Hospitalization of U.S. underage drinkers common: study

Hospitalization of U.S. underage drinkers common: study

Hospitalization for underage drinking is common in the United States, and it comes with a price tag -- the estimated total cost for these hospitalizations is about 755 million U.S. dollars per year, according to a Mayo Clinic study published online Wednesday in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

(Photo: File photo)

Of the roughly 40,000 youth ages 15 to 20 hospitalized in 2008, the most recent data available, 79 percent were drunk when they arrived at the hospital, researchers said. Alcohol abuse and addiction and drinking-related emotional problems were among the diagnoses.

Among all U.S. teens, roughly 18 of every 10,000 adolescent males and 12 of every 10,000 females were hospitalized after consuming alcohol in the year studied. In all, 700,000 young people in that age group were hospitalized for various reasons, including non-alcohol-related conditions, in 2008.

The researchers also found that 36 percent of U.S. high-school students report having consumed alcohol at least once, although the prevalence of heavy drinking is lower (seven percent).

"When teenagers drink, they tend to drink excessively, leading to many destructive consequences including motor vehicle accidents, injuries, homicides and suicides," Mayo Clinic addiction expert and psychiatrist Terry Schneekloth said in a statement.

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Extreme summer temperatures occur more frequently in U.S.: study

Extreme summer temperatures occur more frequently in U.S.: study

Extreme summer temperatures are already occurring more frequently in the United States, and will become normal by mid-century if the world continues on a business as usual schedule of emitting greenhouse gases, according to a study released on Wednesday by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers.

By analyzing observations and results obtained from climate models, the study showed that previously rare high summertime (June, July and August) temperatures are already occurring more frequently in some regions of the 48 contiguous United States.

"The observed increase in the frequency of previously rare summertime-average temperatures is more consistent with the consequences of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations than with the effects of natural climate variability," said Phil Duffy, who is the lead author of a report in a recent edition of the journal Climatic Change. "It is extremely unlikely that the observed increase has happened through chance alone."

The geographical patterns of increases in extreme summer temperatures that appear in observations are consistent with those that are seen in climate model simulations of the 20th century, Duffy said.

Based on model projection, Duffy and colleagues showed that previously rare summer temperatures will occur in well more than 50 percent of summers by mid-century throughout the lower 48 states, with the South, Southwest and Northeast projected to experience the largest increases in the frequency of unusually hot summers.

"What was historically a one in 20-year occurrence will occur with at least a 70 percent chance every year. This work shows an example of how climate change can affect weather extremes, as well as averages," Duffy said.

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Japanese cabinet approves outline of sales tax hike

Japanese cabinet approves outline of sales tax hike

The Cabinet of Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Friday approved an outline of integrated social security and tax reforms, which brings Noda one step closer to achieving his policy goal of raising Japan's consumption tax rate.

The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on Jan. 6 finalized the outline to increase the country's sales tax rate from the current 5 percent to 8 percent in April 2014 and to 10 percent in October 2015.

Noda has been calling for cross-party talks to gain support on the reforms. But the opposition camp has so far rejected his calls.

The government and the DPJ will continue to seek dialogue with the opposition parties, including the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, lawmakers said.

The opposition party's cooperation is needed for the passage of legislation in the divided Diet, where the ruling party lacks a majority in the upper house.

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Apple claims firm broke trademark agreement

Apple claims firm broke trademark agreement

After a number of online stores suspended sales of Apple's iPad, the US tech giant accused Proview Technology of not honoring its agreement to transfer the rights to use the trademark for the product in China.

Illustrative image. (Photo: Internet)

Many Chinese online stores, including Amazon China and Gome, pulled the iPad after local administrations of industry and commerce seized loads of the popular tablet computers from a second-tier city.

"We bought Proview's worldwide rights to the iPad trademark in 10 different countries several years ago," according to a statement Apple sent to China Daily on Wednesday.

"Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple, and a Hong Kong court has sided with Apple in this matter," according to the statement, which also said the case is still pending on the Chinese mainland.

Proview Technology Shenzhen holds the trademark it registered in 2001, according to the official website of China's trademark authority. It claimed Apple made a deal to buy the iPad trademark from Proview Technology Taiwan, a company associated with but still a separate entity from the Shenzhen company.

Gome, a major electronic appliance store in China, is the latest to suspend sales of the iPad online, though it said on Wednesday its "stock is abundant".

"We will not stop selling iPad in brick-and-mortar stores until the final verdict on Apple's case is out," said a public relations worker with Gome.

Amazon China also told China Daily that the iPad has been unavailable online "according to Apple's sales policy".

"Apple hopes the iPad will be sold offline," said a public relations worker with Amazon.

Media reported 360buy.com, another popular online store, suspended iPad sales for hours on Tuesday.

Over the past few weeks, Apple has been uncommunicative, while the Shenzhen company has reached out to the media about its repeated complaints to market regulators and sent pleas to customs officials to impose an embargo on the iPad 3, which is expected later this spring.

Apple's statement did not specify from which company underneath the Proview umbrella it had acquired the iPad trademark.

Xie Xianghui, a lawyer representing Proview Technology Shenzhen, said Apple's "partial" reply is meant to confuse the public.

He added that the verdict in Hong Kong will not have any influence on other trials on the mainland - where the two companies also sued each other for the copyright - because of the different legal frameworks.

Xie countered Apple's claim that the Hong Kong court sided with it in the dispute.

"Apple is worried the iPad trademark will be resold before the hearing is finished, so it asked the Hong Kong court to forbid Proview Shenzhen from doing that," he said, adding that the court's decision to prevent the trademark from being transferred cannot be seen as showing that it has ruled in favor of Apple.

It is uncertain at this time when exactly the trial will begin in Hong Kong, and the lawyer said the evidence exchange has begun and will last until March.

Yu Guofu, a Beijing-based lawyer specializing in intellectual property rights, said the verdict of the Hong Kong trial or that of the mainland will not have any influence on one another or vice versa.

"The root cause of the dispute is Apple' underestimation of the legal complications in China," the lawyer said, adding the case also serves as a warning to companies in China to think twice about risks before "going abroad".

However, Yu said the sale of the Apple's products, including the iPad, will not be affected by the lawsuit, because what customers care about is the quality.

"The way out for Apple might be changing its product's name soon or buying the trademark from the Proview Technology Shenzhen," he suggested. (Source: China Daily)

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Obama to sign payroll tax deal when Congress passes legislation

Obama to sign payroll tax deal when Congress passes legislation

The White House said on Thursday that U.S. President Barack Obama would sign on the extension of payroll tax cut and the jobless benefits for the long- term unemployed as soon as Congress passes such legislation.

The process is moving forward and the President looks forward to signing into law an extension of the tax cut, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One as Obama headed to campaign events in California.

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, the top GOP congressman, on Thursday said at a press conference that he supported the full- year extension deal which was a "fair agreement."

Boehner cautioned that this was an "economic relief" package, not a bill that could help grow the economy and create jobs.

Congressional leaders have reached a tentative deal earlier this week extending the 2-percentage-point payroll tax cut through the end of the year and unemployment benefits as well as avoiding a steep cut in Medicare doctors' fees, paving the way for both chambers of Congress to vote on the bill in coming days.

With public approval rating for Congress at a record low, Boehner and his top GOP lieutenants announced Monday that they would not insist that the 100 billion dollars cost of the tax cut be offset with spending cuts elsewhere in a bid to outmaneuver rival Democrats, averting another round of brinkmanship.

The agreement represents a victory for Obama and his fellow Democrats, who have argued that payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans could provide a boost to the anemic economic recovery. Republican lawmakers also have reason to welcome the deal, as it gets a politically troubling issue off the table.

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Laos prepares for ninth Asia-Europe Meeting

Laos prepares for ninth Asia-Europe Meeting

The Laotian Government has pulled out all the stops to upgrade key infrastructure facilities in preparation for the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM-9) which is scheduled for November 5 and 6 in the capital, Vientiane.

The country is currently expanding Wattay International Airport, so it will be capable of handling 15 Boeing 747 aircraft at a time. It is also building villas and upgrading major hotels in Vientiane to house the ASEM delegations on top of constructing a modern international convention centre, revealed Deputy Foreign Minister Bounkeut Sangsomsak to reporters in Vientiane on Feb. 16.

Laos has already put in place a national committee to oversee ASEM-9 with the Prime Minister in the chair, he added.

This year’s ASEM will focus on regional and global issues such as the global economy, the credit crisis and socio-cultural cooperation.

Three other events, namely the 7th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP 7), the 9th Asia-Europe People’s Forum (AEPF 9) and the 13th Asia-Europe Business Forum (AEBF 13) will be held on the sidelines of ASEM-9.

Also on Feb. 16, representatives from diplomatic corps and domestic and overseas reporters were invited to visit and inspect several key infrastructure projects, underlining the importance the country attaches to this major event.

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GM posts $7.6 bln net profit for 2011

GM posts $7.6 bln net profit for 2011

General Motors Co. on Thursday posted a net profit of 7.6 billion U.S. dollars for the whole of 2011, but troubles in the Europe weakened its earnings and underscored challenges in 2012.

The car maker said Thursday in a statement that its net income in the fourth quarter of 2011 reached 500 million dollars, bringing the year's total to 7.6 billion dollars, or 4.58 dollars earnings per share, up from 2010's 2.89 dollars.

Dan Akerson, GM's chairman and CEO, said the company will build on these results as it brings more new cars, crossovers and trucks to market.

Meanwhile, GM reported 7.2 billion dollars of earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) in North America market in 2011 while suffered a loss of 700 million dollars in the European market.

Besides, GM's U.S. defined benefit pension plans earned asset returns of 11.1 percent in 2011 and its pension was 88 percent funded, almost unchanged from 89 percent funded a year ago.

Looking forward, GM expects continued pricing improvement with cost inflation well contained, while product mix and pension expense are expected to be unfavorable. Capital spending in 2012 is expected to be eight billion dollars as the company continues to aggressively invest in new products and technologies.

General Motors reported a sales decline of six percent in January this year. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and the U.S. Treasury Department still owns about 26 percent of the company.

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Climate change may increase risk of water shortage in U.S. by 2050: study

Climate change may increase risk of water shortage in U.S. by 2050: study

More than one third of the counties in the United States could face a "high" or "extreme" risk of water shortage due to climate change by 2050, according to a study published Wednesday.

The new study, carried in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, also concluded that 70 percent of the more than 3,100 U.S. counties could face "some" risk of shortage of fresh water for drinking, farming and other uses.

Population growth is expected to increase the demand for water for municipal use and for electricity generation beyond existing levels, Sujoy Roy, a researcher from California-based Terra Tech Research and Development, and colleagues said in the analysis.

Global climate change threatens to reduce water supplies due to decreased rainfall and other factors compared with levels in the 20th century, they said.

Roy's group developed a "water supply sustainability risk index" that takes into account water withdrawal, projected growth, susceptibility to drought, projected climate change and other factors in individual U.S. counties for the year 2050.

It takes into account renewable water supply through precipitation using the most recent downscaled climate change projections and estimates future withdrawals for various human uses.

The team used the index to conclude that climate change could foster an "extreme" risk of water shortage that may develop in 412 counties in southern and southwestern parts of the United States.

"This is not intended as a prediction that water shortage will occur, but rather where they are more likely to occur, and where there might be greater pressure on public officials and water users to better characterize, and creatively manage demand and supply," Roy said.

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One in ten U.S. children live with parent with alcoholic use disorder: study

One in ten U.S. children live with parent with alcoholic use disorder: study

7.5 million U.S. children, about 10.5 percent of the country's under-18 population, lived with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year, according to a new study published on Thursday.

Of these children, about 6.1 million lived with two parents-- with either one or both parents experiencing an alcohol use disorder. The remaining 1.4 million lived in a single-parent house, according to the study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Of the 1.4 million children who lived in a single-parent home where the parent has an alcoholic problem, 1.1 million lived with a single mother, the study shows.

The study was done in conjunction with Children of Alcoholics Week, which falls on Feb. 12-18.

"The enormity of this public health problem goes well beyond these tragic numbers as studies have shown that the children of parents with untreated alcohol disorders are at far greater risk for developing alcohol and other problems later in their lives," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde.

The study is based on data analyzed from SAMHSA's 2005-2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

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Apple releases preview of new Mac operating system

Apple releases preview of new Mac operating system

Apple on Thursday released a developer preview of the next version of the company's Macintosh operating system, bringing some popular features from iPhone and iPad to its Mac computer.

The new software, named OS X Mountain Lion, is available to developers as a preview release starting Thursday, and Mac users will be able to upgrade to it in late summer this year.

Mountain Lion will include over 100 new features, including Messages, Notes, Reminders and Game Center which are familiar to users of Apple's mobile devices powered by the iOS operating system.

The software, Apple's first OS X after the company launched its iCloud cloud-computing service, will enable users easily set up the service and access documents across their devices.

The developer preview of Mountain Lion also introduces Gatekeeper, a security feature that gives users control over which applications can be downloaded and installed on their Macs.

With an eye on the fast growing Chinese market, Mountain Lion also has a number of features specifically designed to support Chinese users, including significant enhancements to the Chinese input method and making Chinese search engine Baidu an option in the Safari web browser, as well as system-wide support for the Chinese micro-blogging service Sina weibo.

"The Mac is on a roll, growing faster than the PC for 23 straight quarters, and with Mountain Lion things get even better," Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a statement.

Latest numbers from Apple showed that the company sold a record 5.2 million Macs during the fourth quarter of 2011, representing a 26-percent unit increase over the year-ago period.

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