Diabetes Can Put You on Emotional Roller ... - Health and Fitness

Diabetes Can Put You on Emotional Roller Coaster
Researchers measured blood-sugar control, blood-sugar change during a 24 hour period and mood, be it anxiety, depression or anger. Quality of life was also assessed by researchers via questionnaires. Out of the 23 diabetic women, 12 had depression ?
Read more on Medical Daily

Medical marijuana program moves forward
Proponents to add anxiety say that while some medical marijuana users may experience slight anxiety as a side-effect, those who suffer from anxiety could find relief from their ailment through cannabis. Proponents to add depression to the list say ?
Read more on Eastern Arizona Courier

florida gators hope solo hope solo texas high school football fugazi fugazi indiana jones and the last crusade

Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Avengers' Reign Continues

Dominating the box office for a third weekend in a row and turning all competitors into casualties of war, The Avengers held on firmly to the number one spot breaking more records in the process. Audiences were not very excited about the new releases as the big-budget action tentpole Battleship suffered a poor opening in second place, the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy The Dictator failed to match the raunchy funnyman's past performances, and the all-star pregnancy comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting debuted in fifth with weak results. It was the first time in fourteen years that the normally-busy weekend before the Memorial Day holiday frame failed to deliver any $35M+ openings causing the top ten to fall below both last year's and 2010's levels.

The shawarma-loving super heroes continued to rule the box office as The Avengers grossed an estimated $55.1M in its third weekend on top, dropping a reasonable 47%. Disney's Marvel juggernaut has now amassed an eye-popping $457.1M in 17 days and broke two more speed records breaking $400M in 14 days and $450M after 17. The Dark Knight held both of those milestones before with 18 and 27 days, respectively. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team zoomed up to number six on the list of all-time-domestic blockbusters sitting right behind the $461M lifetime of Star Wars with a final North American take of near $600M likely.

Moviegoers have been loving Avengers and really have not been moved by all the other offerings that Hollywood has programmed into May. Studios knew that it would be a heavy hitter so they avoided slotting in any high-profile sequels into the first three weeks of its run for fear of being crushed. But the Iron Man-led film opened much stronger than expected and has been holding up very well utterly dominating the movie conversation and reaching beyond the core fan base of comic book geeks.

Avengers enjoyed the second largest third weekend gross in history trailing only the $68.5M of Avatar which had help from the New Year's holiday that frame. Both films enjoyed a boost from 3D surcharges although more of those screens are installed now. 2002's Spider-Man grossed $45M ten years ago this weekend while in its third session but actually sold about 30% more tickets than Avengers. 2008's The Dark Knight grossed $42.7M which was about even with Avengers in terms of tickets sold on the third weekend. The Batpic enjoyed a slightly better hold with its 43% decline.

With Avengers grossing so much, industry eyes will shift to the highly-anticipated The Dark Knight Rises which opens July 20. Being a 2D film, it's not expected to break the $207.4M record opening of Avengers. However, with stronger midweek grosses when students are out of school in July, its final tally could challenge the Marvel team's especially if it can hold up like its predecessor. While the gross is unprecedented, the Avengers audience size is not record-setting. Four years ago, Dark Knight pulled in $393.8M in its first 17 days which would equate to roughly $440M at today's 2D prices. Factor in 3D surcharges and the rough admissions totals would be 55 million for Dark Knight and 50 million for Avengers. Of course, Rises will not have the Heath Ledger factor but the good will created by the last Knight will certainly pay dividends this July.

Overseas, The Avengers banked another $56M in its fourth round for a $111.1M global weekend. The international cume has rocketed to $723.3M bringing the worldwide tally to a staggering $1.18 billion putting it at number four on the all-time global list right behind Avatar, Titanic, and the final Harry Potter. In another week or so, Nick Fury and pals will beat the Hogwarts clan and settle into what should be its final resting place with a bronze box office medal. Leading markets continue to be the U.K. ($72.3M), China ($69.3M), Mexico ($56.2M), and Brazil ($51.9M). Avengers has become the top-grossing movie of all-time for Disney which expects more cash to come from future films from Marvel which it owns.

Universal suffered a pricey misfire with the big-budget action film Battleship which just didn't connect with moviegoers. Costing at least $209M to produce with no other studios sharing the financial risk, the PG-13 naval adventure opened to only $25.4M, according to estimates, with an average of only $6,870 from 3,690 theaters. It would barely be a respectable performance for a film costing half as much. Audiences in the mood for a large-scale effects-driven action picture had Avengers to see - even if it was for a second time - and Battleship just did not stand out as a must-see film.

Critics and audiences were not too thrilled with what Battleship delivered. Reviews were mixed but more on the downbeat side while patrons polled by CinemaScore gave the film a mediocre B grade. As expected, the alien attack film loosely based on the alien-less board game skewed towards men as studio research showed that 57% of the crowd was male while 55% was 30 or older. An aggressive marketing campaign including Super Bowl spots failed to excite audiences who felt that the pic basically looked like Transformers at sea without Michael Bay at the helm. The cast included Liam Neeson, pop singer Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, and Taylor Kitsch who after John Carter now enjoys the distinction of starring in the year's two biggest flops. The more expensive Carter opened to $30.2M including 3D surcharges and has stalled at $283M worldwide for Disney.

Battleship set sail over a month ago in international waters where it found more success. Entering most markets at least two weeks before Avengers it was able to scoop up a decent amount of cash before getting pummeled by a superior action film. This weekend saw an estimated $6.5M bumping the offshore take to $226.8M and the global sum to $252.1M. But given its current grosses and the calendar ahead, the worldwide figure looks to finish in the neighborhood of $325M which will be a big disappointment given the massive production and marketing investments which add up to nearly the same amount.

Also underperforming and costing a lot (for its genre) was Sacha Baron Cohen's latest comedy vehicle The Dictator which bowed to an estimated $17.4M over the weekend and $24.5M since debuting on Wednesday. The three-day average was $5,790 from 3,008 locations. Over five days, the R-rated film grossed less than the three-day openings of the last two films the funnyman anchored. 2006's sleeper hit Borat opened to $26.5M from just 837 theaters while 2009's Br?no bowed to $30.6M from 2,756 locations. Both R-rated comedies landed at number one and were based on popular characters that Cohen had developed on his television series. Dictator brought some of the same brand of raunchy satire to a new character, an eccentric tyrant that ruled a fictitious North African oil-rich nation.

Reviews were generally good, however audiences were not pleased with what they paid for as the Paramount release earned a troubling C grade from CinemaScore. Br?no scored the same grade and quickly eroded away at the box office tumbling 73% in its sophomore frame. Cohen has been promoting his film in character on numerous talk shows and at prestigious film events like the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Awards in an attempt to make his product stand out as something buzzworthy. But American audiences may be getting tired of the same humor from the British comedian. And the budget of $65M was high for a comedy not driven by special effects or having a proven star like Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell.

Studio research showed that a steep 65% of the crowd was male and 56% was under 25. The Dictator had extremely limited female appeal and males had two huge effects-driven action films to go and see so competition took its toll. Political comedies usually skew older but Cohen's bold humor led to a young adult crowd taking interest. But with low customer satisfaction ratings and Men in Black 3 opening Friday, the domestic road ahead looks grim.

However, The Dictator fared well elsewhere in the world. The Wadiya pic debuted to an estimated $30.3M overseas from 29 markets - most of which are not among the world's top-grossing territories - taking the number one spot in 25 of them. Cohen's home market of the U.K. led with $7.2M over five days followed by Australia with $5.7M in five days. Both opened smaller than Br?no, though. Germany debuted to $4.5M which was bigger than the fashionista pic. The underwhelming American response may end up meaning little in the long run if international markets continue to embrace the film and perform well. With $54.8M globally in its first extended weekend, and France, Italy and Japan still to come over the months ahead, The Dictator seems positioned to recover its costs.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton saw their fans flee this weekend as their latest project Dark Shadows tumbled 57% in its sophomore round to an estimated $12.8M. Word-of-mouth has not been very good for the pricey film which cost an estimated $150M+ to produce. Warner Bros. has collected a disappointing $50.9M in ten days and looks headed for a $70-75M domestic finish putting tremendous pressure on international markets to deliver. Overseas, Shadows grossed an estimated $30.4M this weekend from 52 markets including a $5M debut in Japan boosting the international cume to $81.3M and the worldwide gross to $132.2M.

Lionsgate tried to offer counter-programming for adult women not interested in testosterone action tentpoles by releasing the all-star pregnancy comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting but was met with modest results. The PG-13 film starring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Rock, Dennis Quaid, and Brooklyn Decker in her second new film of the weekend bowed to an estimated $10.5M from 3,021 theaters for a sluggish $3,476 average. Reviews were more negative than positive but often times with these comedies starpower can trump bad buzz from critics. That wasn't the case here. With men being repelled by the subject matter, Johnny Depp taking in more money from adult women, and Avengers still sucking up all business from broad audiences, What to Expect failed to generate much excitement with its intended audience despite being based on a best-selling book. A B- CinemaScore for the $30M film indicates that the film should exit theaters soon.

The indie comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel expanded once again by doubling its run from 178 to 354 theaters and climbed up two spots to number six with an estimated $3.3M. The Fox Searchlight release averaged a solid $9,181 per location raising its total to $8.2M. Hotel is connecting with a crowd not interested in big studio tentpoles (all films above it on the chart are playing in 3000+ theaters) and is carving out its own piece of the box office pie. The ensemble hit will go nationwide on Friday for the long Memorial Day holiday frame reaching more than 1,100 playdates.

Lionsgate's franchise flick The Hunger Games held up well again dropping only 33% to an estimated $3M putting the stellar cume at $391.6M as it inches closer to the quadruple-century mark. Sony's hit comedy Think Like a Man followed with an estimated $2.7M, off 54%, for a $85.9M cume.

Falling 57% was the romance The Lucky One with an estimated $1.8M while Sony's 3D toon The Pirates! Band of Misfits dropped 54% to an estimated $1.5M. Totals stand at $56.9M and $25.4M, respectively.

The top ten films grossed an estimated $133.3M which was down 15% from last year when Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opened at number one with $90.2M; and down 6% from 2010 when Shrek Forever After debuted on top with $70.8M.

Follow Gitesh on Twitter

world financial center shabazz muhammad angela corey zimmerman charged bonobos charles manson actuary

1st tropical storm strengthens off Carolinas

MIAMI?? A tropical storm watch was issued for the South Carolina coast after Alberto formed on Saturday, bringing an early start to the Atlantic hurricane season.

Tropical Storm Alberto had maximum sustained winds at 50 mph. At 11 p.m. EDT, Alberto was centered about 110 miles south of Charleston and 155 miles east of Savannah, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. It was moving southwest at about 6 mph.

An earlier report from a ship near the storm's center had put maximum sustained winds at 60 mph, the Hurricane Center said.

A tropical storm watch was in effect from the Savannah River south to the South Santee River. The Hurricane Center advised people on the coast from Georgia to North Carolina's Outer Banks to monitor Alberto's progress.

Alberto had been forecast to make a slow loop during the next few days and then turn northeast, making its way along the U.S. mid-Atlantic seaboard before dissipating in about five days.

"A slow southwestward motion is expected to continue through Sunday," the Hurricane Center stated. "A turn toward the west-northeast and then toward the north and northeast is expected by Monday."

"Some strengthening is possible over the next day or so," it added.

The season officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but storms outside that time frame are not uncommon.

Reuters contributed to this report.

game change own stacy francis tournament brackets 2012 ncaa basketball tournament walt what time is it

The Record: Online gaming hurts Atlantic City ? Matters Dunaway

NEW JERSEY, says lobbyist William Pascrell III, is poised to become the Silicon Valley of Internet gambling. That sounds pretty impressive, but we have to wonder if its possible. More importantly, we dont think its even desirable.

Pascrell represents the online gambling industry and as such, he supports legislation permitting Internet wagering in New Jersey. A state Senate committee approved the bill this week and a similar bill is being considered by the Assembly.

Supporters say online gambling can increase casino revenue by as much as $250 million and bring the state $55 million annually in taxes. It may indeed do some of that, but it also would do something else: discourage people from visiting Atlantic City. And that makes no sense.

Governor Christie has spoken many times about remaking Atlantic City into a complete destination resort, a theme he most recently struck during opening ceremonies of the Revel Casino.

I think when folks see this place, theyll say, Ill spend a couple of days here, the governor told local reporters while touring the new, $2.4 billion casino-resort in late March. The key phrase is spend a couple of days in Atlantic City. That is what the state should be encouraging if it wishes to boost tourism there.

Internet gambling works against that goal by encouraging people to gamble at home as opposed to visiting Atlantic City and combining blackjack with patronizing city hotels, restaurants and other Boardwalk attractions. Besides giving gamblers a reason not to visit Atlantic City, we see other problems with the bill, notwithstanding proposed rules that are fairly strict. Players, who would create online accounts with casinos, would have to be 21 the same age they have to be to gamble in a casino and gambling would have to be done within state borders. As rigid as the regulations may be, it seems likely that some computer whiz would find a way to circumvent them.

An earlier version of the bill would have extended Internet wagering to the states horse-racing industry, but the governor vetoed it, partly because hes opposed to expanding gambling outside of Atlantic City. Christie should oppose this bill for the same reason.

There were high hopes for a revitalization of Atlantic City when casino gambling came to town in 1978. More than 30 years later, the anticipated turnaround has not occurred. Christie recognized that early in his term, expanding the powers of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to include planning and oversight of the citys prime tourist area.

In addition, the governor constantly promotes Atlantic City, sometimes by tweaking Las Vegas, the nations top gambling market, in the process. At a press conference last fall, he declared that those who visit Las Vegas in the heat of the summer are stupid and that they should head to the Boardwalk instead.

The best way to remake Atlantic City is to get more people to visit. Allowing people to gamble from their home computer is not the way to do that. This bill should be defeated. And if it passes, the governor should veto it again.

paul williams paul babeu kevin costner budweiser shootout animal house invincible jesse jackson

How to Be Popular on Twitter [User Manual]

Whether you are or not, everyone just wants to be loved and envied. No, shh, it's true. And thanks to the ease of the internet, you can finally realize the dream. Here's how to be the center of Twitter attention. More »

whcd 2012 nfl draft kevin durant jazz fest zurich classic selena lamichael james

RNA breakthrough transforms idea of gene control

Tiny chemical changes that do not alter the sequence of our DNA but modulate how it works have been found to act on a new part of our genetic machinery. The discovery could provide insights into many health problems, including obesity.

It has been long known that DNA can be altered "epigenetically" ? where changes occur without altering the sequence of DNA but leave chemical marks on genes that dictate how active they are by adding chemical methyl groups that silence genes, for example. Numerous environmental factors, such as stress and smoking, have been shown to influence these epigenetic marks.

Now, researchers have discovered that messenger RNA, the mirror-image copy of DNA from which all proteins are manufactured, can be methylated too.

"We've discovered something fundamental to biology," says Samie Jaffrey of Cornell University in New York, and head of the team that made the discovery. "It was there all the time and no-one knew about it."

Fundamental discovery

Jaffrey's team found that around a fifth of the RNA produced in cells from rat brains and human kidneys contained methylated versions of adenosine, one of the four building blocks of our genetic code. "It was exciting to find that 20 per cent had methyl groups, so it must be a pretty fundamental regulatory mechanism," says Jaffrey.

Separate analyses of assorted rat tissues demonstrated that the methylated RNA was concentrated in the brain, liver and kidneys. Also, samples from rat embryos showed that concentrations rose 70-fold in the brain as it reached the final stages of growth, therefore they are likely to play a fundamental role in development.

The team also discovered that the methyl groups are stripped off the RNA by an enzyme linked with obesity. The enzyme is made by a gene called FTO, one variant of which raises the risk of obesity by 70 per cent. People with an overactive copy of the gene are most at risk, suggesting that stripping the methyl groups from RNA might somehow alter our metabolism.

The researchers found that methylated adenosine tended to cluster close to the point on the RNA strand where protein manufacture reaches completion, and on regions where other proteins bind to the strand to alter or halt production. The suggestion is that methylation may therefore dictate how much protein gets made, and when. "It's not changing what would be made, but it might govern how much and when it's made," says Jaffrey. This, he says, could in turn have a big impact on a multitude of physiological processes and disease.

Journal reference: Cell, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.05.003t/k

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

ticket city bowl 2011 nfl playoff schedule cowboys vs giants ndaa timberwolves weight watchers rawhide

Guest Post and Giveaway! Computer Programming for Kids and ...

If your kids love to spend free time on their computers, wouldn?t it be great if that time was productive and skill-building as well as fun? Can you imagine offering a computer course that your students eagerly complete without any arm-twisting? Tell kids they can learn to?write their own computer programs and games, and then watch their eyes light up!

Today, computers are everywhere. Computer software enables most of your daily life, running not only your trusty personal computer but also cell phones, social media websites, car engines, television DVRs, online classrooms, ATM machines?the list is endless! Computers are controlled by their software, and software is written by programmers who have the necessary Computer Science training.?Our society needs software engineers more than ever, so don?t be afraid to encourage your child?s interest in computer programming.

It?s a common misconception that most computer programming jobs have been outsourced overseas. The reality today is that?US-based companies are desperate to hire qualified software engineers, but have a difficult time finding local candidates. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in the next decade, computer programming jobs will grow by 30%! A graduate with a Computer Science degree will earn nearly $20,000 more per year to start than the average bachelor?s degree recipient. Unemployment among computer programmers is a phenomenally low 4% even during the current economic downturn.

Early Computer Science education can pay off during college also! Students who study for and score well on the AP Computer Science Exam can?earn college credit while in high school. This means your student would save time and money by skipping over some introductory college classes. Early training will also help your student understand if software engineering is a career interest. Students who go to college without any prior experience in a subject may discover it?s just not a good fit, and changing majors one or more times can delay graduation.

Homeschool, private, and public school students all?deserve the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to master our digital age. If you have technically inclined students, what?s keeping you from offering a Computer Science course? If you?re like many parents, you may have dabbled with an old FORTRAN or Pascal course in the distant past, but don?t feel qualified to teach this subject yourself.

That?s why my wife and I have spent the last four years developing a fun, hands-on, self-study computer science curriculum for kids and teens. We teach students how to write their own computer programs, games, and even Android applications using the latest Visual Basic, C#, and Java languages. As professional software engineers, we believe that raising the next generation of computer scientists is critical in an increasingly computer-driven society.?If your student is interested in learning more about computer programming, we invite you to visit us at?http://www.HomeschoolProgramming.com.

Chris Yust is a 14-year veteran of the software industry and a father of two homeschooled boys. ?Chris and his wife Andrea are co-authors of six computer programming textbooks for kids and teens. ?You are welcome to learn more about homeschool computer programming courses or contact Chris at www.HomeschoolProgramming.com.

The Giveaway: ?One very lucky winner will receive their choice of any first semester course and video set from?http://www.HomeschoolProgramming.com. ?Please visit the website and leave a comment at the very end of this post telling me which course you would choose! ?Then come back up to the Rafflecopter contest form and click Enter for the very first entry. ?Please note that some of the courses require Windows and some do work on Mac computers. ?You can watch demonstration videos here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finished entering the giveaway? ?Keep Hopping thru the Homeschool Crew Blog Hop! ?Just click on the graphic below.

spinal stenosis the forgotten man mike jones just friends chronicle lance armstrong george lopez