Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly wants to win now

Chip Kelly is entering his first season as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. (File photo)

PHILADELPHIA ? The schedule is longer, the roster infinitely smaller.

The major difference between the NFL and BCS football, the latter of which Eagles head coach Chip Kelly dominated, is the competition. No NFL franchise wins 87 percent of its games, as Kelly did the past four years at Oregon with a frenetic, explosive, no-huddle attack.

?Do we expect to go 46-7 over the next whatever years? No,' Kelly said recently after ripping himself away from an evaluation of the third-down offense of Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. ?I know it's extremely difficult to win in this league. You just look at everybody's record over the history of the game. It is a different game from that standpoint. But that's part of it. That's the challenge.

?You look at it and kind of embrace it.'

When Kelly gets away from that reality check, he's generally embraced by Eagles fans hungry to win. They've said hello, waved to him and even asked for autographs on his daily jogs through the neighborhood surrounding the NovaCare Complex.

Kelly returns from those runs through the front gate, which is just across the street from the banners fans held urging management to fire then-head coach Andy Reid.

Reid was dismissed earlier this year after missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the only time in his 14-year tenure. He left with 140 victories, including 10 in the playoffs, and a 58.3 percent winning percentage. The Eagles turned the page on Reid with a 4-12 finish that concluded with a brutal 30-17 loss to the New York Giants.

Kelly's job is to put the pieces back together. Rebuilding isn't in his vocabulary, even if it appears the Eagles are doing just that.

?My job is to win right now,' Kelly said. ?How do you think I'd be received in Philly if I told them we were going to write off this year? Those people that are waving to me on the streets right now, that isn't going to happen. But that's never been my mentality, either. We're not writing anything off. We're going out there to compete and see how it falls. If I went in the locker room and said this is going to be a really good year for us to get for the following year, that's not going to work. No one has a mindset like that.'

With training camp less than two weeks away, Kelly's plan is for all of the players to bunk in a nearby hotel after spending their afternoons practicing largely at the NovaCare Complex.
?That's when we play,' Kelly said. ?Twelve or 14 of our 16 games are played at 1 o'clock.'

The biggest position battle for the Eagles is at quarterback, where veteran Michael Vick, who has 56 NFL victories, takes on Nick Foles, who in six starts has beaten only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While Kelly has downplayed the competition and resisted all urges to name a starter, it is a big deal. Eagles fans know that as their quarterback goes, so goes their season.

Kelly's mantra is to ?treat everybody differently, just treat them fairly.' The quarterback competition will test that.

?We're going to name a starter at some point in time,' Kelly said. ?That's why I think it would be unfair right now because there hasn't been enough situations to evaluate. If someone said, ' Hey, we have to play a game tomorrow,' then we have to make a decision. But we don't have to play a game tomorrow. We have until Sept. 9.

?I don't think the positives of making an early decision outweigh making sure we make the right decision.'

Kelly, who grew up in Vermont, is every bit as eager to see which quarterback earns the spot as the fans who greet him on the street. Though he didn't specify the nature of the fan interaction on those jogging expeditions, the grin on his face told you it was creative.

?The fans in Philly tell you a lot of things,' Kelly said. ?It's a very interesting town. They've been great. It's obvious they're extremely passionate about the Eagles. That's evident no matter where you go. It's been awesome. But we haven't played a game yet either, so that could change.'

Eagles ownership, lest we forget, is wagering $32.5 million that Charles ?Chip' Kelly can mold the franchise into a perennial contender much like he did at Oregon. They've given him five years to do the job.

Was Kelly the first choice of Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie? Reports are Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M was offered the job in Philly. Bill O'Brien of Penn State also was a strong candidate. Like Kelly, both are offensive-minded guys.
In addition to up-tempo football, Kelly has brought ear-numbing music to practice, post-practice protein shakes and all-day-long nutrition concepts here from Eugene, Ore.

Speaking of which, there's still the question of whether Kelly bailed on the Ducks because of potentially crippling NCAA sanctions. The crippling was greatly exaggerated. The Ducks are on probation for three years with a modest reduction in scholarships due to recruiting-service violations. They're still bowl-eligible. Oh, and Kelly essentially is on probation from coaching BCS ball for 18 months.

The Eagles are hoping whatever Kelly has rubs off on them.

Kelly is confident it can happen because without having to recruit there's a heck of a lot more time to devote to preparation. And, well, football is football.

?It's always been football,' Kelly said. ?That's what it is. The only difference is that obviously the season is longer and the size of your roster is different. But the game of football is still the same. It's still 11-on-11 and us going out there and preparing and being more fresh and ready to play than the other team.'

Source: http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_23648048/nfl-philadelphia-eagles-coach-chip-kelly-wants-win?source=rss_viewed

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Emirates, Hanjin work together in China-India slot swap

A meeting of like minds at the Combined Logistics Networks annual meeting in Bangkok from May 25-30, 2010, aims to be a good start to rebounding quickly from the impacts of the Global Financial Crisis.

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Samsung Galaxy Prevail 2

Posted: 12 Jul 2013 Market status: Released

Pros

No pros

Cons

No cons

Description

The Samsung Galaxy Prevail 2 is an Android 4.1-based mid-range smartphone, with 4" display, 1.4 GHz processor, 5 MP rear snapper and 1.3 MP front-facing camera.

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Design

• Device type:
• OS:
• Dimensions:
  • 4.8 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches (122 x 64 x 13 mm)
• Weight:
  • 4.6 oz (130 g)
    the average is 4.4 oz (127 g)

Display

• Physical size:
• Resolution:
• Pixel density:

  Pixel density - The pixel density of a display represents the number of pixels over an area of one inch. It?s measured in ?pixels per inch?, or ppi. The higher the number, the more detailed and good-looking the display is.

• Touchscreen:
• Features:
  • Light sensor, Proximity sensor

Battery

• Talk time:
  • 8.00 hours
    the average is 11 h (650 min)
• Capacity:

Hardware

• Processor:

  Processor - The processor is the main computing component of a phone and is a major factor when it comes to the overall speed of the device. Some more powerful smartphones use dual-core and quad-core processors designed to deliver greater performance.

• Graphics processor:
• Storage expansion:
  • microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC up to 64 GB

Camera

• Camera:
• Camcorder:
• Front-facing camera:

Multimedia

• Music player:
  • Filter by:
  • Features:
    • Album art cover, Background playback
• Speakers:
• YouTube player:

Internet browsing

• Built-in online services support:

Technology

• CDMA:

  CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access. A technique of multiplexing, also called spread spectrum, in which analog signals are converted into digital form for transmission. For each communication channel, the signals are encoded in a sequence known to the transmitter and the receiver for that channel. The foremost application is digital cellular phone technology from QUALCOMM that operates in the 800MHz band and 1.9GHz PCS band. CDMA phones are noted for their excellent call quality and long battery life.

• Data:
• Positioning:

  Positioning - This field shows the positioning systems supported by the device. There are three main types: GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS. GPS - This is one of the most widespread global positioning technologies, developed and maintained by the U.S. government. It uses satellites in order to detect your location. Works best in clear weather. A-GPS - A-GPS stands for Assisted GPS and is the industry standard for positioning and navigation. ?Assisted? means that it can use local wireless networks, in addition to satellites, for quicker and more precise localization. GLONASS - GLONASS is a global positioning system, developed by the Russian Federation. It?s very similar to GPS, but isn?t so popular in cell phones.

• Navigation:

specifications continue after the ad

Connectivity

• Bluetooth:
• Wi-Fi:
• USB:
  • Connector:
  • Features:
    • Mass storage device, USB charging
• Other:
  • Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

Other features

• Notifications:
  • Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone
• Sensors:
• • Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording

To see the full specifications with in-depth details click here.

Despite our efforts to provide full and correct Samsung Galaxy Prevail 2 specifications, there is always a possibility of making a mistake. If you see any wrong or incomplete data, please LET US KNOW.

If you are interested in using our specs commercially, check out our Phone specs database licensing page.

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Samsung-Galaxy-Prevail-2_id7994

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Phillies Game Postponed Due To Weather

Citizens Bank Park (credit: Tim Jimenez)

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ? Friday night?s game between the Phillies and the Chicago White Sox has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The game has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 13^th at 8:15 p.m. as part of a day/night doubleheader.

Fans holding tickets for July 12 should attend the 8:15 p.m. game, which includes fireworks.? All gates, including Ashburn Alley, will open at 7:15 p.m. for the second game.

Saturday?s regularly scheduled 4:05 p.m. game will begin an hour earlier at 3:05 p.m. All gates, including Ashburn Alley, will open at 1:05 p.m.

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/12/phillies-game-postponed-due-to-weather/

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Study: Youth attitudes shift in Great Recession

CHICAGO (AP) ? Drew Miller clearly remembers the day his father was laid off.

Miller, now 25, was a freshman at an Ohio college, full of hope and ready to take on the world. But here was this "red flag ... a big wake-up call," he says. The prosperous years of childhood were over, and his future was likely to be bumpier than he'd expected.

Across the country, others of Miller's generation heard that same wake-up call as the Great Recession set in. But would it change them? And would the impact last?

The full effect won't be known for a while, of course. But a new analysis of a long-term survey of high school students provides an early glimpse at ways their attitudes shifted in the first years of this most recent economic downturn.

Among the findings: Young people showed signs of being more interested in conserving resources and a bit more concerned about their fellow human beings.

Compared with youths who were surveyed a few years before the recession hit, more of the Great Recession group also was less interested in big-ticket items such as vacation homes and new cars ? though they still placed more importance on them than young people who were surveyed in the latter half of the 1970s, an era with its own economic challenges.

Either way, it appears this latest recession "has caused a lot of young people to stop in their tracks and think about what's important in life," says Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University who co-authored the study with researchers from UCLA.

The analysis, released Thursday, is published in the online edition of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Its data comes from "Monitoring the Future," an annual survey of young people that began in the mid-1970s. The authors of the study compared responses of high school seniors from three time periods ? 1976-1978 and 2004-2006, as well as 2008-2010, the first years of the Great Recession.

They found that at the beginning of this latest recession, more of the 12th-graders were willing to use a bicycle or mass transit instead of driving ? 36 percent in 2008-2010, compared with 28 percent in the mid-2000s. However, that was still markedly lower than the 49 percent of respondents in the 1970s group who said the same.

There were similar patterns for other responses, such as those who said they:

?Make an effort to turn heat down to save energy: 78 percent (1976-1978); 55 percent (2004-2006); and 63 percent (2008-2010).

?Want a job directly helpful to others: 50 percent (1976-1978); 44 percent (2004-2006); and 47 percent (2008-2010).

?Would eat differently to help the starving: 70 percent (1976-1978); 58 percent (2004-2006); and 61 percent (2008-2010).

Psychologist Patricia Greenfield said the findings fit with other research she's done that shows that people become more community-minded, and less materialistic, when faced with economic hardship.

"To me, it's a silver lining," says Greenfield, another of the study's contributors, along with lead author Heejung Park, an advanced doctoral student in psychology at UCLA.

Their analysis found that, of the three groups, the Great Recession group was still most likely to want jobs where they could make a "significant" amount of money. But the authors say that may simply be attributable to the ever-rising cost of day-to-day expenses, from groceries to electric and gas bills.

In comparison, they note that the Great Recession group also showed a bit less interest in luxury items than the students who were surveyed in the mid-2000s.

For instance, 41 percent of high school seniors questioned 2008-2010 said it was important to own a vacation home, compared with 46 percent in 2004-2006. Again, both percentages are higher than the 34 percent who said the same in 1976-1978.

These findings have a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1 percentage point, or less.

Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, which tracks youth trends, says the analysis fits with what she's seen in her own work.

Many young people, she says, are living in what she calls "millennial purgatory," unemployed or under-employed, working in jobs below their qualifications, and sometimes still living at home with their parents. During the Great Recession the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds has risen above 20 percent ? more than double the overall rate.

"If you're 22 and trying to jump-start your life right now, it's not so easy," Wells says.

As a result, various 20-somethings have tempered their career expectations in different ways.

Until the economy improves, "I've been opting for security over the perfect job," says Calvin Wagner, a 24-year-old accountant in suburban Cincinnati. As he bides his time, working for a small company with little chance for advancement, he's studying for the exam to become a certified public accountant.

Like many of the survey respondents, Ashley Rousseau, a 25-year-old in Miami, says she's now more focused on a job that helps her community in some way than in landing "a corner office."

"The recession made it even more clear that I'm not going to find job satisfaction from a high-paying career," says Rousseau, who's getting her MBA and works at the medical school at Florida International University, which she says "improves the medical care in the community."

"I'm proud to be part of that mission," she says.

Miller, the 25-year-old whose dad was laid off, left Ohio when he couldn't find work there in his field, electrical engineering. He moved to Alexandria, Va., after finding a government contracting job. But he recently decided to take a chance on a new company that's using "smart technology" to help big corporations cut electrical usage for lighting their spaces.

Though it meant taking a small pay cut, he says having a job that helps the environment was a "huge" motivator.

It remains to be seen, however, how members of this generation will cope with this economic adversity.

Brent Donnellan, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University, has found that how parents handle the stress of an economic situation affects a child's resilience. But so does the child's personality. Perhaps not surprisingly, Donnellan says, studies have found that young people who have more self-control and who do well in school tend to weather economic hardship better.

Still others wonder if the shifts in attitudes noted in the study will last.

Lane Kenworthy, who's looked at the impact of various recessions, isn't so sure.

"In almost every case, public opinion has roughly gone back right back to what it was before," says Kenworthy, a professor of sociology and political science at the University of Arizona, who co-wrote a chapter on this topic for a book titled "The Great Recession."

The biggest exception, he says, is the Great Depression of the 1930s, when unemployment rose as high as 25 percent.

That major economic downturn saw a big shift toward the Democratic party, he says, and an embracing of government programs such as Social Security.

The downturn of the 1970s ? which caused public opinion to sway Republican ? was the only other noteworthy exception he found, he says.

Kenworthy says this recession might impact young people more because they tend to be more impressionable than their elders. But he says a lot will hinge on how long the economic downturn lasts ? and how deeply they feel the pain.

Miller, in Virginia, says he still sees a lot of his peers living beyond their means and that worries him.

"I hope that mentality will change to say, 'Hey, we have to plan ahead' because this could happen again," he says.

But Monica Raofpur, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, doubts the Great Recession will forever change her generation.

"People usually adapt to their surroundings and make decisions based on what is going on in the present, not in the past," says Raofpur, a sales consultant in the tech industry.

The UCLA/San Diego State study was funded by the Russell Sage Foundation, which focuses social issues and has funded several projects related to the Great Recession.

___

On the Internet:

Russell Sage Foundation: http://www.russellsage.org

___

Martha Irvine is an AP national writer. She can be reached at mirvine@ap.org or at http://twitter.com/irvineap .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-youth-attitudes-shift-great-recession-092134728.html

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WATCH NBA: WNBA Indiana Fever W VS Minnesota Lynx W 11:00am-1.00pm EST USA July 11th, 2013: Live Streaming

By Admin, on July 10th, 2013

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Lady GaGa to make her return at London's iTunes festival

GaGa, ooh la la

If you're wondering where the bloody hell Lady GaGa's got to lately, she's been down the deli counter in her local supermarket getting some poor person to wrap her in Parma ham, dip her in bacon bits and drizzle English mustard all over her on a daily basis. Or working on a new album or something. Anyway, rumours are now well and truly RIFE that GaGa's finally gonna make her pop comeback at this year's iTunes Festival. Hoorah.

Following her hip surgery earlier this year, GaGa's expected to launch her brand spanking new album 'ARTPOP' with a gig at London's rather intimate Roundhouse a la Jessie J, Arctic Monkeys and more in September.

According to reports, her quirky Haus of GaGa team are pulling out all the stops for the show - spending abput ?500,000 on the production of the whole ruddy thing. A pesky insider spilled to The Sun: "The gig in Camden has a huge budget and is likely to be the first anyone sees or hears of her album. The Haus Of GaGa team have been working in secret on costumes and stage sets for the show from their base in Paris.

"GaGa?s dancers have also been rehearsing but she?s only told her closest friends about the new direction she?s taking. The music is going to be a big departure and GaGa?s dreamed up a whole new image for the album."

Actual Apple - the team behind the whole shebang - have refused to comment, though. They said: "Apple does not comment on rumour or speculation." Ooh, get you.

What do you reckon? Excited for a possible GaGa return? Comments purlease.

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Images: Instagram/WENN

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sugarscape/~3/QUhDFelgrhQ/lady-gaga-make-her-return-londons-itunes-festival

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Faceboard - it's not Facebook OR Blackboard, it's Facebook AND Blackboard

"As students become more mobile they increasingly require access to their educational resources anytime and anywhere. University courses are typically managed through learning management systems, which were established to enable access to their educational resources online at any time, but are these enough? We are interested in researching the impact that Facebook can have for online students in an introductory programming course. In particular we want to know whether any learning can occur in Facebook. A programming group was set up on Facebook for our cohort of fully online students who already have access to Blackboard, our University?s learning management system, for them to discuss, chat and brainstorm about programming. We compare the student participation to the two environments: the Blackboard Discussion Forum and the Facebook programming group, over the semester of the course. In this paper we analyse the student postings and identify the similarities and differences of the two environments and we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each environment. Our primary finding was that Facebook attracted more students (over Blackboard) due to its social and community learning benefits, encouraging students to support one another. Blackboard was viewed as the authoritative and valid medium for official course material. Finally, there is a need for further work to determine how the two media may be better integrated for course delivery.

Maleko, M, Nandi, D, Hamilton, M, D?Souza, D, & Harland, J. (2013) Facebook versus Blackboard for Supporting the Learning of Programming in a Fully Online Course: The Changing Face of Computing Education. DOI 10.1109/LaTiCE.2013.31

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SOTI/~3/yE2bcl5U2mA/faceboard-its-not-facebook-or.html

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A clear look at LG's upcoming Optimus G2 (update 2: video)

There's still one month to go before LG officially unveils its Optimus G successor, but thanks to an anonymous tipster, we have a pretty clear idea of what it'll look like. Similar to the G2 leaks we've seen in the past, this upcoming Android flagship falls more in line with the (LG-made) Nexus 4's rounded-edge design than the blockiness of the original Optimus G. As you can see in the image above, the purported G2's 5.2-inch, 1080p display is surrounded by very little bezel, making it appear near edge-to-edge. LG's also foregoing the three capacitive Android navigation buttons featured on the original G in favor of an onscreen (stock Android-like) arrangement. On back, we can clearly see LG is indeed going forward with that quirky volume rocker placement, which puts the controls just below the camera -- rumored to be a 13-megapixel module.

Further corroborating earlier reports and LG's own official confirmation, our tipster pegs the G2's processor as a Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.3GHz and paired with 2GB RAM. And although there are no visible signs of carrier branding on its glossy chassis, this particular G2 variant is supposedly headed to Sprint. Which, if true, lines up with the legacy set by the Sprint Optimus G -- a device that also launched free of the Now Network's logo. Apart from a few screens showing the launcher, camera UI and one of LG's various lockscreen options, there's not much more we know about its spec list (i.e. battery size). Though we fully expect more details to leak out in the run-up to August 7th. For now, check out the mini-gallery below and an additional, close up photo of the G2's volume rocker just after the break.

Update: We've received additional photos of the G2's settings menu confirming this model as a Sprint variant running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Update 2: 4Leakz has posted a video (after the break) showing the G2 in action. Reportedly, the phone is "very comfortable" and reminiscent of the Nexus 4, but thinner.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: LG Optimus G2 leak

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, LG

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/qkCbPDiBpoM/

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APNewsBreak: Docs paint ex-Patriot as triggerman

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) ? A man linked to the murder case involving former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez cast him as the triggerman in a police interview, according to documents filed Tuesday in Florida that provide the most damning evidence yet against the star athlete.

The records, obtained by The Associated Press, also show a vehicle wanted in a double killing in Boston a year before had been rented in Hernandez's name.

Hernandez has been charged with murder in the June killing of Boston semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. The records say Hernandez associate Carlos Ortiz told Massachusetts investigators that another man, Ernest Wallace, said Hernandez shot Lloyd in an industrial park near Hernandez's home in North Attleborough.

The documents were filed in court by the Miramar, Fla., police department to justify a search of Wallace's mother's home in that city.

The records also show that police, while investigating Lloyd's killing, searched in Hernandez's hometown of Bristol, Conn., and found a vehicle wanted in connection with a July 2012 double homicide near a Boston nightclub.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty in Lloyd's killing. His legal team did not return email messages Tuesday. Wallace faces an accessory to murder charge in the case and has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say Hernandez, Wallace and Ortiz drove with Lloyd in a rented Nissan Altima to the industrial park where Lloyd was fatally shot.

Ortiz told police that during the drive Hernandez told Lloyd that Lloyd had been "chilling" with people Hernandez had problems with, the documents say. But Ortiz told police the two men shook hands and the problem seemed smoothed over. However, the Altima soon stopped, and everyone but Ortiz got out to urinate, according to Ortiz's account.

The witness told police he then heard gunshots before Hernandez and Wallace got back into the car without Lloyd and the car sped away.

Ortiz said he couldn't see who fired the shots because it was dark. Back at Hernandez's home, Ortiz said, Wallace asked him to get a small gun out from under the driver's seat. Ortiz said he did and gave it to Hernandez once they were inside.

Ortiz said he then went to sleep. When he woke up in the afternoon, according to his account, the three men returned the Altima and rented a Chrysler 300 before returning to Hernandez's home. Ortiz and Wallace then went to an apartment in the area that Hernandez and other football players used. Wallace let Ortiz in before leaving for a long time, the documents say. The two then drove to Bristol. Ortiz told police Wallace said Hernandez shot Lloyd.

The gun used in the killing has not been found.

Hernandez, Wallace and Ortiz appear linked through Bristol. Wallace told Florida police he grew up with Hernandez's father. Ortiz's attorney, John Connors, said Tuesday his client, who's athletic and around the age of Hernandez's older brother, is from Bristol.

Meanwhile, eight search warrants were unsealed in Massachusetts after news organizations sought access to them. The warrants reveal the breadth of the investigation, with authorities scouring through everything from Hernandez's house to his phone to the contents of his team locker, which the Patriots emptied into a container after they released him.

A rifle, ammunition and video surveillance equipment were among the items police seized from Hernandez's home.

Records show Hernandez, who played tight end, became "argumentative" during his first encounter with police at his home about five hours after Lloyd's body was found by a jogger. Hernandez told police he had last seen Lloyd in Boston the day before. He asked, "What's with all the questions?" and locked the door behind him.

He then returned with his attorney's business card but didn't respond when police told him they were investigating a death, the records show.

"Mr. Hernandez slammed the door and relocked it behind him," the records read. "Mr. Hernandez did not ask officers whose death was being investigated. Mr. Hernandez's demeanor did not indicate any concern for the death of any person."

Hernandez came out later and agreed to be questioned at a police station.

The documents also say Hernandez called his girlfriend's cellphone and stopped her from speaking with police after they pulled her over and told her Lloyd was dead.

___

Associated Press writers Erika Niedowski in Attleboro and Jay Lindsay in Boston contributed to this report. Anderson reported from Miami.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-docs-paint-ex-patriot-triggerman-015442700.html

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A former NFL player is suing the Washington Redskins and former assistant coach...

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ROUTES AFRICA: Syphax Airlines Confirms Airbus Short-Haul Deal

Posted 08 July 2013 09:34

New Tunisian carrier Syphax Airlines has confirmed its tentative commitment to buy three Airbus A320neo and becomes the first African carrier to order the new engine option version of the popular short-haul airliner.? The deal, which also includes an arrangement for three A320ceo jets, the current production version, represents a significant breakthrough for Airbus in one of the world?s fastest developing markets.?

?

"Syphax Airlines is focused on continuing to grow its Tunisian, North Africa and Europe routes, and an expansion of its network to Asia and North America, through its hubs in Tunis and Sfax while offering passengers a luxurious service."

Mohamed Frikha,
Chairman and Director General, Syphax Airlines

?Syphax Airlines is focused on continuing to grow its Tunisian, North Africa and Europe routes, and an expansion of its network to Asia and North America, through its hubs in Tunis and Sfax while offering passengers a luxurious service,? said Syphax Chairman and Director General, Mohamed Frikha. ?Adding the A320neo to our fleet means we can achieve all of these goals while benefitting from a 15 per cent fuel saving and cost effectiveness.?

The carrier currently operates two A319s and three A320s from bases in Sfax and Tunis and will shortly commence operating a leased A330-200. ??The first of the new A320ceos are due to arrive in 2015 with the A320neos set to follow from 2019.?

The Syphax Airlines network currently covers a range of destinations across North Africa and Europe but it has ambitious plans to expand to a range of destinations across West Africa and to long-haul destinations, including the likes of Montreal and New York in North America, Rio de Janeiro in South America and Beijing and Tokyo in Asia.

Source: http://www.routesonline.com/news/29/breaking-news/207907/routes-africa-syphax-airlines-confirms-airbus-short-haul-deal/

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2 mutations triggered an evolutionary leap 500 million years ago

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kevin Jiang
Kevin.Jiang@UCHospitals.edu
773-795-5227
University of Chicago Medical Center

Resurrecting ancient proteins in the lab, researchers discover just 2 mutations set the stage for the evolution of modern hormone signaling

Evolution, it seems, sometimes jumps instead of crawls.

A research team led by a University of Chicago scientist has discovered two key mutations that sparked a hormonal revolution 500 million years ago.

In a feat of "molecular time travel," the researchers resurrected and analyzed the functions of the ancestors of genes that play key roles in modern human reproduction, development, immunity and cancer. By re-creating the same DNA changes that occurred during those genes' ancient history, the team showed that two mutations set the stage for hormones like estrogen, testosterone and cortisol to take on their crucial present-day roles.

"Changes in just two letters of the genetic code in our deep evolutionary past caused a massive shift in the function of one protein and set in motion the evolution of our present-day hormonal and reproductive systems," said Joe Thornton, PhD, professor of human genetics and ecology & evolution at the University of Chicago, who led the study.

"If those two mutations had not happened, our bodies today would have to use different mechanisms to regulate pregnancy, libido, the response to stress, kidney function, inflammation, and the development of male and female characteristics at puberty," Thornton said.

The findings were published online June 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Understanding how the genetic code of a protein determines its functions would allow biochemists to better design drugs and predict the effects of mutations on disease. Thornton said the discovery shows how evolutionary analysis of proteins' histories can advance this goal, Before the group's work, it was not previously known how the various steroid receptors in modern species distinguish estrogens from other hormones.

The team, which included researchers from the University of Oregon, Emory University and the Scripps Research Institute, studied the evolution of a family of proteins called steroid hormone receptors, which mediate the effects of hormones on reproduction, development and physiology. Without receptor proteins, these hormones cannot affect the body's cells.

Thornton's group traced how the ancestor of the entire receptor familywhich recognized only estrogensevolved into descendant proteins capable of recognizing other steroid hormones, such as testosterone, progesterone and the stress hormone cortisol.

To do so, the group used a gene "resurrection" strategy. They first inferred the genetic sequences of ancient receptor proteins, using computational methods to work their way back up the tree of life from a database of hundreds of present-day receptor sequences. They then biochemically synthesized these ancient DNA sequences and used molecular assays to determine the receptors' sensitivity to various hormones.

Thornton's team narrowed down the time range during which the capacity to recognize non-estrogen steroids evolved, to a period about 500 million years ago, before the dawn of vertebrate animals on Earth. They then identified the most important mutations that occurred during that interval by introducing them into the reconstructed ancestral proteins. By measuring how the mutations affected the receptor's structure and function, the team could re-create ancient molecular evolution in the laboratory.

They found that just two changes in the ancient receptor's gene sequence caused a 70,000-fold shift in preference away from estrogens toward other steroid hormones. The researchers also used biophysical techniques to identify the precise atomic-level mechanisms by which the mutations affected the protein's functions. Although only a few atoms in the protein were changed, this radically rewired the network of interactions between the receptor and the hormone, leading to a massive change in function.

"Our findings show that new molecular functions can evolve by sudden large leaps due to a few tiny changes in the genetic code," Thornton said. He pointed out that, along with the two key changes in the receptor, additional mutations, the precise effects of which are not yet known, were necessary for the full effects of hormone signaling on the body to evolve.

###

This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

---

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?

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: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kevin Jiang
Kevin.Jiang@UCHospitals.edu
773-795-5227
University of Chicago Medical Center

Resurrecting ancient proteins in the lab, researchers discover just 2 mutations set the stage for the evolution of modern hormone signaling

Evolution, it seems, sometimes jumps instead of crawls.

A research team led by a University of Chicago scientist has discovered two key mutations that sparked a hormonal revolution 500 million years ago.

In a feat of "molecular time travel," the researchers resurrected and analyzed the functions of the ancestors of genes that play key roles in modern human reproduction, development, immunity and cancer. By re-creating the same DNA changes that occurred during those genes' ancient history, the team showed that two mutations set the stage for hormones like estrogen, testosterone and cortisol to take on their crucial present-day roles.

"Changes in just two letters of the genetic code in our deep evolutionary past caused a massive shift in the function of one protein and set in motion the evolution of our present-day hormonal and reproductive systems," said Joe Thornton, PhD, professor of human genetics and ecology & evolution at the University of Chicago, who led the study.

"If those two mutations had not happened, our bodies today would have to use different mechanisms to regulate pregnancy, libido, the response to stress, kidney function, inflammation, and the development of male and female characteristics at puberty," Thornton said.

The findings were published online June 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Understanding how the genetic code of a protein determines its functions would allow biochemists to better design drugs and predict the effects of mutations on disease. Thornton said the discovery shows how evolutionary analysis of proteins' histories can advance this goal, Before the group's work, it was not previously known how the various steroid receptors in modern species distinguish estrogens from other hormones.

The team, which included researchers from the University of Oregon, Emory University and the Scripps Research Institute, studied the evolution of a family of proteins called steroid hormone receptors, which mediate the effects of hormones on reproduction, development and physiology. Without receptor proteins, these hormones cannot affect the body's cells.

Thornton's group traced how the ancestor of the entire receptor familywhich recognized only estrogensevolved into descendant proteins capable of recognizing other steroid hormones, such as testosterone, progesterone and the stress hormone cortisol.

To do so, the group used a gene "resurrection" strategy. They first inferred the genetic sequences of ancient receptor proteins, using computational methods to work their way back up the tree of life from a database of hundreds of present-day receptor sequences. They then biochemically synthesized these ancient DNA sequences and used molecular assays to determine the receptors' sensitivity to various hormones.

Thornton's team narrowed down the time range during which the capacity to recognize non-estrogen steroids evolved, to a period about 500 million years ago, before the dawn of vertebrate animals on Earth. They then identified the most important mutations that occurred during that interval by introducing them into the reconstructed ancestral proteins. By measuring how the mutations affected the receptor's structure and function, the team could re-create ancient molecular evolution in the laboratory.

They found that just two changes in the ancient receptor's gene sequence caused a 70,000-fold shift in preference away from estrogens toward other steroid hormones. The researchers also used biophysical techniques to identify the precise atomic-level mechanisms by which the mutations affected the protein's functions. Although only a few atoms in the protein were changed, this radically rewired the network of interactions between the receptor and the hormone, leading to a massive change in function.

"Our findings show that new molecular functions can evolve by sudden large leaps due to a few tiny changes in the genetic code," Thornton said. He pointed out that, along with the two key changes in the receptor, additional mutations, the precise effects of which are not yet known, were necessary for the full effects of hormone signaling on the body to evolve.

###

This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

---

[ | 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/2013-06/uocm-tmt062413.php

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Child fire safety education pays off | Otago Daily Times Online News ...

Hemi Wharerimu (6, front) with his sister Kowhai (4), parents Emily and Nathan Wharerimu revisit the heater which burst into flames in Hemi's room at the weekend. Photo by Craig Baxter.

A Dunedin boy has been credited with saving his family from a potentially lethal house fire by alerting them to a burning heater in his bedroom early on Saturday.

Nathan Wharerimu was surprised to be woken by his son Hemi about 2am, shouting about a fire in his bedroom.

Hemi had woken to find his bedroom heater on fire, so he went to the bedroom next door to get his sister, before heading downstairs to raise the alarm to his parents.

Mr Wharerimu said he grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran up the stairs of his Ryehill St house to his son's room where he found an oil fin heater well alight and the room quickly filling with smoke. He put out the fire, but rang the Fire Brigade as a precaution.

''I don't know why Hemi woke up. The fire alarm batteries had gone flat. This was a good lesson for us.

''We're kicking ourselves for not checking. It could have been done quite easily.

''Cleaning up yesterday, it really brought it home that we could have been organising a funeral today.''

He was thankful for his son's actions, and that his family was celebrating a birthday yesterday rather than a fatality.

''Hemi's a hero - he got some treats the next day, that's for sure,'' his relieved father said.

East Otago Fire Risk Management officer Barry Gibson praised Hemi's actions, but stopped short of calling him a hero.

''What he did was the correct thing to do - to get help and then get out safely.''

Mr Gibson said when children found fire, it was common for them to shut the door and ignore the problem.

He said fire safety officers had spent a lot of time educating children about fire safety and what to do in the event of a fire. He believed the Wharerimu family had benefited from that education.

''Teaching them what to do is always going to be helpful at times like this.''

Thirty-one special smoke alarms for deaf children were handed over to the Otago Association for Deaf Children last Friday night. The $500 wireless alarms set off flashing lights and a vibration under the pillow of a sleeping child.

About $12,500 for the alarms was raised by the Green Island and Balmacewen Lions Clubs, Special Rigs for Special Kids, and donated by the Lloyd Morgan Lions Club Charitable Trust. Alan Hughes from the Otago Association for Deaf Children said the portable alarms offered deaf children, especially teenagers, some independence and security.

-john.lewis@odt.co.nz

Source: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/262178/child-fire-safety-education-pays

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Pakistan: 10 foreign tourists, local guide killed

Pakistani rescue workers unload the casket of a foreign tourist who was killed by Islamic militants from an ambulance to shift in a morgue of local hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, June 23, 2013. Islamic militants wearing police uniforms shot to death foreign tourists and at least one Pakistani before dawn as they were visiting one of the world?s highest mountains in a remote area of northern Pakistan that has been largely peaceful, officials said. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistani rescue workers unload the casket of a foreign tourist who was killed by Islamic militants from an ambulance to shift in a morgue of local hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, June 23, 2013. Islamic militants wearing police uniforms shot to death foreign tourists and at least one Pakistani before dawn as they were visiting one of the world?s highest mountains in a remote area of northern Pakistan that has been largely peaceful, officials said. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

FILE - In this May 4, 2004 file photo, Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain in the world, is seen from Karakorum Highway leading to neighboring China in Pakistan's northern area. Gunmen wearing police uniforms killed 11 foreign tourists and one Pakistani before dawn Sunday, June 23, 2013 as they were visiting one of the world?s highest mountains in a remote area of northern Pakistan, officials said. (AP Photo/Musaf Zaman Kazmi, File)

Pakistani rescue workers unload the casket of a foreign tourist, who was killed by Islamic militants, from an ambulance to shift in a morgue of local hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, June 23, 2013. Islamic militants wearing police uniforms shot to death nine foreign tourists and one Pakistani before dawn as they were visiting one of the world?s highest mountains in a remote area of northern Pakistan that has been largely peaceful, officials said. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistani rescue workers unload the casket of a foreign tourist who was killed by Islamic militants, from an ambulance to shift in a morgue of local hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, June 23, 2013. Islamic militants wearing police uniforms shot to death foreign tourists and at least one Pakistani before dawn as they were visiting one of the world?s highest mountains in a remote area of northern Pakistan that has been largely peaceful, officials said. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

ISLAMABAD (AP) ? Islamic militants disguised as policemen killed 10 foreign climbers and a Pakistani guide in a brazen overnight raid against their campsite at the base of one of the world's tallest mountains in northern Pakistan, officials said Sunday.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack at the base camp of Nanga Parbat, saying it was to avenge the death of their deputy leader in a U.S. drone strike last month.

The attack took place in an area that has largely been peaceful, hundreds of kilometers (miles) from the Taliban's major sanctuaries along the Afghan border. But the militant group, which has been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for years, has shown it has the ability to strike almost anywhere in the country.

The Taliban began their attack by abducting two local guides to take them to the remote base camp in Gilgit-Baltisan, said Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. One of the guides was killed in the shooting, and the other has been detained for questioning. The attackers disguised themselves by wearing uniforms used by the Gilgit Scounts, a paramilitary force that patrols the area, Khan said.

Around 15 gunmen attacked the camp at around 11 p.m. Saturday, said the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which spoke with a local guide, Sawal Faqir, who survived the shooting. They began by beating the mountaineers and taking away any mobile and satellite phones they could find, as well as everyone's money, said the club in a statement.

Some climbers and guides were able to run away, but those that weren't were shot dead, said the club. Faqir was able to hide a satellite phone and eventually used it to notify authorities of the attack.

Attaur Rehman, the home secretary in Gilgit-Baltistan, said 10 foreigners and one Pakistani were killed in the attack. The dead foreigners included three Ukrainians, two Slovakians, two Chinese, one Lithuanian, one Nepalese and one Chinese-American, according to Rehman and tour operators who were working with the climbers. Matt Boland, the acting spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, confirmed that an American citizen was among the dead, but could not say whether it was a dual Chinese national.

The shooting ? one of the worst attacks on foreigners in Pakistan in recent years ? occurred in a stunning part of the country that has seen little violence against tourists, although it has experienced attacks by radical Sunni Muslims on minority Shiites in recent years.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan claimed responsibility for the attack, saying their Jundul Hafsa faction carried out the shooting as retaliation for the death of the Taliban's deputy leader, Waliur Rehman, in a U.S. drone attack on May 29.

"By killing foreigners, we wanted to give a message to the world to play their role in bringing an end to the drone attacks," Ahsan told The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.

The U.S. insists the CIA strikes primarily kill al-Qaida and other militants who threaten the West as well as efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan. In a recent speech, President Barack Obama outlined tighter restrictions on the highly secretive program.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who wants to pursue peace talks with militants threatening his country, has insisted the U.S. stop the drone strikes, saying they violate Pakistan's sovereignty and are counterproductive because they often kill innocent civilians and stoke anti-U.S. sentiment in this nation of 180 million.

Sharif responded to the attack on the camp by vowing "such acts of cruelty and inhumanity would not be tolerated and every effort would be made to make Pakistan a safe place for tourists."

Officials expressed fear the attack would deal a serious blow to Pakistan's tourism industry, already struggling because of the high level of violence in the country.

The interior minister promised to take all measures to ensure the safety of tourists as he addressed the National Assembly, which passed a resolution condemning the incident.

"A lot of tourists come to this area in the summer, and our local people work to earn money from these people," said Syed Mehdi Shah, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan. "This will not only affect our area, but will adversely affect all of Pakistan."

He said the base camp was cordoned off by police and paramilitary soldiers after the attack, and a military helicopter searched the area.

Volodymyr Lakomov, the Ukrainian ambassador to Pakistan, also condemned the attack and said, "We hope Pakistani authorities will do their best to find the culprits of this crime."

Many foreign tourists stay away from Pakistan because of the country's reputation as being a dangerous place. But a relatively small number of intrepid foreigners visit Gilgit-Baltistan during the summer to marvel at the towering peaks in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, including K2, the second-highest mountain in the world.

An even smaller group tries to climb them. Nanga Parbat is over 8,000 meters (26,250 feet) tall and is notoriously difficult to summit. It is known as the "killer mountain" because of numerous mountaineering deaths in the past.

Pakistan has very close ties with neighboring China and is sensitive to any issue that could harm the relationship. Pakistani officials have reached out to representatives from China and Ukraine to convey their sympathies, the Foreign Ministry said.

The government suspended the chief secretary and top police chief in Gilgit-Baltistan following the attack and ordered an inquiry into the incident, said Khan, the interior minister.

The shooting was one of the worst attacks on foreigners in Pakistan in the last decade. A suicide attack outside a hotel in the southern city of Karachi killed 11 French engineers in 2002. In 2009, gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in the eastern city of Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen, a driver and wounding several players.

___

Associated Press writer Rasool Dawar contributed to this report from Peshawar, Pakistan.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-23-Pakistan/id-715733a14a8e4d55809017e7e9d962ec

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Good news for parents who were stung by children's in-app purchases: Apple is now reaching out to af

Good news for parents who were stung by children's in-app purchases: Apple is now reaching out to affected customers, with disputed purchases under $30 qualifying for a $5 iTunes voucher in compensation and larger sums being fully refunded in cash.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/good-news-for-parents-who-were-stung-by-childrens-in-ap-554579738

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AP PHOTOS: Supermoon looms bright in night sky

Look up in the sky for a super sight: the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.

The so-called supermoon will appear 14 percent larger than normal early Sunday as our celestial neighbor swings closer to Earth. Some may think the supermoon looks more dazzling, but it's actually an optical illusion. The moon looms larger on the horizon next to trees and buildings.

The moon will come within 222,000 miles of Earth and turn full around 7:30 a.m. EDT, making it the best time to view.

Here are AP photos of the supermoon:

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-supermoon-looms-bright-night-sky-025350564.html

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Obama: Time for excuses on immigration is over

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Declaring "the time for excuses is over," President Barack Obama is trumpeting the economic benefits of an immigration overhaul, arguing that a bipartisan bill picking up steam in the Senate would put the nation's loathed deficits and fragile entitlements on better footing.

A recent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers' nonpartisan scorekeeper, was Exhibit A in Obama's weekly radio and Internet address Saturday. The report shows deficits would fall nearly $1 trillion over two decades after the bill becomes law.

What's more, Obama said, the influx of immigrant-driven investment, technology and businesses would give the economy a 5 percent shot in the arm.

"This bipartisan, common-sense bill will help the middle class grow our economy and shrink our deficits, by making sure that every worker in America plays by the same set of rules and pays taxes like everyone else," he said.

Confidence that the overhaul could pass the Senate by impressive margins is growing, and leaders scheduled a test vote on the bill for Monday, with a final vote expected by the end of next week. Although the heart of the bill is a 13-year pathway to citizenship for millions living in the United States illegally, it was a military-style surge to U.S.-Mexican border security, added this week to placate wary Republicans, that was credited for giving the bill a much-needed boost.

Obama didn't specifically address the border amendment Saturday, but he did note that the bill "would continue to strengthen security at our borders." Despite concerns from some Democrats that the security provisions ? 20,000 new agents, 350 miles of new fencing, 18 new unmanned drones ? are overkill, Obama spokesman Jay Carney said Friday it would constitute a "breakthrough" that the White House applauded.

"The bill isn't perfect. It's a compromise," Obama said, reprising a line he's used throughout the process when Democrats have complained the bill has become too conservative. "But it's consistent with the principles that I and others have laid out."

In the Republican address, Rep. John Kline of Minnesota says Obama must show leadership to avoid an impending hike on student loan interest rates. He said it's fortunate that Obama and House Republicans agree on the issue and have both proposed plans that would tie interest rates to the market. He accused Senate Democrats of blocking each plan.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say they are content to let rates double," Kline said. "This eleventh-hour scrambling is a perfect demonstration of why we need to take the politics out of student loans once and for all."

___

Online:

Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.youtube.com/HouseConference

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-time-excuses-immigration-over-100152943.html

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Source: http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/38244200/device/rss/rss.xml

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Ex-Border Patrol agents get at least 30 years

SAN DIEGO (AP) ? A federal judge on Friday sentenced two former Border Patrol agents to at least 30 years in prison for running a ring that smuggled more than 500 illegal immigrants into the United States.

U.S. District Court Judge John Houston sentenced Raul Villarreal to 35 years in prison for being the ring leader and ordered him to pay a $250,000 fine. His brother, Fidel Villarreal, was sentenced to 30 years for managing the illicit business.

The sentences are among the longest given to border law enforcement officials for corruption.

Houston said he gave the severe sentences to deter other agents who have been entrusted by the American people to protect the border. The judge called their smuggling operation "disgusting" and a threat to national security.

Prosecutors said Raul Villarreal ? who made television appearances as an agency spokesman and once played the role of a smuggler in a public service ad ? recruited his brother to his ring. The veteran agents worked in cahoots with a corrupt Tijuana police officer and a network of others, including foot guides and drivers.

The agents would abandon their job duties manning the border to transport the migrants in Border Patrol vehicles ? sometimes several times a day from the Mexican city of Tijuana to a rugged mountainous area along the California border, federal officials said. Prosecutors said they smuggled in as many as 1,000 Mexicans and Brazilians; the judge put the figure at more than 500.

The ring smuggled in immigrants in groups of 10 and charged them about $10,000 per group, said prosecutors who alleged the brothers made more than $1 million from the scheme. The judge put the figure closer to $700,000.

"This long-term guaranteed method of bringing aliens into the United States was disgusting, pervasive and impacted significantly the national interest," Houston told the court before handing down their sentences.

Raul Villarreal thanked the court for giving him a "good trial, a fair trial." His brother echoed that. They did not show any emotion when the sentences were announced.

The federal probe began in May 2005 when an informant tipped off the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Investigators installed cameras in areas where migrants were dropped off, planted recording devices and placed tracking instruments on Border Patrol vehicles. They also trailed the ring's smuggling operations by airplane.

Prosecutors said when the brothers learned they were being investigated in June 2006, they quit their jobs and fled to Tijuana.

Two years later, the brothers were arrested there and extradited to the U.S. where they were charged with human smuggling, witness tampering and bribery.

Raul Villarreal's attorney, David Nick, had argued the prosecution's witnesses were not credible and surveillance yielded no evidence his client was the ring leader.

Fidel's attorney, Zenia Gilg, echoed that argument, saying the prosecution's case rested largely on two alleged accomplices who were promised leniency for testifying and "inconsistent statements" from migrants.

Gilg said an appeal will be filed.

"I was just disappointed," Gilg said after the sentencing. "The one thing I'm troubled by is the credibility that was given to the government's lead witness (an alleged smuggler). I felt the jury had rejected everything he said."

The Border Patrol has suffered a string of such embarrassments since doubling its size in less than a decade, including the case of an agent who pleaded guilty in April to smuggling marijuana while on duty along the Arizona-Mexico border.

But prosecutors and Judge Houston said the Villarreal case stands out as being among the worst corruption cases.

"They used their positions as Border Patrol agents to line their pockets," Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Salel said, adding later: "Unlike other corruption cases where agents have been led astray to join an organization, these agents created the organization. They called the shots. They were the ring leaders."

The defense asked the judge to request that the brothers be locked up at the same prison, but Houston declined.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-21-Border%20Agents-Sentencing/id-1b3bee3bbec54cad8552b0eac36e30f9

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