring, which appears to be some sort of task manager with shortcuts to common tasks, like taking screenshots. It also appears to be sporting a full-sized USB port and a microSD slot but, otherwise, we've still got very little info on the spec front. Check out the video after the break.

[Thanks, Manuel]

Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A200 gets sentimental, strengthens families and makes video debut

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On Thanksgiving, space station astronauts don't have to watch their weight

The Thanksgiving menu for astronauts aboard the International Space Station includes turkey, yams, and cherry-blueberry cobbler, all served up ? or is it down? ? in a microgravity environment.?

A light Thanksgiving dinner doesn't necessarily mean skimping on the turkey or stuffing, not even aboard the International Space Station. The three crew members, who arrived just in time to spend a weightless holiday in orbit, will enjoy a feast of irradiated smoked turkey and heat-treated yams while floating 220 miles (354 kilometers) above Earth tomorrow (Nov. 24).

Skip to next paragraph

The?weightless feast?will include traditional favorites with a space-y twist, such as NASA's own cornbread dressing, home-style potatoes, cranberries, and for dessert ? drum roll! ? cherry-blueberry cobbler, served in a space pouch.

Around the table will be NASA astronaut Dan Burbank and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin. The trio arrived at the space station Tuesday (Nov. 22), and they are scheduled to live and work aboard the outpost until March. Their time will be spent conducting experiments and preparing for the arrival of new commercial cargo-carrying spacecraft.

Burbank recently described the crew's Thanksgiving plans in a NASA holiday video message, with Burbank catching floating food packages as he gave Earthlings a rundown of the Thursday menu. [A Gallery of Space Food]

The one important missing ingredient? Family.

"We're going to be missing the family and friends back home; we're going to hopefully get a chance to talk to them," Burbank said.

Even so, the astronaut has a lot on his gratitude list.

"We're going to enjoy some great food, we're going to enjoy?a view of planet Earth from here, we're going to be real thankful for the opportunity that we have to fly aboard this magnificent space station, and we're going to be thankful for the love and support of all the folks that we have back home," Burbank said.

Even though the crew members won't be able to bow their heads in thanks with their families and friends, the feast will provide a reminder of home. "The food we eat in space tastes very much like the food we enjoy on Earth," a former space station occupant, NASA astronaut Clay Anderson, said from the ground.

The trickiest part of preparing a space Thanksgiving meal has to do with shelf life: Without any food refrigerators or freezers on the space station, food must last in room temperature for long periods of time, said NASA food scientist Vickie Kloeris, manager of the space station's food system. That's why they freeze-dry and thermostabilize the foods. Thermostabilizing involves pre-heating the food to kill bacteria.

Outdoing a meal with family and friends may be difficult, but the space station has something Grandma's house doesn't, and that's microgravity.

"It's totally legal to play with your food in outer space," Anderson told SPACE.com, adding that astronauts can spin the floating food on their spoon, which is "great fun." And Anderson would know. He spent 152 days living aboard the station in 2007, returning to the outpost in 2010 as a member of space shuttle mission STS-131.

During his stays, he said, he ate all of the foods being served at Thanksgiving, though he wasn't on the station for turkey day or?Christmas in space.

The astronauts may wind up in the same?turkey coma?as people on Earth. Anderson said that even in microgravity it's tempting to stuff yourself. "I ate like a pig when I was there," he said, "and I still lost weight."

Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter?@Spacedotcomand on?Facebook.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/hm-Q7z3ccvc/On-Thanksgiving-space-station-astronauts-don-t-have-to-watch-their-weight

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Flood of government data fuels rise of city apps (Providence Journal)

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Prosecutor in 1991: Reagan, Bush not criminally liable in Iran-Contra (tbo)

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Tilda Swinton dives again into dark emotional waters (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? By now, it's certainly no surprise that Tilda Swinton has turned in another riveting performance in a dark and difficult movie; from "Orlando" to "I Am Love," that's what she does, with occasional detours to play the white witch in the Narnia films and win an Oscar as a corporate lawyer in "Michael Clayton."

Swinton's latest, which has made her a dark-horse Oscar candidate, is "We Need to Talk About Kevin," an intense, intimate and disquieting drama drawn from Lionel Shriver's novel about a woman struggling through the aftermath of a horrific crime committed by her son.

Her performance is often wordless; she may be the only person in the family aware of the depths of evil that reside within her son (played by Ezra Miller and two younger actors), but she's unable to communicate with her husband (John C. Reilly) or turn to anyone in the aftermath of Kevin's actions.

Oscilloscope Laboratories is opening the film on December 9 for a one-week Oscar-qualifying run. Its commercial release begins on January 27.

Swinton flew to Los Angeles from her home in Northern Scotland for the Governors Awards earlier in the month. Not surprisingly, she's out of the loop when it comes to Hollywood buzz -- when I told her that Billy Crystal had signed on to host the Oscars just moments before we met, she was completely unaware of the turmoil that had surrounded the show in the previous few days.

TheWrap: Billy Crystal just tweeted that he's hosting the Oscars.

Tilda Swinton: Things have been happening with that show, haven't they? I didn't know anything about it, and then I got to L.A. and people were talking about something. But the news doesn't reach those of us who live on other planets.

TheWrap: Yeah, the original producer had to quit because he said "rehearsal is for fags" at a Q&A, and then talked about his sex life on the Howard Stern show.

Swinton: How fantastic! How fantastic.

TheWrap: You went through that circus once, with "Michael Clayton."

Swinton: Well, apparently so, but it didn't feel like it. I was somehow oblivious at the time. I'm trying to remember anything from it. I think maybe the second time you can feel it happening. It's like taking an anesthetic the first time. You don't feel it going in.

TheWrap: I understand your agent has your Oscar.

Swinton: My agent has my Oscar. His Oscar. I gave it to him.

TheWrap: I expected "We Need to Talk About Kevin" to be disturbing, and it was, But I didn't expect it to be as lyrical as it was.

Swinton: Did you know the book?

TheWrap: No, I didn't.

Swinton: The book is a lot less lyrical. That's one of the great things about (writer-director) Lynne Ramsay adapting the book. Because she is someone who is ... "Lyrical" is not exactly the word that I'd use, but she is definitely someone who is interested in atmosphere, particularly a kind of atmosphere of discomfort.

And it was important that it be beautiful. It's got a kind of elegiac quality, this feeling of her nostalgia for this life, as well as being a horror story.

TheWrap: Were you familiar with the book before the movie came along?

Swinton: Yeah, I was. I knew the book, and I was very keen to know what Lynne was doing next, and very interested that she had chosen to adapt this book. There had been this really unwieldy gap of time since (Ramsay's 2002 film) "Morvern Callar," and I was wanting to help her make another feature film in any way I could. But then this point came when it became clear that I wanted to be in it.

I can't really remember if it was my idea or hers. But we sort of slowly moved toward that idea.

TheWrap: Why?

Swinton: As it became more and more developed, and less and less about the social atmosphere in the book, more and more about this woman's interior life, then the more interested I became in playing it.

And to be honest, I think it was partly to do with a sort of huge budget cut that we faced at a certain point. I always hate to say this, because it sounds like I'm arguing for the stringencies of people cutting budgets, but it became very clear that we were only going to get about half of what we wanted. Which meant that we were going to really have to streamline it and reduce the social context. And there had to be less people in it, less locations. More claustrophic, in fact. Much more Greek. All the action had to take place offscreeen.

The cheaper it got, the better it got. But that's not always the case.

TheWrap: So the more it departed from the book, the more it improved?

Swinton: Well, it became much clearer as a Lynne Ramsay film. The book is very much about someone who's trying to work it out. She's writing letters, trying to work out what happened, trying to explain it to herself and to her husband. It's quite a political book about Bush-era America, and it's very socially aware. And we sort of pulled out of that, and locked into her mind, her memories, her fantasies, her nightmares.

It became a sort of phantasmagoria, and the more it became about someone who is lonely, who doesn't have anybody to talk to or to explain things to, the more it became interesting to me. That's really something I'm interested in, the idea of inarticulacy or dumbness.

TheWrap: Does it take away some of your tools as an actress?

Swinton: To me, it feels like you gain more capacity, the less you get to say, in cinema at least. I always say that I think cinema has gone downhill since people started talking in it.

It's just a personal preference. I like it when people ... Like what I'm doing now. I think I know what I want to say, but I'm searching for the words. I like that. I don't like it when people become playwrights on-screen. I like a level of inarticulacy, and also silence.

TheWrap: They may have helped develop the material, but did the time and budget constraints feel limiting when you were shooting?

Swinton: It meant that we had to work in a more prescribed way than we would have liked to do. Lynne and I were talking earlier about how we're both looking forward to working in a more loose way. But that is a luxury in this kind of filmmaking. If you get two takes, you're lucky. It's a discipline, and it's painful at times, but you've got to keep trucking.

TheWrap: Can it be frustrating as an actor?

Swinton: In terms of performance, when you've been thinking about doing something for four years and then you have to do it in half an hour and then leave it, that's always a bit tricky. But you just have to do it.

TheWrap: Your character, Eva, has a complicated bond with her son -- she's the one who really knows that something is wrong, but she's also connected to him in a deeper way than his father is.

Swinton: We were always clear that we wanted this to be a sort of double portrait of one person. We knew that Kevin and Eva had to feel like two sides of the same coin. The thing that's so horrendous is not that his violence and badness is exotic and foreign to her. It's really familiar -- that's the worst part. She knows it's hers, and he's acting it out in front of her.

So we needed them to feel very closely linked physically. If he had been short and round and red-haired, I would have been short and round and red-haired. As it happened, he looked like Ezra Miller, so I had to go that way. He led the way, and I had to follow.

TheWrap: Do you have to be sensitive when you're acting with younger children in a work that involves tough, disturbing material?

Swinton: To me, it's much, much easier to play with children. Children know that it's play. You ask a 6-year-old to dress up as a dog, he'll go there. You ask a 45-year-old to dress up as a dog, and you'll have to go through all sorts of questions of method and psychological background.

With children, it's very easy and relaxed. You ask a 3-year-old to be bad and growl at his mommy, it's easy. It's what a 3-year-old loves to do. So no, it's really graceful and easy, working with children.

TheWrap: As the lead actor but also a producer, was it easy for you to maintain the split focus required?

Swinton: Honestly, that's always been the way that I've worked.

If anything, it's stranger for me and rarer for me to just come in and play and get a check and go away. That's only happened to me a handful of times in my life. Most of the time I'm minding the shop as well. And I like that.

There's a kind of myopia you get with performance that feels to me potentially hazardous and weird. And I quite like having the actualities of knowing what time it is, and knowing how quickly you have to work.

TheWrap: What are you doing next?

Swinton: I feel like a farmer who's had a big harvest. There were three films that I was working on for the last 12 years. "I Am Love" I worked on for 11 years, "Julia" for five and this one for five. And they've all now been made, so I'm very happily facing a bit of a plowed field. I worked very briefly and very happily on the new Wes Anderson film, but apart from that I'm back to the drawing board.

TheWrap: Do Hollywood-type movies factor into your plans?

Swinton: I don't quite know how to answer that, because I never factored in Hollywood-type movies in the first place. You know, the mountain does tend to go to Mohammed, as far as I'm concerned. I'm totally available to have conversations with pretty much anybody who's inclined to chat. I have some projects that I'm slowly beginning to seed at home, but given my track record, they'll probably take so long that there'll be room at the table.

TheWrap: Did "Michael Clayton" and the Oscar change your profile with the industry?

Swinton: You'd be the one to tell me. I've got no idea.

TheWrap: Are you seeing different or better scripts from Hollywood?

Swinton: Well, the thing is, everything that I've done since then, I was going to do anyway. Because that 12 years I've just described, "Michael Clayton" was in the middle of it. I was already working on "I Am Love," and "Julia," and this. So I don't know.

The only real change I can see is that people ask me how my life has changed since then. And we'll see now, I suppose. If it helps take a little film like this and give it a bigger release than it would have had otherwise, then I'm really grateful.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111125/film_nm/us_tildaswinton

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It's beginning to look like Xmas at White House (AP)

WASHINGTON ? It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the White House.

Michelle Obama continued a decades-old tradition the day after Thanksgiving as she, daughters Malia and Sasha, and Bo, the family dog, witnessed the arrival of an 18-and-a-half-foot balsam fir tree from Wisconsin, hauled up the driveway by horse-drawn wagon and delivered to their doorstep Friday.

The Obamas walked around the carriage and inspected the tree before giving it a thumbs-up. But that was merely a formality; White House staffers traveled to Wisconsin last month and picked out that tree.

The fir is headed for the oval-shaped Blue Room, where it will become the centerpiece of the White House Christmas decorations. It will be decorated to honor Blue Star families, those with a loved one who has served or currently is serving in the armed forces.

The tree came from Schroeder's Forevergreens near Neshkoro, Wis., owned by Tom and Sue Schroeder. It's the first time one of their trees has made it to the White House. The couple earned the honor after winning a national contest ? on their fourth try ? sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association.

"It's just very thrilling," Sue Schroeder said in an interview after leaving behind the tree, which took 20 years to grow.

Having the tree at the White House is a "highlight of our Christmas," she said, but on Saturday she and her husband expect to be back in their blue jeans, working at their retail lot and serving customers.

"That is also a very important part of Christmas to us," Sue Schroeder said.

During the next several days at the White House, dozens of volunteers from across the country will join White House staffers for a marathon of tree trimming, wreath hanging and other holiday decorating that will be revealed on Wednesday. Mrs. Obama is giving military families, including Gold Star and Blue Star parents, spouses and children, a first look at the decorations.

White House chefs Cris Comerford and Bill Yosses and White House florist Laura Dowling also will show the children how to make holiday crafts and treats.

The winner of the Christmas tree association's annual contest has presented a tree to the White House annually since 1966.

___

Darlene Superville can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_white_house_christmas_tree

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These Bicycle Wheel Animations Are Only Visible Through a Video Camera [Video]

To the naked eye, the intricate paper patterns attached to these bike wheels look like nothing but a blur when it's in motion. But when filmed with a video camera, the limited frame rate reveals complex animations. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/zGpr9hGGzOY/these-bicycle-wheel-animations-are-only-visible-through-a-video-camera

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Prosecutors seek 4-year sentence for Jackson doc (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Prosecutors who depicted Michael Jackson's doctor as remorseless for the superstar's death urged a judge Wednesday to sentence him to four years in prison, while a defense lawyer said Dr. Conrad Murray is in a prison of self-punishment and should receive probation.

The opposing sentencing memos were filed in advance of Dr. Conrad Murray's sentencing hearing Tuesday. He has been in jail since he was convicted Nov. 7 of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson's fatal overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

Prosecutors David Walgren and Deborah Brazil wrote that Murray has shown no remorse for Jackson's death and has placed blame on others, including Jackson himself. They cited a series of post-trial media interviews with Murray that they submitted to Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor on a DVD.

In one excerpt, Murray states, "I don't feel guilty because I did not do anything wrong."

"Finally, the defendant consistently blames the victim for his own death," said the prosecution brief, "even going so far as to characterize himself as being `entrapped' by the victim and as someone who suffered a `betrayal' at the hands of the victim."

Defense attorney Nareg Gourjian, citing letters of praise from Murray's former patients, said: "There is no question that the death of his patient, Mr. Jackson, was unintentional and an enormous tragedy for everyone affected. Dr. Murray has been described as a changed, grief-stricken man, who walks around under a pall of sadness since the loss of his patient, Mr. Jackson."

Gourjian said Murray will never stop punishing himself over Jackson's loss and, "In effect, he will be serving a form of life sentence. However, the offense was not willful nor intended. ... He is, by every account, immensely sorrowful and remorseful."

Murray was convicted after six weeks of testimony focusing on Murray's administration of the drug propofol, an anesthetic not intended for treatment of insomnia or for home use. While Jackson was under the influence of the drug, Murray admitted leaving the room, prosecutors noted. They said he abandoned his patient when he was the most vulnerable.

In their memo, prosecutors said Murray "acted as an employee and as a drug dealer and completely corrupted the trust necessary in a proper doctor-patient relationship."

Gourjian asked the judge to consider Murray's humble beginnings in Trinidad and his lengthy career of doing good during his practice in Houston.

"The transgression for which he is to be judged should be viewed within the context of the larger life of which it is a part," he said.

He also argued in his 45-page memo that current budgetary problems and overcrowding of prisons has made it necessary to release non-violent, non-dangerous offenders. "Dr. Murray is clearly such a defendant," he said.

Gourjian noted that because of constant death threats, Murray must be kept in solitary confinement, which is expensive.

"Conrad Murray still has the knowledge, capacity and motivation to be a source of healing in the world," Gourjian wrote. "Though he will perhaps not again be a doctor ... he could educate and counsel patients about heart care and disease prevention." He suggested that as a form of community service by the doctor.

Prosecutors attached to their motion a statement of monetary losses because of Jackson's death exceeding $100 million. They suggested that "appropriate restitution" from Murray be ordered for Jackson's children.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111124/ap_en_mu/us_michael_jackson_doctor

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Despite paralysis, Iraq vet is thankful to be a dad

Babies can find ways to make us feel better. Matt Keil may be paralyzed from the waist down, but his daughter knows the path to her dad?s heart is through his thumb.

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?Ouch!?

She was teething on the one hand that Matt, who is quadriplegic, can move. ?You wake up thinking you're having a bad day,? Matt said, talking around the tiny fingers trying to touch his lips, ?and then you come out and you see all those beautiful smiles.?

At the moment those smiles were bright red from the bits of strawberries spread around their faces; Matt?s babies were eating breakfast. Red is the last vivid image their dad remembers from the day he stopped walking ? the day an Iraqi sniper shot him in the neck.

"Felt like somebody kicked me right in the back,? Matt recalled. ?I fell forward."

The bullet ricocheted off his spinal column, collapsed his left lung and exited through his left shoulder, paralyzing him instantly. He didn?t feel a thing.

Story: Mom goes distance for son in Iraq: 6,436 miles

War before honeymoon
?Is he coming?? a woman asked the day Army Staff Sergeant Matt Keil came home, straining to see above the crowd of friends and relations gathered to welcome him. Each hand waved an American flag; each loved one wondered what he would he look like. They?d been told his wound had left him barely able to move.

One member of that crowd was especially concerned ? Matt?s wife, Tracy. He?d gone to war before their honeymoon. They had been married just six weeks when he was shot on Feb. 24, 2007.

Story: Wounded warrior comic mines hilarity from horror

?I almost passed out when I heard,? Tracy recalled. ?My mom caught me when I got weak in the knees.?

Strong arms cradled Matt too, as he was lifted down from the plane. They placed him on a stretcher and rolled him through the crowd. He was wondering about his new bride.?

?I asked her if she still loved me,? he recalled. ?She looked me right in the eye and said, ?Of course I love you. You're stuck with me.? ?

Tracy and Matt were determined not to let that war wound limit their lives. They longed to have a baby, but were told that might not happen. They tried anyway, even as Matt battled back to health.

One day their doctor showed them three tiny hearts.?

?Girl?? Tracy asked, looking closely at the grainy gray ultrasound.

?No way,? Matt kidded.

?It?s a girl!? Tracy cried, smiling.

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The doctor nodded. Tracy?s smile became a giggle. Matt stared at the screen, mesmerized.? Doctors had implanted two embryos; one split. After their first attempt to have a family, Tracy was pregnant with triplets.

?Oh my God!? she exclaimed, slapping her head. She turned to face Matt. Their eyes met, sharing the seriousness of the moment, and then they dissolved with laughter.

Struggle to survive
They were still laughing 29 weeks later when Tracy went into labor. Matt was in the delivery room with her, doing a play-by-play on home video for the kids to see one day. ?I?m really excited,? he said to the camera. ?That?s Aunt Chris behind the lens, and your mom in the window back behind me?.?

The shot wobbled to find Tracy?s face. ?That?s me,? she said, waving.?

The picture popped back to Matt. ?I already love you kids and I can't wait to see you."?

The triplets were born seven weeks early, as the country prepared to remember Veterans Day. Matt would face another fight, and a casualty: One boy died. The other weighed just 3 pounds; their sister an ounce less than that. Like their father, they would have to struggle to survive.

Story: To honor fallen comrades, they wash the Wall

Tracy bent over an incubator in the intensive care unit, watching her babies, who seemed to disappear in a tangle of tubes. ?Every scary small detail that you could imagine a tiny person being put through, they were put through,? she said.

Tracy caressed a small foot trying to kick free of a cord. Quieted a weak cry. ?Oh, I know,? she cooed. ?I?m sorry.?

Tracy picked up their daughter and placed her on Matt?s chest. He stared at the little one for the longest time, then looked up. ?It?s hard,? he said simply.

That?s why they named the girl Faith. ?You making funny faces at your daddy?" Matt asked Faith, beaming.

Faith was stronger than Matt Jr.; doctors released her from the hospital seven weeks later. Mom carried her out in a car seat. Down a darkened hall. Tracy paused. Leaned against a wall, sighed and looked back at Matt.

Junior?s room.?

?I can't believe they won't be together."

Story: Last of eight World War II-vet siblings fights on

No regrets
Her baby boy would remain hospitalized for two and half months. He finally came home on a cold winter day. Out front, American flags snapped in a stiff wind. Veterans built the house on a beautiful acreage in Parker, Colo. Gave it to the Keils mortgage free. Inside, everything was crafted to help a dad in a wheelchair care for his kids.

"Say nighty-night, Dad." Tracy put Matt Junior down for a nap. His father nuzzled his sister, who was strapped to dad?s chest, listening to his heart.?

The babies were nearing their first birthday, already veterans of a veteran?s life. Seven years after that sniper?s bullet interrupted their parent?s dreams, both children were finally doing well. Matt stroked Faith?s hair and grinned.

?Life would be boring if it were perfect and easy.?

?Did you ever lose hope?? I asked.

Tracy turned intense. ?Never. No!?

?Did you ever regret??

?No. No regrets. Not at all.?

Life no longer intimidates Tracy. She?d beaten bad times before. ?My house burned down when I was 13. My parents divorced.?

?Do you ever wonder: When is enough, enough??

?There have been moments when I?ve thought, ?OK, God, what?s going on? What did I do?? But there is no option of not being successful. So I figure it out. Make it work.?

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Matt?s eyes filled with emotion.?

?I know without her, I wouldn?t be where I?m at. She was there when I came home, when I was injured. I knew I had to be there for her.?

?What are you going to tell your children about life??

Matt paused. Thinking. Watching his kids crawling on the floor. Finally, he had his answer: ?No matter what you?re going through, it could be worse. I know that being a quadriplegic in a chair is not the worst thing that could have happened to me.?

?But when is enough, enough??

?We don?t dwell on the bad moments. We find ways to tackle them and move on.?

Matt rolled toward the front door.? Both kids were now strapped in for a ride.?

?Whee! Bumpy, bump, bump?.? he shouted as they bounced into the yard. The babies beamed. Their dad does not dwell on what he cannot do. He finds the fun in what he can.

Tracy watched them go. ?Matt?s here; that?s all that matters. He?s part of this family. He?s part of our lives. And he?s the same guy that he was when he left. He?s just got cleaner shoes.?

There?s an old saying: ?If you want to see God smile, tell him your plans.?

He?s got to be grinning now.

Know someone who would make a great American Story with Bob Dotson? Drop a note in my mailbox by clicking here .

? 2011 MSNBC Interactive.? Reprints

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45164127/ns/today-today_people/t/despite-paralysis-iraq-vet-thankful-be-dad/

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Best digital picture frames under $80

By Kara Reinhardt
Cheapism.com

For all the time we spend saying ?cheese? over the holidays, we seem to spend little time admiring the photos that result. Family portraits that don?t make the cut for the Christmas card wind up languishing on a memory card. A digital picture frame lets you put all those photos on display. It can also make a thoughtful gift, even for someone who?s not very tech-savvy, if you preload it with a selection of favorite snapshots. Respected brands such as Kodak and Sony offer plenty of features -- and, more important, excellent image quality -- for less than $80.

Look for resolution of at least 640x480 for a 7-inch frame. Larger frames require more pixels to display crisp photos. Experts recommend an aspect ratio of 4:3, the automatic setting on most digital cameras, or 3:2, which is standard on digital SLR cameras. Widescreen may be the way to go in an HDTV, but in a digital frame, an aspect ratio of 16:9 can make photos appear distorted or cropped.

You can fill a digital frame with pictures in a few different ways. Probably the simplest method is to insert a memory card or USB flash drive. Loading photos from a computer using a USB cord is a common alternative. Most models come with some internal memory so you don?t have to leave an external memory source in the frame all the time. A more sophisticated option is to transfer photos wirelessly, but low-cost frames seldom offer that capability.

Extra features available in this price range include a remote control, a slide show function, and built-in speakers and support for audio files, so you can set your photos to music. Many frames also double as a clock, alarm clock, and calendar.

Below are Cheapism?s top picks for affordable digital photo frames.

• The 7-inch Pandigital PAN7000DW (starting at $60) earns praise from experts and users for its ability to support not only image files but also music and videos. It offers 800x600 resolution, 1GB of internal memory, and a remote control. It also comes with a timer that can be programmed to turn the display on or off. (Where to buy)
• The 7-inch Kodak EasyShare P750 (starting at $77) can be found on sale for as little as $60. It boasts 800x600 resolution, a remote control, and 2GB of internal memory, at least double the amount of any other frame on our list. It?s also the only model efficient enough to earn Energy Star status. Reviewers recommend it for people without a lot of technical know-how. (Where to buy)
• The 7-inch Sony DPF-D710 (starting at $67) features a remote control and a timer and automatically rotates images to the proper orientation. It comes with 128MB of internal memory and a 16:10 aspect ratio but uses black bars to keep from stretching or cropping photos to fit the screen. Its 800x480 resolution is lower than our other picks?, but experts and users rave about the image quality. (Where to buy)
• The Tao Digital Photo Keychain (starting at $10) makes an appealing stocking stuffer. It comes in eight colors and packs 16MB of memory and three to four hours of battery life into 1.5 inches. Reviewers admire the vivid display. (Where to buy)

One final tip: PCMagpoints out that there?s no need to buy a device to display your photos if you own an iPad. You already have a $500 frame.

More from Cheapism:
Cheap Digital Photo Frames
Black Friday Deals
Amazon vs. Walmart
Cheap Tablets

Source: http://lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/22/8881607-cheapism-best-digital-picture-frames-under-80

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Singapore publisher sues Yahoo over copyright (AP)

SINGAPORE ? Singapore Press Holdings Ltd., which dominates the city-state's print media, has sued Yahoo Inc. for copyright infringement for allegedly reproducing content from its newspapers without authorization.

SPH alleges that for the past year, Yahoo posted articles, including those about politics and crime, that were first published in the print editions of The Straits Times, New Paper and My Paper. The publisher's legal case cites 23 examples of such unauthorized reproduction, said SPH spokeswoman Chin Soo Fang.

Media content in Singapore is closely monitored by the government, and the country's leaders have sued several international news outlets for defamation. The Straits Times reported Wednesday that this is the first time SPH has sued a website for copyright infringement.

Yahoo Southeast Asia confirmed the litigation but declined further comment.

Yahoo on Wednesday posted on its website a story by its newsroom that the company has filed a memorandum of appearance with the Singapore High Court to defend itself against SPH's allegations.

"We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against this suit," Southeast Asia Managing Editor Alan Soon said. "Our editorial business model of acquired, commissioned and original content is proven."

SPH filed a writ of summons and statement of claim to the High Court on Friday.

SPH, which trades on the Singapore stock exchange, publishes 18 newspapers in four languages and more than 100 magazines.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_hi_te/as_singapore_yahoo_lawsuit

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A first -- lab creates cells used by brain to control muscle cells

Public release date: 22-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Barbara Abney
barb.abney@ucf.edu
407-823-5139
University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida researchers, for the first time, have used stem cells to grow neuromuscular junctions between human muscle cells and human spinal cord cells, the key connectors used by the brain to communicate and control muscles in the body.

The success at UCF is a critical step in developing "human-on-a-chip" systems. The systems are models that recreate how organs or a series of organs function in the body. Their use could accelerate medical research and drug testing, potentially delivering life-saving breakthroughs much more quickly than the typical 10-year trajectory most drugs take now to get through animal and patient trials.

"These types of systems have to be developed if you ever want to get to a human-on-a-chip that recreates human function," said James Hickman, a UCF bioengineer who led the breakthrough research. "It's taken many trials over a number of years to get this to occur using human derived stem cells."

Hickman's work, funded through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health, is described in the December issue of Biomaterials. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961211010556)

Hickman is excited about the future of his research because several federal agencies recently launched an ambitious plan to jump-start research in "human-on-a-chip" models by making available at least $140 million in grant funding.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) are leading the research push.

The goal of the call for action is to produce systems that include various miniature organs connected in realistic ways to simulate human body function. This would make it possible, for instance, to test drugs on human cells well before they could safely and ethically be tested on living humans. The technique could potentially be more effective than testing in mice and other animals currently used to screen promising drug candidates and to develop other medical treatments.

Such conventional animal testing is not only slow and expensive, but often leads to failures that might be overcome with better testing options. The limitations of conventional testing options have dramatically slowed the emergence of new drugs, Hickman said.

The successful UCF technique began with a collaborator, Brown University Professor Emeritus Herman Vandenburgh, who collected muscle stem cells via biopsy from adult volunteers. Stem cells are cells that can, under the right conditions, grow into specific forms. They can be found among normal cells in adults, as well as in developing fetuses.

Nadine Guo, a UCF research professor, conducted a series of experiments and found that numerous conditions had to come together just right to make the muscle and spinal cord cells "happy" enough to join and form working junctions. This meant exploring different concentrations of cells and various timescales, among other parameters, before hitting on the right conditions.

"Right now we rely a lot on animal systems for medical research but this is a pure human system," Guo said. "This work proved that, biologically, this is workable."

Besides being a key requirement for any complete human-on-a-chip model, such nerve-muscle junctions might themselves prove important research tools. These junctions play key roles in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in spinal cord injury, and in other debilitating or life threatening conditions. With further development, the team's techniques could be used to test new drugs or other treatments for these conditions even before more expansive chip-based models are developed.

###

UCF Stands For Opportunity --The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the second largest in the nation with more than 58,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information visit http://news.ucf.edu

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 22-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Barbara Abney
barb.abney@ucf.edu
407-823-5139
University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida researchers, for the first time, have used stem cells to grow neuromuscular junctions between human muscle cells and human spinal cord cells, the key connectors used by the brain to communicate and control muscles in the body.

The success at UCF is a critical step in developing "human-on-a-chip" systems. The systems are models that recreate how organs or a series of organs function in the body. Their use could accelerate medical research and drug testing, potentially delivering life-saving breakthroughs much more quickly than the typical 10-year trajectory most drugs take now to get through animal and patient trials.

"These types of systems have to be developed if you ever want to get to a human-on-a-chip that recreates human function," said James Hickman, a UCF bioengineer who led the breakthrough research. "It's taken many trials over a number of years to get this to occur using human derived stem cells."

Hickman's work, funded through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health, is described in the December issue of Biomaterials. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961211010556)

Hickman is excited about the future of his research because several federal agencies recently launched an ambitious plan to jump-start research in "human-on-a-chip" models by making available at least $140 million in grant funding.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) are leading the research push.

The goal of the call for action is to produce systems that include various miniature organs connected in realistic ways to simulate human body function. This would make it possible, for instance, to test drugs on human cells well before they could safely and ethically be tested on living humans. The technique could potentially be more effective than testing in mice and other animals currently used to screen promising drug candidates and to develop other medical treatments.

Such conventional animal testing is not only slow and expensive, but often leads to failures that might be overcome with better testing options. The limitations of conventional testing options have dramatically slowed the emergence of new drugs, Hickman said.

The successful UCF technique began with a collaborator, Brown University Professor Emeritus Herman Vandenburgh, who collected muscle stem cells via biopsy from adult volunteers. Stem cells are cells that can, under the right conditions, grow into specific forms. They can be found among normal cells in adults, as well as in developing fetuses.

Nadine Guo, a UCF research professor, conducted a series of experiments and found that numerous conditions had to come together just right to make the muscle and spinal cord cells "happy" enough to join and form working junctions. This meant exploring different concentrations of cells and various timescales, among other parameters, before hitting on the right conditions.

"Right now we rely a lot on animal systems for medical research but this is a pure human system," Guo said. "This work proved that, biologically, this is workable."

Besides being a key requirement for any complete human-on-a-chip model, such nerve-muscle junctions might themselves prove important research tools. These junctions play key roles in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in spinal cord injury, and in other debilitating or life threatening conditions. With further development, the team's techniques could be used to test new drugs or other treatments for these conditions even before more expansive chip-based models are developed.

###

UCF Stands For Opportunity --The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the second largest in the nation with more than 58,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information visit http://news.ucf.edu

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uocf-af-112211.php

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Yemen president of 33 years quits amid uprising

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2010 file photo, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, center, with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, and his Yemeni counterpart Ali Abdullah Saleh, left, pose during a group picture with Arab and African leaders during the second Afro-Arab summit in Sirte, Libya. Saleh has signed an agreement to transfer power to his vice president. Saleh was shown on Arabic satellite television stations Wednesday Nov. 23, 2011signing a proposal by his country's powerful Gulf Arab neighbors to end his country's 9-month old uprising. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2010 file photo, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, center, with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, and his Yemeni counterpart Ali Abdullah Saleh, left, pose during a group picture with Arab and African leaders during the second Afro-Arab summit in Sirte, Libya. Saleh has signed an agreement to transfer power to his vice president. Saleh was shown on Arabic satellite television stations Wednesday Nov. 23, 2011signing a proposal by his country's powerful Gulf Arab neighbors to end his country's 9-month old uprising. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

FILE - In this this file image taken from a prerecorded video and broadcast Thursday July 7, 2011 on Yemen state TV from Saudi Arabia, Yemen's embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh lashes out at opponents seeking to drive him from power in his first public appearance since he was injured last month in a blast at his palace compound. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says he will cooperate fully with his country's new proposed unity government after he signed an agreement to transfer power to his vice president. Saleh spoke Wednesday after signing a proposal by his country's powerful Gulf Arab neighbors aimed at ending his country's 9-month old uprising. (AP Photo/Yemen state TV, File) NO ACCESS YEMEN

Defected army soldiers, right, stand guard while protestors march during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Yemeni female protestors march during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. Arabic on the banner reads, "people are free, and they reject immunity and guarantee Saleh." (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

A defected army soldier, center, carries a M72 Law during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) ? Yemen's authoritarian President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed Wednesday to step down amid a fierce uprising to oust him after 33 years in power. The U.S. and its powerful Gulf allies pressed for the deal, concerned that a security collapse in the impoverished Arab nation was allowing an active al-Qaida franchise to gain a firmer foothold.

Saleh is the fourth Arab leader toppled in the wave of Arab Spring uprisings this year, after longtime dictators fell in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The deal gives Saleh immunity from prosecution ? contradicting a key demand of Yemen's opposition protesters.

Seated beside Saudi King Abdullah in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saleh signed the U.S.-backed deal hammered out by his country's powerful Gulf Arab neighbors to transfer power within 30 days to his vice president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. That will be followed by early presidential elections within 90 days.

He was dressed smartly in a dark business suit with a matching striped tie and handkerchief, and he smiled as he signed the deal, then clapped his hands a few times. He then spoke for a few minutes to members of the Saudi royal families and international diplomats, promising his ruling party "will be cooperative" in working with a new unity government.

"This disagreement for the last 10 months has had a big impact on Yemen in the realms of culture, development, politics, which led to a threat to national unity and destroyed what has been built in past years," he said.

Protesters camped out in a public square near Sanaa's university immediately rejected the deal, chanting, "No immunity for the killer." They vowed to continued their protests.

President Barack Obama welcomed Saleh's decision, saying it is an important step forward for the Yemeni people. He urged all involved to move immediately to implement the agreement. Obama said the U.S. would stand by the Yemeni people "as they embark on this historic transition" to realize their aspirations for a new beginning, and he acknowledged "important work" done by Gulf allies.

Saleh has clung to power despite the daily mass protests calling for his ouster and a June assassination attempt that left him badly wounded and forced him to travel to Saudi Arabia for more than three months of hospital treatment. He was burned over much of his body and had shards of wood embedded in his chest by the explosion that ripped through his palace mosque as he prayed.

Shortly before Saleh inked the agreement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the president told him he will travel to New York for medical treatment after signing it. He didn't say when Saleh planned to arrive in New York, nor what treatment he would be seeking.

Since February, tens of thousands of Yemenis have protested in cities and towns across the nation, calling for democracy and the fall of Saleh's regime. The uprising has led to a security collapse, with armed tribesmen battling security forces in different regions and al-Qaida-linked militants stepping up operations in the country's restive south.

For months, the U.S. and other world powers pressured Saleh to agree to the power transfer proposal by the Gulf Cooperation Council, and he agreed then backed down several times before. All the while, the uprising raged, security and the economy deteriorated. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula grew more bold, even seizing some territory.

Even before the uprising began, Yemen was the poorest country in the Middle East, fractured and unstable with a government that had weak authority at best outside the capital Sanaa.

Security is particularly bad in southern Yemen, where al-Qaida militants ? from one of the world's most active branches of the terror network ? have taken control of entire towns, using the turmoil to strengthen their position.

The nation of some 25 million people is of strategic value to the United States and its Gulf Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia. It sits close to the major Gulf oil fields and overlooks key shipping lanes in the Red and Arabian seas.

Saleh addressed the country's troubles without mentioning the demands of protesters who have filled squares across Yemen calling for his ouster, often facing deadly crackdowns from his security forces.

He also struck out at those who strove to topple him, calling the protests the protests a "coup" and the bombing of his palace mosque that seriously wounded him in June "a scandal."

Saleh said his ruling party will be "among the principal participants" in the proposed national unity government that is to be formed between his party and opposition parties, who also signed the deal.

Protests leaders have rejected the Gulf proposal from the beginning, saying it ignores their principle demands, which include instituting democratic reforms and putting Saleh on trial. They say the opposition political parties that signed the deal are compromised by their long association with Saleh's government.

Sanaa protest organizer Walid al-Ammari said the deal "does not serve the interests of Yemen."

"We will continue to protest in the streets and public squares until we achieve all the goals that we set to achieve," he said.

The plan Saleh agreed to calls for a two-year transition period in which a national unity government will amend the constitution, work to restore security and hold a national dialogue on the country's future.

The unarmed protesters have held their ground with remarkable resilience, flocking to the streets of Sanaa and other Yemeni cities and towns to demand reforms and braving a violent crackdown by government forces that has killed hundreds.

Their uprising has at times been hijacked by Yemen's two traditional powers ? the tribes and the military ? further deepening the country's turmoil. Breakaway military units and tribal fighters have been battling in Sanaa with troops loyal to Saleh in fighting that has escalated in recent months.

___

Hubbard reported from Cairo. Anita Snow contributed to this report from the United Nations.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-23-ML-Yemen/id-a357cdf9595140f6b30fa3eb7b5468e2

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