A Business History of Alberta

A Business History of Alberta. By Henry C. Klassen. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1999. xxii +362 pp. Maps, illustrations, index. Cloth, $29.95; paper, $19.95. ISBN: Cloth 1-55238-022-X; paper 1-55238-009-2.

Reviewed by Douglas McCalla

The province of Alberta was created in 1905, during the last great North American settlement boom and as the institutional structures of modern business were quickly taking shape in Canada. At its margins, many Albertans were deeply critical of the system, as they showed in the interwar years by electing provincial governments formed by the United Farmers of Alberta until 1935 and by the Social Credit party thereafter. After the war, …

Air patrols, cameras to watch big inaugural crowd

Law enforcement officials bracing for the largest crowds in inaugural history are preparing far-reaching security _ thousands of video cameras, sharpshooters, air patrols _ to safeguard President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in.

People attending the ceremony and parade on Jan. 20 can expect to be searched by machines, security personnel or both. Precautions will range from the routine _ magnetometers like those used at airports _ to countersnipers trained to hit a target the size of a teacup saucer from 1,000 yards away. Plus undercover officers, bomb sniffing dogs and air patrols.

The Secret Service _ the agency coordinating the security _ also has …

Stalin's grandchild returns to England

((PHOTO …

UN Chief to Push for Peace in Mideast

UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday pledged to push for lasting peace in the Middle East and an end to the conflict in Darfur in the coming year, calling it one of the most challenging in the U.N.'s history.

At the opening of the U.N. General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting, Ban took the podium for the first time as U.N. chief and called for "an internal climate of change" at the world body to address the growing number of issues requiring collective action.

"Looking to the coming year and beyond, we can foresee a daunting array of challenges to come," he said. "They are problems that respect no borders - that no country, big or small, …

Swedish Bank Stops Digital Theft

A gang of Swedish criminals was seconds away from completing a digital bank heist when an alert employee literally pulled the plug on their brazen scam, investigators said Wednesday.

The would be bank robbers had placed "advanced technical equipment" under the employee's desk that allowed them to take control of his computer remotely, prosecutor Thomas Balter Nordenman said in a statement.

The employee discovered the device shortly after he realized his computer had started an operation to transfer "millions" from the bank into another account, Nordenman …

Romania makes 5 changes to face Argentina at RWC

INVERCARGILL, New Zealand (AP) — Romeo Gontineac has made five changes, including three new players, to his starting lineup for Romania's Rugby World Cup match against Argentina on Saturday.

Tiberius Dimofte will start at flyhalf in place of errant-kicking flyhalf Marin Dumbrava, who drops to the reserves bench, and will partner Florin Surugiu, who was preferred at scrumhalf to veteran Lucian Sirbu.

The teams will play at windy Rugby Park Stadium, where Dumbrava missed two first-half penalties before giving up the kicking duties to Dimofte in Romania's 34-24 loss to Scotland, its opening match.

Dimofte moves in from the centers to take over for Dumbrava, while Constantin …

CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

* Keystone BioFuels Inc. President Ben Wootton's name was misspelled in a Nov. 16 story on page 17.

* Pugliese Associates' 2006 lobbying expenses were incorrectly reported in the lobbying-firms list on page 25 of the Nov. 16 issue. The correct number is $3.3 million.

* An article on page …

Injured Sachin Tendulkar pulls out of Olympic torch relay

India cricket star Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday withdrew from the Olympic torch relay in New Delhi, just a day before the event.

Tendulkar said a groin injury would prevent him taking part.

"I received an invitation from Indian Olympic Association to run with the Olympic torch. I am honored at being invited, but I'll not be able to participate in the relay," said Tendulkar, …

[ A FAMILY FOR ME ]

Meet William, Derell and Daryl

They are caring brothers who love to have fun. William, 11, iscompetitive and good at sports. Derell, 9, is very curious. Daryl isan energetic 7 year old.

Their likes:

William likes baseball, basketball and video games. Derell enjoyscoloring and playing basketball. Daryl is a playful child who likescard games and art projects. All three children love Pokemon toys.

Others say:

William's teacher and foster parent said he is …

A social cognitive view of school-to-work transition

This article considers social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) as a vantage point from which to view the school-to-work transition process. Rather than emphasizing the period just before high school graduation, SCCT focuses on 6 developmentally linked themes that unfold throughout the school years. An emphasis on these themes (formation of self-efficacy and outcome beliefs, interest development, interest-goal linkages, translation of goals into actions, performance skills, negotiation of transition supports and barriers) suggests targets for developmental and remedial interventions that promote students' career development across the school years and after …

Castroneves gets first win in 30 races

Helio Castroneves won for the first time in 30 races in the IndyCar Series at the Sonoma Grand Prix on Sunday, keeping alive his hopes for the series championship.

Castroneves, the Team Penske star, had been frustrated until now with seven runner-up finishes this season.

Indy Racing League points …

Massive and urgent

There is a massive and urgent need for the new school in Redland.

By placing the school right where the students live, almost all ofthem will either walk or cycle to the school.

Many parents in the area currently drive their children to andfrom school right across Bristol at peak hours, which is asignificant cause of congestion.

Just think what the traffic is like during the school holidays ifyou need convincing that we must place schools where the studentsare.

The new sixth-form provision will revolutionise 16-19 education …

Developers secure key property in York

For nearly 40 years, Frysinger Rohrbaugh received countless offers from real estate agents and developers interested in buying her property in downtown York.

But the owner of the 24 N. George St. building refused each one.

Then, last year, Rohrbaugh died, and the bank took over the building. Months later, York County landscapers Joe Anthony and Jeff Edwards acquired it.

They plan to renovate the building and put in retail shops and offices.

So, why did Rohrbaugh keep the building, despite the fact that it was vacant for 37 years?

According to Anthony, it was because she believed York city hurt her father's business. Rohrbaugh's father, Walter J. Smutz, ran a leather goods shop from 1903 to 1964 at 24 N. George St. At some point during that period, the city stopped using steam heat, which Smutz used for his day-to-day business operations.

Anthony said, as he understands it, Rohrbaugh never forgave the city and kept the building in protest.

The building had housed Walter J. Smutz Leather Goods from 1902 to 1964, according to York County Heritage Trust records. The Italianate row house dates to the 1850s.

The partners intend to spend between $350,000 and $450,000 on renovations to the 6,000-square-foot building, across from where a government courthouse complex is being built.

Anthony and Edwards, both of Manchester Township, expect to lease out the first floor as retail shops and lease the top two stories for offices.

They purchased the building for $60,000 in January.

"With the new courthouse going up, I think a lot of people expect a lot to start happening downtown, and we want to be part of it," Anthony said.

The building is in York's historic district, and it is also part of York's historical architectural review board district, meaning the city must approve all renovation plans before construction can begin. The building has another distinction, too - it is in one of York County's tax-forgiving Keystone Opportunity Zones.

The KOZ program is a state program designed to help revitalize the city by selling vacant, dilapidated or underutilized properties to business owners. Investors who agree to renovate those types of properties are freed from paying state or local taxes for up to 11 years.

Ted Turnbull, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Commercial Rotz Associates Inc. in York, is marketing the property for Anthony and Edwards. Turnbull said he has identified prospective office and retail tenants, but none have signed yet.

A baked-goods company and a coffee shop have expressed interest in leasing space on the 2,000-square-foot first floor, Turnbull said. He declined to disclose the names of the businesses, though he did say that all have existing York County operations.

Turnbull expects it will take nine months before the first tenant is up and running in the building. Architectural drawings for the renovation project should be finished by midAugust, he added. Soon afterward, plans will be submitted to the York City Planning Commission for approval.

The building is not in bad shape, Anthony said. There is some water damage on the facade, and the building will need new plumbing, wiring, heating and air-conditioning systems, he said. An elevator might be installed, as well, for the future office tenants.

Anthony would like to have construction started by fall or winter. He confirmed Turnbull's estimate, saying he hopes to have space available for rent by spring of 2002.

Reports: Merrill Lynch CEO Close to Exit

NEW YORK - Stan O'Neal, the beleaguered chief executive of Merrill Lynch & Co., was reportedly close to resigning Sunday amid broad criticism for leading the world's largest brokerage to its biggest quarterly loss since it was founded 93 years ago.

In a week that included an $7.9 billion write-down related to subprime mortgages and O'Neal's unauthorized overture to sell the company to retail bank Wachovia Corp., the board of Merrill Lynch reached a broad consensus Friday for his dismissal, according to several media reports. He would become the highest-ranking casualty of the global credit crisis that swept through Wall Street's biggest investment banks during the third quarter.

An announcement of his departure could come as soon as Sunday evening or Monday morning, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

A Merrill Lynch spokesman declined to comment Sunday.

Merrill's 11-member board, which currently includes O'Neal as chairman, was expected to initiate a search to find a replacement that will include both internal and external candidates.

O'Neal, 56, came under fire Wednesday when Merrill Lynch announced a $2.24 billion loss as big bets on mortgage-backed securities were rendered almost worthless because of a global credit squeeze. His fate was also plunged into doubt after he initiated talks about a possible merger with Wachovia, according to the Times. Such a deal could have handed O'Neal a $250 million separation package if he wasn't chosen to lead the new company.

O'Neal, who rose to power five years ago, was known for shaking up top management and putting a greater emphasis on riskier bets rather than the safety of just selling stocks. That strategy - which handed Merrill Lynch record results during the market's peak - came with a heavy cost during the tumultuous third quarter. The company said Wednesday it didn't know what impact it would have in the current earnings period.

O'Neal shouldered the blame for the earnings miss.

"I'm not going to talk around the fact that there were some mistakes that were made," he said in a conference call with analysts Wednesday. Merrill Lynch shares plunged for two days, then spiked Friday amid speculation O'Neal might be forced out.

Investors, who have seen Merrill's shares slump by 30 percent this year, will now be keenly interested in who might take control. Widely tipped as a successor is Laurence Fink, currently chairman and CEO of asset manager BlackRock Inc. He's credited with being one of Wall Street's most powerful players in the fixed-income market, which has been slammed by a global aversion to risk as mortgage-backed securities lost significant value during the summer.

Fink had dinner with O'Neal on Thursday but has yet to meet with Merrill's board, according to a person familiar with the matter who was unauthorized to speak on the record. Merrill Lynch owns a 49 percent stake in BlackRock.

Internally, Gregory Fleming, Merrill's co-president, has been named as a possible replacement, as has Bob McCann, who heads Merrill's brokerage division.

There was also speculation that Fink, Fleming and McCann might enter into some power-sharing arrangement until the board can find a permanent replacement.

Malaysia Chinese party faces battle of presidents

The former head of Malaysia's main ethnic Chinese party announced Tuesday he would contest the post again, setting the stage for a bitter power struggle in a key member of the ruling coalition.

The announcement quashes hopes of an amicable end to months of infighting that has crippled the Malaysian Chinese Association, or MCA, the No. 2 party in Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling National Front coalition.

The party feud has hindered Najib's efforts to recapture support from Malaysia's large ethnic Chinese minority, who widely voted against the National Front in 2008 elections amid accusations of discrimination by the Malay-dominated government in economic and religious policies.

Two-thirds of the MCA's leaders quit their posts earlier this month to pave the way for party elections scheduled for March 28. In recent weeks, only party president Ong Tee Keat confirmed he would defend his post, raising hopes that other potential challengers would allow him to retain the presidency without further infighting.

However, Ong Ka Ting, who led the MCA from 2003 to 2008, announced Tuesday he would contest the presidency, saying that many party members have urged him to make a comeback and help restore the party to its previous popularity.

Ong's announcement triggers the possibility of a three-way fight for the presidency, because the party's No. 2 leader, Chua Soi Lek, might also make a bid for the top post.

The MCA's stability is crucial for the National Front, which is dominated by Najib's United Malays National Organization party. The National Front comprises mainly race-based parties representing the country's main ethnic groups _ the majority Malay Muslims and the minority Chinese, Indians and indigenous tribes.

'Mini-Colosseum' unearthed near Rome

A team of British archaeologists working in ancient Rome's seaport has unearthed the remains of a "mini-Colosseum" _ a smaller version of the monumental arena built in the center of the imperial capital.

The foundations of the tiny amphitheater, dated to the early third century, were discovered outside Ostia, a once bustling port town about 15 miles (25 kilometers) southwest of Rome through which much of the riches and goods destined for the city flowed.

The find underscores how ancient arenas came in different sizes and were used for a variety of purposes, not just the public gladiatorial bouts and gory animal shows for which the Colosseum is famous, lead archaeologist Simon Keay said Thursday.

"There are a lot of amphitheaters in the Roman world and people assume they were all used for animal and gladiatorial combat," Keay said. "But they could be used for other things," such as a private theater or for administrative purposes.

The discovery was particularly surprising because this was the only amphitheater in Ostia and it was rare to find one so close to a harbor.

The "mini-Colosseum" was located inside a palace built 100 years earlier by the Emperor Trajan. The administrative complex housed the "procurator," the official in charge of the harbor, but may have also hosted emperors as they left or returned from sea voyages, Keay said.

Experts are still puzzling over the purpose of the amphitheater, said Keay, a professor of archaeology at the University of Southampton and at the British School at Rome, which worked jointly on the dig.

"It's a very enigmatic building, it's not meant to be seen from miles around, it's very discreet," he said in a telephone interview. "We are not entirely sure of what went on in the amphitheater."

Unlike the Colosseum, which was used for public spectacles, the Ostia venue likely had a private use.

The procurator may have used it for shows to entertain his guests or as a place to address his staff, Keay said. It may have also served as a training ground for the local "vigiles" _ ancient Rome's firefighters, he said.

The arena, measuring 138 feet by 125 feet (42 meters by 38 meters), was uncovered in August at the end of a three-year digging campaign in the area of the "portus," the sea harbor built in imperial times near Ostia's older fluvial port on the Tiber.

Further study is needed to determine the arena's height and capacity, but Keay speculated the structure could hold up to 2,000 people. By comparison, the Colosseum, built in the first century, could seat about 50,000 spectators.

Aside from the foundations, not much is left of Ostia's amphitheater because it was demolished during the Byzantine period to build fortifications.

Experts have determined the structure was made of bricks, mortar and wood. It was partially ringed by columns and archaeologists have uncovered remains of rich marble decorations and the head of a statue possibly depicting Ulysses _ the wondering Greek hero well-liked by sailors.

Keay said he plans to continue the dig if money can be raised and Ostia's archaeological office renews its collaboration with the team.

___

On the Net:

http://www.portusproject.org/

http://www.soton.ac.uk/

Collagen Protein: "What Doctors Recommend To... Burn Fat, Increase Energy and Support Your Joints"

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Collagen protein, taken internally as a dietary supplement, is quickly becoming one of the hottest nutritional supplements available today. Experts who have studied the benefits and well-documented medical history of collagen protein say yes - this newly available supplement can help many of these bodily and appearance enhancing results.

Impressive Medical History

Collagen protein (hydrolyzed), created and patented by an American pharmacist in the early 1970's, has been used by doctors, clinics and hospitals for weight loss; various skin conditions, including treatment for burn victims; nutritional support for the elderly and hospital patients; wound healing; and for the support of joints and connective tissue. With its well-documented and clinically proven history, collagen protein has only recently become commercially available to the public.

How Does It Work?

Next to water, collagen is the most important structural substance in our bodies, accounting for 25-30% of its total protein. Your ligaments, tendons, bones and skeletal muscles are all held together by collagen, as well as the smooth muscle tissue like your blood vessels, digestive tract and organs. It is even the main component of your hair, skin, and nails.

As we age, our body loses its ability to make collagen, thus, it starts to break down. This is why our skin sags and wrinkles; hair becomes thinner, dull, or lifeless; our joints are stiffer and less flexible; and we have softer, less tone bodies.

Supplementing with collagen protein is believed to provide the body with the amino acids necessary to manufacture and support collagen. Without healthy collagen, our bodies virtually fall apart as we age.

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Much different from other protein sources, collagen protein contains a unique combination and ratio of high-nitrogen amino acids (protein), most importantly, glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and arginine. These have been shown to influence: weight loss, bone and connective tissue, improvement of skin appearance, optimal body growth and repair, improved metabolism, elevation of growth hormone secretion (which affects: fat loss, muscle retention, energy levels, softness and elasticity of the skin and improved sleep), and healing, especially for wounds.

Helps Reduce Body Fat

Contrary to what some companies promote, collagen protein itself does not burn fat; however, it places the body's metabolism in an optimal state to do so. When taken at bedtime, it is extremely effective during the first phase of sleep in which the body is in a natural state of repair, building and healing muscle tissue. Collagen's specific amino acids help to preserve and build lean muscle. Since muscle helps to regulate and increase the metabolism, fat can then be burned as energy to help support this bodily repair process.

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As we age, our bodies lose their muscle content and gain fat, so the muscle-to-fat ratio is lower than in youth. Collagen protein's muscle sparing and supporting capacity also make it highly effective in helping the body to regain its shape and tone. Users typically notice a reduction of fat in inches (not muscle or water weight as with other weight loss products) and a firmer, more toned body.

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Sleep: The abundant amino acid, arginine, found in collagen protein has been shown to affect the secretion of growth hormone, which helps to produce a deeper sleep.

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To identify the original and authentic, enzymatically hydrolyzed collagen formula, AminoSculpt, look for these four specific patent numbers (4,025,650, 4,042,687, 4,042,688, 4,053,589) and its trademarked name "CoLLAPuRE(TM)" on the label. For information on where to find AminoSculpt, call Health Direct toll-free at 1-800-413-4614, Dept. BA-15.

* Attention Retailers: Those interested in carrying AminoSculpt should call 1-800-520-3772, Dept. WBA-15.

� 2004, 2005 D&J Vision Marketing, Inc.

[Sidebar]

"Collagen protein can be a very effective tool in the fat loss and body toning process..."

[Sidebar]

"Users notice an improvement in skin softness, tone and appearance..."

[Sidebar]

Collagen Benefits

Medical Professionals recommend and use AminoSculptto help:

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Greek opposition says gov't interfered in probe

Greece's main opposition Socialist party called Tuesday for the justice minister to step down for what it called interference in a major corruption probe involving land owned by a secluded Orthodox Christian monastery.

The demand followed the resignation of the two prosecutors investigating a tainted state-church land swap, which the Socialists allege cost Greek taxpayers tens of millions of euros.

The prosecutors said they had been barred by a senior judge from relaying their findings to parliament to examine alleged political involvement in the affair.

"Today, our judicial system has suffered an unprecedented blow," Socialist party spokesman Giorgos Papaconstantinou said.

Justice Minister Sotiris Hadzigakis ignored the opposition demand and refused to accept the prosecutors' resignation, exercising his right under Greek law to order them back to work.

The conservative government has come under growing pressure over land-swap agreements with a powerful Orthodox Christian monastery. Earlier this month, it canceled the deals and acknowledged they had hurt the public interest.

Greece's top public prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the deal, which prompted a minister to resign last month. An initial investigation last month found that the monastery benefited by at least euro100 million (US$138 million) from the swap.

Conservatives argue that the groundwork for the land deals was laid by previous Socialist government and claim their actions exposed the scandal.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' conservative party won re-election in national polls last year but has a majority of two seats in parliament and recently slipped behind the Socialists in opinion polls.

The land swaps started after 1999, when the government recognized a claim to public land in northern Greece by the 1,000-year-old Vatopedi Monastery. The monastery is in the autonomous monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece.

Keegan needs early success to satisfy Magpies fans

Kevin Keegan signed "Spiderman" to boost Newcastle's chances of success in the new season. Unless the inspirational manager can change himself into Superman as well, the Magpies are probably in for another season of frustration and turmoil.

From weekly speculation over Michael Owen's future to doubts over whether he should have kept Joey Barton _ fresh out of jail and with a reputation for violence in the streets and on the training ground _ Keegan still has a mountain of problems at St. James' Park.

Apart from the arrival of Jonas "Spiderman" Gutierrez, whose nickname is because he puts on a mask to celebrate his goals, there is little to suggest this season's squad is any better than the one that labored through the last term and went nine league and cup games without a victory after Keegan's arrival in January.

Newcastle fans hate being reminded that their team hasn't won the league title since 1927 or the FA Cup since '55 or anything since the 1969 European Fairs' Cup, the forerunner to the UEFA Cup.

Keegan, who got the team close to the league title in his first spell between 1992-97, has been brought back to try again. So far, there are no signs of the Keegan magic making anything happen. Maybe it's not there anymore.

Gone is the supreme optimism that Keegan possessed in his previous time as manager of Newcastle where he guided the team to a second-place finish behind Manchester United but also saw his team toss away a 12-point lead.

Now Keegan is far more pragmatic and even ran into trouble with the club's owners by saying that the traditional top four _ Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool _ will be the top four again, although maybe in a different order, and that the other 16 clubs are chasing fifth place.

But that could also be out of Newcastle's reach and Keegan will have to rely heavily on the patience of the Magpies fans who have waited so long to see their team win a trophy.

"The challenge is there, it is there to be done. But I don't think it can be done in a year or two," said Keegan, who is eight months into a 3 1/2 year contract. "We might not have the biggest squad this season and we might not have the best squad in the Premier League because there are some big clubs out there with big squads and a lot of quality players.

"But we can be the fittest team, and that is what we have tried to do."

That might not be enough to satisfy the Magpies fans who want to see star names and entertaining, attacking football, the sort of play Keegan was famous for as a player.

Keegan knows the fans well enough to appreciate that a repeat of last year's 12th-place finish or anything worse will not be good enough. Newcastle has to either win a cup trophy or finish high enough to capture a place in the following season's European competitions, realistically the UEFA Cup.

Keegan has to get the best out of what looks like an impressive attacking force, provided they all stay fit and out of trouble.

Owen, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins are all top quality strikers and Damien Duff can provide the crosses. Signed from Real Mallorca, Gutierrez is an attacking midfielder and so is Danny Guthrie, hired from Liverpool.

"Jonas is a wonderful signing for us," said Keegan. "I know a lot of other clubs have been interested in him. He'll be a terrific addition to the squad. He's an exciting player and I'm sure our fans will enjoy watching him."

As usual, Newcastle fans will go into the season with plenty of optimism. But now many more of them, like Keegan, have a sense of realism. But if the Magpies aren't anywhere the near the top six halfway through the season or in contention for the FA Cup final, the same old groans from the seats will tell Keegan his time is up.

Officials: Rocket attack kills 6 Pakistan soldiers

Intelligence officials say six soldiers have been killed in a rocket attack on an army convoy in northwest Pakistan.

The officials say militants hit the convoy near Datta Khel in North Waziristan. They say some soldiers were also wounded in the attack.

Four intelligence officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to release the information to media.

A purported Taliban spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack.

Clashes between the military and insurgents are increasing in Pakistan's volatile northwest, where the army appears to be preparing an offensive in South Waziristan, aimed at eliminating the leader of the Pakistani Taliban.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ISLAMABAD (AP) _ Warplanes and helicopter gunships pounded suspected militant positions in Pakistan's troubled northwest on Sunday, killing 11 Taliban fighters, intelligence officials said.

The government also upped the stakes in its conflict with Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, offering a reward of 50 million rupees ($615,000) for information leading to Mehsud's capture or death.

Elsewhere in the volatile northwest region, one government soldier was killed when insurgents attacked a pair of military outposts near Wana in South Waziristan with rockets, missiles and small arms shortly after morning prayers, the military said. Intelligence officials said earlier that two soldiers had died in the assault.

Violence has spiked this month in South Waziristan, a rugged tribal area along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, as the government prepares for an apparent offensive there aimed at eliminating Mehsud and his militants.

The focus on South Waziristan comes as a two-month-old campaign to oust Mehsud-allied Taliban militants from the Swat Valley region, also in the northwest, wraps up. Some 2 million residents have been displaced by the fighting in Swat.

Islamabad has set its sites on the Taliban leader in recent weeks, and on Sunday the government published an announcement in two national newspapers offering a 50 million rupee ($615,000) reward for Mehsud, who has been blamed for a string of suicide attacks across the country that have killed more than 100 people in the past month. Smaller amounts were offered for information on his top lieutenants.

The U.S. State Department has already authorized a reward of up to $5 million for the Taliban leader.

Pakistan's military also kept up its bombing campaign in the region. Jet fighters struck the village of Kani Guram overnight, leaving eight militants dead, while helicopter gunships hit positions in Shah Alam and Raghhzai, killing three more fighters, the intelligence officials told The Associated Press.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information.

It was not possible to independently confirm the casualty counts or the identities of those reported killed. Journalists have little access to the remote, dangerous region.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ruled out any leniency for the extremists, arguing that now is the time for strong-willed action against Taliban militants.

"The nation wants peace and the elimination of terrorism in the country, so this is not the time for talks but for a final decision (against terrorism) and the decisive action is on," Gilani said.

The government's campaign against the Taliban is seen as a test of its determination to confront an insurgency that has grown in recent years after earlier military operations failed to finish the job, and peace deals with the Taliban collapsed.

Washington strongly supports the campaign, hoping it will eventually bring greater stability to Pakistan and help shut down al-Qaida and Taliban networks that use the border region as a springboard for attacks on U.S. and other forces in Afghanistan.

___

Associated Press writer Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan contributed to this report.

Former Sri Lanka batsman Charith Senanayake appointed national team manager

Former Sri Lanka batsman Charith Senanayake has been appointed team manager for his country ahead of the test series against India starting Wednesday.

Sri Lanka Cricket media manager Shane Fernando said Tuesday that sports minister Gamini Lokuge approved the appointment of Senanayake, who played three tests and seven one-day internationals as an opening batsman.

Earlier, cricket authorities nominated former captain Hashan Tillakaratne for the job. But Lokuge refused to endorse him Monday, citing his involvement in politics as rendering him ineligible to accept a paid job in a sports organization.

The first test in the three-match series is at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

ITAR-Tass: Russian rights defender Natalya Estemirova found dead in North ...

ITAR-Tass: Russian rights defender Natalya Estemirova found dead in North Caucasus.

Agencies to share info on judge threats Law enforcement to track signs of danger from people in court

U.S. marshals and other law enforcement officials are changing howthey track threats to jurists six months after disgruntled litigantBart Ross killed the husband and mother of a federal judge.

U.S. Marshal Kim Widup told the Chicago Sun-Times that a newsystem will stream intelligence of potentially threatening or unusualbehavior -- including in e-mails and letters -- from every courtlevel in the Northern District of Illinois. Under the changes,marshals, charged with protecting federal judges, and local sheriff'sdepartments will share information on questionable behavior in allcourtrooms.

So if a threat happens, law enforcement can quickly call upintelligence to determine whether the person has done the same thingin other courtrooms and track signs of an "escalating pattern," Widupsaid.

About 40 law enforcement agencies who met last week to talk aboutsecuring judges agreed to designate at least one employee who keepsintelligence and shares it with other agencies.

"If we get a threat, we will ask: 'Is this an escalating patternon the part of the individual or is it somebody talking out offrustration?'" Widup said.

"We used to just get criminal history. Now we're seeking that andis there any intelligence information? Has there been something theyhaven't been arrested or prosecuted for but have demonstrated apattern?"

On a federal level, Widup said a deputy marshal is now assigned toevery judge in the Dirksen Federal Building and charged with knowingthe judge's docket and frequently checking whether the judge has anyconcerns about threatening behavior.

The changes come after Ross murdered the husband and mother ofU.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow after he lost a decadelong courtbattle that started in state court and ended with the U.S. SeventhCircuit Court of Appeals. Ross, a Polish immigrant, sued the medicalindustry, blaming it for leaving his jaw severely disfigured aftercancer treatment. Lefkow ruled against Ross in late 2004, and theseventh circuit in January held up the ruling, meaning the end of theline for Ross.

Ross' signs of increasing anger

Michael Lefkow, 64, a Chicago defense attorney, and the judge'smother, Donna Humphrey, 89, were shot to death in the Lefkows' NorthSide home Feb. 28. Ross later killed himself at a Milwaukee-areatraffic stop and left a letter confessing to the murders. DNAevidence also linked him to the crime scene.

Lefkow, who is still under the protection of marshals, returned tothe bench earlier this summer working part-time with a lightercaseload. Her return was a quiet one.

Sunday marked the six-month anniversary of the slayings.

In the days and weeks after Ross' suicide, it was revealed thatthroughout his 10-year legal battle he showed various signs of hisfestering anger with the system. The signs were there, but scatteredto different agencies. He represented himself in court, and hisfilings became increasingly angry. He wrote threatening letters,including to the attorney general's office, and once nearly gotescorted out of court after acting out in front of a differentfederal judge.

"We talked and realized our communication channels needed to bebetter," Widup said.

Intended more harm

FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Grant said Ross was intent ondoing more harm and may have if he hadn't been pulled over in atraffic stop. Ross killed himself as an officer approached his car ina Milwaukee suburb.

A parking ticket indicated Ross had been near the office of anappeals court judge, and a GPS system indicated he had looked updirections to a doctor's home.

"He was scheduled to be interviewed in the next few days," Grantsaid. "We would have figured it out. But would we have found him bythen is the question."

Islanders drop 14th straight, fall in OT

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Jakub Voracek scored a rebound goal 2:31 into overtime to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night and send the New York Islanders to their 14th straight loss.

Antoine Vermette, Chris Clark and R.J. Umberger also scored for Columbus, which has won five straight. It is the Blue Jackets' best run since a five-game streak from Dec. 2-12, 2006.

The Islanders, 0-11-3 in their past 14 games, scored more than two goals for the first time in 12 contests and earned a point at home for the first time since Oct. 12. This is New York's longest stretch without a win since a 14-game skid in which the Islanders lost 11 times and tied three others between Feb. 13-March 15, 1990.

Trent Hunter, Michael Grabner and John Tavares scored and Rick DiPietro made 34 saves for the Islanders. DiPietro stopped Kris Russell's head-on shot before the trailing Voracek buried the rebound in overtime for his fifth goal.

Mathieu Garon made 21 saves for Columbus, including stoning Frans Nielsen with a right-pad save a minute into overtime. Garon improved to 6-1 and Columbus moved to 4-0 against Eastern Conference teams.

New York went scoreless on three power plays and hasn't netted a man-advantage goal in seven games — going 0 for 27.

Grabner and Tavares scored in a 1:33 span early in the second period to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead. Grabner used a toe-drag move to get open between the circles before beating Garon with a backhander at 51 seconds for his fifth goal.

Tavares chipped in a ricochet off the end boards just moments later. Bruno Gervais' blocked shot hit the wall behind the net and bounced in front of the goal mouth as Tavares pounced for his second goal in 12 games and his eighth this season.

Umberger quieted the half-empty Nassau Coliseum crowd when he scored his seventh of the season at 6:46 to tie it at 3. Umberger logged his third multipoint game of the season. He has nine points in seven games.

New York took a 1-0 lead for the just the ninth time in 21 games when Hunter squeezed a left-circle shot between Garon's glove and the right post at 10:16. That marked Hunter's first goal in 17 games this season.

Columbus responded by scoring two goals in 2 minutes. The Blue Jackets, bounced back from allowing their first goal in three games after Hunter ended the club's shutout streak at 142 minutes, 54 seconds.

Vermette tied it 1-1 at 13:38 when he pushed in Derick Brassard's right-point pass for a power-play goal. Clark followed with a rebound strike for his fourth goal that made it 2-1.

Despite entering with the NHL's third-worst power-play unit, the Blue Jackets scored on special teams for the third time in four games for its opening goal. Matt Martin and Zenon Konopka were both sent off with penalties to give Columbus a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:54.

DiPietro stopped the first six shots on the power play before Vermette converted the seventh chance for his fourth goal at 13:48.

Moments later, DiPietro stopped Vermette's initial shot before Clark — left unguarded by defenseman Dylan Reese — fired in an open shot from the slot for his fourth goal.

NOTES: Tavares played in his 100th NHL game. Before the game, New York assigned forward Josh Bailey to AHL Bridgeport. The 2008 first-round pick didn't record a point in his last 13 games before the demotion. ... Islanders D Mike Mottau will miss 4-to-6 weeks after a puck struck his eye in Sunday's game against Atlanta. ... The Blue Jackets unveiled their new third jersey to fans in Columbus during a viewing party. The team will wear the uniforms on Friday at home against Detroit.

Plugging Zenith back in the black

In a ceremony this month at a cable TV convention in Anaheim,Calif., executives of Glenview-based Zenith Electronics Corp.presented their first digital set-top box to Americast, the TVentertainment consortium.

One down, 2,999,999 to go.

The presentation Dec. 10 was a symbolic victory forlong-suffering Zenith, which has not had a profitable year since1988, and for William G. Luehrs, president of Zenith Network Systems.One major analyst had expressed skepticism when the deal wasannounced that Zenith would ever deliver the boxes.Luehrs, 52, is Zenith's billion-dollar man. He brought home the$1 billion deal to make 3 million digital set-top boxes during thenext five years for Americast, which is owned by Ameritech Corp. andother regional phone companies and the Walt Disney Co.The Milwaukee native, who has degrees in electrical engineeringand business, came to Zenith two years ago to carry out a digitalstrategy for Zenith. Previously, he was with Scientific-AtlantaInc., where he was in charge of developing analog and digital set-topdevices and cable modems.He spent 17 years with General Electric, where he was involvedin general management and strategic planning.Addressing the cynics, Luehrs said Zenith's deal with Americastis "a real contract. This is not digi-hype. It's a serious contractwith serious consequences on both sides."Peter S. Willmott, Zenith's chief executive officer, said: "Billis a driving force behind Zenith's digital strategy. He was broughtinto Zenith to revitalize our core Network Systems business and hasdone a terrific job in building a strong team, creating strategicalliances and implementing a breakthrough strategy for digitalset-top boxes."Luehrs said the future is in high-speed digital data - be itentertainment or Internet connections - into the home via set-topboxes and cable modems.He said digital set-top boxes will make it possible for homeviewers to receive 500 channels of TV and to have "near video ondemand." Viewers will be able to watch programs when they wantbecause cable companies will use the new capacity afforded by digitalunits to show the same movie on multiple channels at staggered times.Luehrs said the digital set-top boxes also will enhancereception of audio on TV to the quality of compact discs."There is no degradation of the signal," he said.Zenith will send a few more digital units to Americast fortesting during the next few weeks, but the production ramp-up for thenew boxes won't take place until mid-1997.Luehrs said the digital set-top boxes are designed by Zenith tobe very flexible to meet the needs of a variety of networks,including "wireless cable," direct broadcast satellite, traditionalcable and fiber-optic transmission."Americast is the first home entertainment company currentlyrequiring multiple delivery media from essentially the same boxdesign," Luehrs said."It brings a unique vision of the digital future, making this avery significant venture for Zenith and for the entire industry," hesaid.The different types of units will be made on the same assemblyline in Chihuahua, Mexico.Luehrs said Zenith's digital strategy will give the company aboost. "Zenith understands TV and has a strong retail presence," hesaid. "It foresaw the digital era coming and now is in the positionto exploit it."

Brother introduces new lockstitchers equipped with side cutter

APPAREL MAKING

Brother Industries, Ltd. has introduced a new series of lockstitch machines equipped with a side cutter: DB2-B771A single-needle needle feed lockstitcher with side cutter, DB2-B772A single-needle needle feed lockstitcher with side cutter and thread trimmer, DB2B777A single-needle straight lock-- stitcher with side cutter and DB2-- B778A single-needle straight lock-- stitcher with side cutter and thread-- trimmer.

These sewing machines can cut the material at the same time as sewing with a side cutter that boasts excellent cutting performance and durability. Ideal for sewing collars and flaps as well as the plain stitching of hems, the mode can be changed to normal sewing at a single touch, so that the machine can also be used as a standard lockstitcher when the side cutter is not in use.

The cutter drive mechanism is built into the arm, allowing more space around the needle and generally making it easier to handle the material. Scraps cut from the material are conveyed smoothly through a 29.5 mm wide duster hole to the duster chute, which keeps the top of the work table clean at all times and which lets the next operation proceed without any trouble.

The side cutter can be raised and lowered with a lever which lets the operator change easily between normal sewing and cutting while sewing.

The knife mechanism on models B771A, B772A and B778A performs stable cutting. Fine adjustments can be made to the upper knife angle using an eccentric shaft, so that attractive smooth cutting is performed at all times regardless of the type or thickness of the material. The lower knife has an ultrahard carbide tip for greater reliability.

A feature of models B771A and B772A is that uneven material feeding is prevented. Movement is transmitted directly from the horizontal feed shaft, so that the needle feed and lower feed are perfectly synchronized, thus preventing uneven material feeding.

The needle feed amount can be easily adjusted on models B771A and B772A. The needle feed augmenting mechanism allows the needle feed to be increased to up to 20% more than the lower feed amount. Adjustments are simple with the adjustment scale as it lets the operator see the current adjustment setting at a glance. This feature prevents uneven material feeding when sewing materials which easily slip, and also for thick materials.

The scissor-type thread trimmer on models B772A and B778A can cleanly cut cotton threads from #120 to #6, spun yam threads, polyester threads and nylon threads without any adjustments.

Models B772A and B778A are fitted with a damper to reduce noise from reversing during automatic backtacking.

Both models also have a dial lock lever that prevents the feed adjustment dial from moving from its set position under all sewing conditions.

Jeffs out of hospital, heads to another prison

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was en route to a Texas state prison Tuesday night following his discharge from a hospital at another prison where he was treated after becoming sick while fasting, a state official said.

Jeffs was discharged Monday night from the state prison hospital in Galveston and will receive further treatment in a prison infirmary until he's well enough to return to his cell, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark said.

Clark declined to identify Jeffs' destination for security reasons.

The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was sentenced to life imprisonment last month after prosecutors used DNA evidence to show he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl prosecutors say he took as one of his spiritual wives.

Earlier this month, Jeffs filed a handwritten motion seeking a new trial. He alleged that his religious freedoms were violated by the courts — an argument he also tried to make while defending himself during his trial.

Jeffs, 55, is scheduled to go on trial on bigamy charges in February in San Angelo.

He was initially assigned to a state prison about 100 miles southeast of Dallas to serve his life sentence for sexually assaulting underage girls. On Aug. 28, about three weeks after his conviction, he told corrections officers he had been fasting since the end of his trial and was ill. He then was taken to the Tyler hospital, about 45 miles from his prison before his transfer to the prison hospital.

That hospital shares quarters with the University of Texas Medical Branch, the Texas prison system's chief medical provider.

This was not the first time Jeffs has required hospitalization in the years since he first was locked up.

He tried to hang himself in January 2007 while awaiting trial on rape charges in Washington County, Utah, according to court documents. He also threw himself against the walls of his cell and banged his head, although he later told a mental health expert he really wasn't trying to kill himself. Around the same time, he was hospitalized for dehydration and depression.

In 2009, he was temporarily force-fed while in an Arizona jail.

Former church members have said Jeffs likely would continue to lead his Utah-based church from inside prison and that his followers likely still revere him as a prophet despite the considerable evidence at his trial showing he sexually assaulted girls as young as 12.

UCLA student posts video rant on Asians

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles said Monday he was "appalled by the thoughtless and hurtful comments" that a white student made about her Asian classmates in a video that has drawn national attention.

Alexandra Wallace posted a three-minute rant on YouTube called "Asians in the Library," in which she criticizes the school for accepting "these hordes of Asian people" who she said have no manners and invite their extended family to visit on the weekends. The UCLA political science student also faulted Asian students for disrupting her studies at the library by calling family members in the wake of the tsunami.

"I'll be in, like, deep into my studying, into my political science theories and arguments and all that stuff, getting it all down, like typing away furiously, blah, blah, blah, and then all of a sudden when I'm about to, like, reach an epiphany, overhear from somewhere, 'Oh ching chong ling long ting tong, ooohh," she said.

UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block said the video doesn't reflect the views of the university community

"Like many of you, I recoil when someone invokes the right of free expression to demean other individuals or groups," he wrote in a statement posted on the university's website.

Wallace, who couldn't immediately be reached for comment, issued an apology to the university's Daily Bruin newspaper on Sunday, calling the video inappropriate.

"I cannot explain what possessed me to approach the subject as I did, and if I could undo it, I would," she said. "I would like to offer my apology to the entire UCLA campus."

University officials are evaluating whether there have been any violations of the student code of conduct and what sanctions, if any, are appropriate.

'I ran for dear life fearing a kicking'.(Sport)

Byline: JOHN HILLCOAT

IT'S a shame Old Firm players can't go for a night on the town these days without some bam trying to banjo them.

Last Monday morning's barney outside Bamboo nightclub in Glasgow saw a couple of drunken panda bears get stuck into Celtic stars Darren O'Dea, Aiden McGeady and Scott Brown just hours after their first SPL win of the season against St Mirren.

By all accounts the trio were enjoying their night in the trendy gaff until jealousy got the better of a few wannabe yobs and tempers flared.

The scrap ended up with the cops getting involved and O'Dea being handcuffed then tossed in the cells for a few hours.

Brown, who bore the brunt of the attack, woke up on Monday morning with a hangover and a dome not even the Elephant Man would cross the doorway with.

Bamboo has had its share of melees over the past few months and is fast becoming known as the place where footballers hang out.

That reputation was secured back in April when McGeady hit the headlines after going a few rounds with some angry Rangers fans and the road had to be blocked off due to the a mount of handbags and Hai Karate talc left lying around.

I feel sorry for the high-profile stars who can't go for a night out without having to always be on their toes for folk who either want to cash in with a kiss-and-tell story or bash their heads in.

It must be murder for Old Firm players like Brown, McGeady, Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor when they fancy a few drinks.

I remember walking down Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow a few years back and big Lorenzo Amoruso, minding his own business, was being called every orange b*****d under the sun by a group of guys.

The poor fella probably didn't even know what they were on about as he just ignored them and walked on.

But I bet he didn't go near another sunbed after that due to his bright orange complexion.

Don't get me wrong, there have been high-profile players who have milked the fact they play for the Old Firm and adopted the "do you know who I am?" attitude.

These guys bring negative attention upon themselves with their arrogance and it is only natural some loose cannon would want to smash their lights in for being so cocky.

But these guys are small time compared to some of the true legends who have played for the Old Firm. I can't imagine what it must be like for someone such as Ally McCoist walking through Braehead shopping centre with his kids.

The entourage following him around would make even Santa Claus feel like a nobody.

And what about Charlie Nicholas? He must have to wear a mask every time he leaves the house.

I can remember feeling star-struck when the bold Charlie signed for Clyde in the mid-90s as I always looked up to him as an A-list celebrity.

On our Christmas night out myself and the other "we love Charlie" team-mates fought with each other to stand next to him at the bar and appear as if we were his mate.

It was like entering one of those old Western bars with Charlie that night as the pub went silent and tumbleweed blew across the room while everyone stopped mid-drink in disbelief at who had just walked in.

The stampede followed shortly and I ended up with a broken toe due to autograph hunters knocking me out of the road just to see their idol.

But I'm a lover not a fighter and can honestly say I have never been involved in any street brawl. Coming from Paisley, that's a miracle. But there was one time when I ran formy life fearing an absolute doing.

The early 90s saw Dunfermline casuals take umbrage at any "Weegie" who stayed in their town.

And it was common knowledge among the football-mad gang that some wee reserve goalie from the west was polluting their streets.

I shook with terror every time I entered the town's Kingsgate shopping centre and would hide behind pillars in the hope the neds wouldn't string me up.

The cat and mouse game went on for months but I played right into their trap after a Christmas night out.

Fancy dress was the theme and me and big Ian Westwater went as Batman and Robin.

The night passed without too many Jokers on the scene but that quickly changed as I stood at the food van waiting for my chips and cheese.

I soon got off my mark after seeing the gang of Weegie haters and after being cornered I looked in vain for the Caped Crusader to bail me out.

But it was to no avail so I curled into a ball and took their powder-puff kicks and punches which felt like I was being attacked by a swarm of midges.

Thankfully I was left sporting only a grazed forehead and a couple of midge bites.

I vowed to return east some time soon with a squad from Paisley to get my revenge. You have been warned.

'I ran for dear life fearing a kicking'.(Sport)

Byline: JOHN HILLCOAT

IT'S a shame Old Firm players can't go for a night on the town these days without some bam trying to banjo them.

Last Monday morning's barney outside Bamboo nightclub in Glasgow saw a couple of drunken panda bears get stuck into Celtic stars Darren O'Dea, Aiden McGeady and Scott Brown just hours after their first SPL win of the season against St Mirren.

By all accounts the trio were enjoying their night in the trendy gaff until jealousy got the better of a few wannabe yobs and tempers flared.

The scrap ended up with the cops getting involved and O'Dea being handcuffed then tossed in the cells for a few hours.

Brown, who bore the brunt of the attack, woke up on Monday morning with a hangover and a dome not even the Elephant Man would cross the doorway with.

Bamboo has had its share of melees over the past few months and is fast becoming known as the place where footballers hang out.

That reputation was secured back in April when McGeady hit the headlines after going a few rounds with some angry Rangers fans and the road had to be blocked off due to the a mount of handbags and Hai Karate talc left lying around.

I feel sorry for the high-profile stars who can't go for a night out without having to always be on their toes for folk who either want to cash in with a kiss-and-tell story or bash their heads in.

It must be murder for Old Firm players like Brown, McGeady, Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor when they fancy a few drinks.

I remember walking down Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow a few years back and big Lorenzo Amoruso, minding his own business, was being called every orange b*****d under the sun by a group of guys.

The poor fella probably didn't even know what they were on about as he just ignored them and walked on.

But I bet he didn't go near another sunbed after that due to his bright orange complexion.

Don't get me wrong, there have been high-profile players who have milked the fact they play for the Old Firm and adopted the "do you know who I am?" attitude.

These guys bring negative attention upon themselves with their arrogance and it is only natural some loose cannon would want to smash their lights in for being so cocky.

But these guys are small time compared to some of the true legends who have played for the Old Firm. I can't imagine what it must be like for someone such as Ally McCoist walking through Braehead shopping centre with his kids.

The entourage following him around would make even Santa Claus feel like a nobody.

And what about Charlie Nicholas? He must have to wear a mask every time he leaves the house.

I can remember feeling star-struck when the bold Charlie signed for Clyde in the mid-90s as I always looked up to him as an A-list celebrity.

On our Christmas night out myself and the other "we love Charlie" team-mates fought with each other to stand next to him at the bar and appear as if we were his mate.

It was like entering one of those old Western bars with Charlie that night as the pub went silent and tumbleweed blew across the room while everyone stopped mid-drink in disbelief at who had just walked in.

The stampede followed shortly and I ended up with a broken toe due to autograph hunters knocking me out of the road just to see their idol.

But I'm a lover not a fighter and can honestly say I have never been involved in any street brawl. Coming from Paisley, that's a miracle. But there was one time when I ran formy life fearing an absolute doing.

The early 90s saw Dunfermline casuals take umbrage at any "Weegie" who stayed in their town.

And it was common knowledge among the football-mad gang that some wee reserve goalie from the west was polluting their streets.

I shook with terror every time I entered the town's Kingsgate shopping centre and would hide behind pillars in the hope the neds wouldn't string me up.

The cat and mouse game went on for months but I played right into their trap after a Christmas night out.

Fancy dress was the theme and me and big Ian Westwater went as Batman and Robin.

The night passed without too many Jokers on the scene but that quickly changed as I stood at the food van waiting for my chips and cheese.

I soon got off my mark after seeing the gang of Weegie haters and after being cornered I looked in vain for the Caped Crusader to bail me out.

But it was to no avail so I curled into a ball and took their powder-puff kicks and punches which felt like I was being attacked by a swarm of midges.

Thankfully I was left sporting only a grazed forehead and a couple of midge bites.

I vowed to return east some time soon with a squad from Paisley to get my revenge. You have been warned.

Koala's net launch

Downend electronic publisher Koala Publishing has launched a newinternet package that allows membership groups, from clubs to tradeorganisations, to communicate with and provide services for members.

The system allows groups to improve their sites with membershipdirectories, event calendars, ecommerce shops and members-only …

Cyanobacterial bioactive molecules--an overview of their toxic properties.(Report)

Abstract: Allelopathic interactions involving cyanobacteria are being increasingly explored for the pharmaceutical and environmental significance of the bioactive molecules. Among the toxic compounds produced by cyanobacteria, the biosynthetic pathways, regulatory mechanisms, and genes involved are well understood, in relation to biotoxins, whereas the cytotoxins are less investigated. A range of laboratory methods have been developed to detect and identify biotoxins in water as well as the causal organisms; these methods vary greatly in their degree of sophistication and the information they provide. Direct molecular probes are also available to detect and (or) differentiate toxic and nontoxic species from environmental samples. This review collates the information available on the diverse types of toxic bioactive molecules produced by cyanobacteria and provides pointers for effective exploitation of these biologically and industrially significant prokaryotes.

Key words: cyanobacteria, bioactive molecules, cyanotoxins, NRP (non-ribosomal peptide), biocontrol agent.

Resume : Les effets allelopathiques des cyoanobacteries sont de plus en explores pour identifier les molecules bioactives importantes d'un point de vue pharmaceutique ou environnemental. Parmi les composes toxiques produits par les cyanobacteries, les biotoxines sont bien connues quant aux voies, aux mecanismes regulateurs et aux genes impliques dans leur biosynthese, alors que les cytotoxines sont moins etudiees. Une variete de methodes de laboratoire ont ete developpees afin de detecter et d'identifier les biotoxines de l'eau et les agents qui en sont responsables; elles different grandement quant a leur degre de sophistication et a l'information qu'elles generent. Des sondes moleculaires directes sont aussi disponibles afin de detecter et differencier les especes toxiques des especes non toxiques d'echantillons environnementaux. Cette revue collige l'information disponible sur les differents types de molecules bioactives toxiques produites par les cyanobacteries et fournit des pistes pour exploiter de facon efficace ces procaryotes significatifs d'un point de vue biologique et industriel.

Mots-cles : cyanobacteries, molecules bioactives, cyanotoxines, peptide non ribosomal, agent de controle biologique.

[Traduit par la Redaction]

Introduction

Cyanobacteria are an ancient group of simple microorganisms, with characteristics in common with both bacteria and algae. They resemble bacteria in their prokaryotic cellular organization but exhibit oxygen-evolving photosynthesis similar to algae and higher plants. They are employed as model systems for understanding various physiological processes, besides serving as important links in the evolutionary and (or) phylogenetic classification of organisms. They were the first organisms to carry out oxygenic photosynthesis and played a major part in the oxygenation of the atmosphere of earth. Their remarkable ecological diversity combined with very simple metabolic requirements is responsible for their success as a group in a wide range of aquatic habitats. Also, their unique physiological characteristics and high adaptive ability under a wide range of environmental conditions leads to their proliferation as excessive masses in aquatic habitats, often dominating other aquatic flora and fauna. The production of water blooms is a widespread phenomenon, which has been reported from different parts of world, and poses a considerable threat not only to the flora and fauna but also significantly to the health and welfare of human beings.

Biochemical processes in living cells are of 3 main types: basal (providing energy and raw materials for cell functions), synthetic (involved in replication and vegetative growth), and secondary (involved in the utilization of substrates to give a variety of products often specific for a given organism). Among these processes, the maximum chemical diversity is observed in the secondary metabolites, such as cyanotoxins, which not only provide heterogeneity but also serve as inter-/intea-species level markers for organisms. A heavy water bloom formed under adequate light and temperature can also serve as a rich source of secondary metabolites of novel chemical and molecular structures (Zingone and Enevoldsen 2000; Welker and Von Dohren 2006; Volk 2007). Many of these biomolecules have pharmaceutical importance and include hepatotoxic (liver damaging), neurotoxic (nerve damaging), cytotoxic (cell damaging) compounds, and toxins responsible for allergic reactions (Carmichael 1994; Volk and Mundt 2006). In recent years, there has been a tremendous enhancement in our knowledge regarding their biological significance, especially those produced by cyanobacteria, as they have proved to be exciting molecules with immuno-modulatory, bioregulatory, and therapeutic potential (Namikoshi and Rinehart 1996; Burja et al. 2001; Singh et al. 2005b).

The first report on cyanobacterial toxins dates back to May 1878 when George Francis of Australia reported that the blue-green alga Nodularia spumigena formed a thick scum-like green oil paint on the Murray River, and its growth rendered water "unwholesome" for cattle and other animals drinking at the surface, bringing on a rapid and sometimes terrible death. Since then, there have been several reports on cyanobacterial toxins and their ecological and economic impacts, besides the sociocultural implications (Sivonen 1990; Carmichael 1994; Ray and Bagchi 2001; Ghasemi et al. 2003; Agrawal et al. 2005; Wiegand and Pflugmacher 2005; Volk 2006). Until the late 1990s, there have been no definite reports on human death due to cyanotoxins. Pouria et al. (1998), however, reported that 126 patients suffered from toxic hepatitis due to the use of contaminated water for haemodialysis, among which 60 died. Immunoassays confirmed lethal doses of cyanotoxins in the liver of the patients. The toxicity level of any water body contaminated with cyanobacteria depends on various factors, e.g., cellular concentration, type of toxins, biomass concentration, mode of exposure, and susceptibility of victim, notably age, sex, weight, and species (Carmichael 1994).

Despite the availability of information on cyanotoxins, a comprehensive evaluation of various facets of their production, i.e., environmental factors, detection techniques, and genetic basis, is not currently available to our knowledge. The major focus of our review is therefore to compile and analyse the available information on cyanotoxins and discuss their ecological significance.

Factors affecting toxicity

Toxin production by cyanobacteria appears highly variable both within and between blooms (Codd and Bell 1985) and toxicity not only varies between strains but among clones of same isolates (Carmichael 1994; Utkilen and Gjolme 1992). In addition, few strains produce 3 or more toxins with the relative proportions being influenced by environmental factors (Wicks and Thiel 1990; Carmichael 1994; Utkilen and Gjolme 1992).

Growth phase

Culture age significantly affects toxin production in cyanobacteria. Gentile reported for the first time in 1971 about leakage of toxin at mid-exponential phase of growth of Microcystis aeruginosa (Gentile 1971). Since then, there have been many reports regarding optimum toxin production and release by M. aeruginosa at late exponential phase of growth (Codd and Poon 1988; Carmichael 1994). Similar results were obtained by Ray and Bagchi (2001) on Oscillatoria sp. They observed that algicide started appearing in the medium at mid-exponential phase, which showed a positive relation with biomass yield. The differential concentration of algicide in the medium and inside the cells led them to conclude that the compound is secreted by an efflux mechanism rather than leaking out of cells. Dias et al. (2002) reported that in Aphanizomenon sp. strain LMECYA 31, the amount of extracellular toxin increased with culture time, indicating that toxins are released in water through cell lysis and may be expected to remain in water upon collapse of the toxic bloom or removable by water treatment. Patterson and Bolis (1993) reported a rapid decrease in the scytophycin content of Scytonema ocellatum in newly inoculated cultures, which suggests that scytophycin is continuously metabolized. Rapala et al. (1997) reported that in Anabaena, culture age is the most important factor causing the release of toxins. Microcystin and anatoxin-a are largely retained within the cell when the conditions are favorable for growth. The amount of microcystin in the culture increases during the logarithmic growth phase and is highest in the late logarithmic phase. Maximum anatoxin-a concentration was found during the logarithmic phase of growth (Sivonen 1996). Volk (2007) reported variation in exometabolites excreted by Nostoc insulare with culture age. During linear growth a non-toxic compound was excreted in the medium, whereas during stationary phase, antimicrobial and cytotoxic exometabolites were also present in the extracellular medium.

Nutritional factors

Toxin production in cyanobacteria is affected by various nutritional factors like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentration. Codd and Poon (1988) found 10 times less toxin in M. aeruginosa cultures as compared with reference cells when the nitrogen source was removed. Watanabe and Oishi (1985) also observed a slight reduction in toxin production with lower nitrogen levels, and Sivonen (1990) showed a direct relationship between toxin production and nitrate concentration in Oscillatoria agardhii. Since M. aeruginosa and O. agardhii are non-N2 fixers, the stimulation in toxin production in the presence of enhanced levels of inorganic combined nitrogen sources can be directly correlated with the peptide nature of their toxins.

Toxin production is favoured by a low level of phosphorus present in the medium (Watanabe and Oishi 1985; Sivonen 1990). Sivonen (1990) reported that lower levels of phosphorus are needed for toxin production and a saturation level of 0.4 mg P/L was recorded in this study. Utkilen and Gjolme (1992) reported that phosphate-limiting conditions had no effect on toxin production by M. aeruginosa. Rapala et al. (1993) reported no significant variation in the production of anatoxin-a due to the concentration of P in the medium. On the other hand, Oh et al. (2000) observed that more P in the culture medium stimulates growth and toxin production by M. aeruginosa. The role of environmental factors, such as pH, light and temperature, and P levels, on the growth and production of biocidal compounds by Anabaena sp. and Calothrix sp. was also investigated (Radhakrishnan 2006). The diameter of the inhibition zone was largest when extracellular filtrates of cultures of Anabaena sp. and Calothrix sp. grown at a 2-fold higher concentration of P (1.4 mg/L compared with 0.7 mg/L in BG 11 medium) were employed in disc diffusion assays using cyanobacteria and phytopathogenic fungi as test organisms. Repka et al. (2004) also reported maximum toxin production by a cyanobacterium in 13-day-old culture of Anabaena sp. strain 90 in the presence of 2.6 mg/L phosphate concentration. However, Ray and Bagchi (2001) reported that algicide production by Oscillatoria latevirens was negatively regulated with phosphate. They also analysed the effect of sulphur, magnesium, calcium, and hydrogen on growth and secondary metabolite production by cyanobacteria and found that although S did not show any effect on growth and algicide production, a decline in magnesium concentration (within the range that permitted growth) enhances the algicide production and its inhibitory activity. However, calcium was required by the strain for growth, although it did not have any effect on algicidal activity. Dias et al. (2002) reported that changing phosphate levels results in a change in the type of toxin produced by cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon sp. Evidently, P level has a significant influence on the toxin production by cyanobacteria, but a differential response is observed among different cyanobacterial strains and genera. This may be attributed to the quantitative and qualitative differences in the specific requirements of the strains, and no general relationship can be attributed in terms of the influence of nutrients, especially phosphorus.

Environmental factors

Most of the preliminary work regarding the influence of environmental factors on toxin production by cyanobacteria was done using M. aeruginosa (Watanabe and Oishi 1985; Van der Westhuizen et al. 1986; Sivonen 1990). Watanabe and Oishi (1985) found that light intensity is the primary factor for toxin production, and low light intensity suppressed its production. They observed a 4-fold increase in M. aeruginosa toxicity when light intensity was increased from 7.53 to 30.1 [micro]E x [m.sup.-2] x [s.sup.-1] (Van der Westhuizen and Eloff 1985). Van der Westhuizen et al. (1986) observed lower toxin production at very low and high light intensities with M. aeruginosa. However, Wicks and Thiel (1990) reported only small differences in toxicity at light intensities of 37 and 270 [micro]E x [m.sup.-2] x [s.sup.-1] A positive correlation was found between solar radiation and toxicity of M. aeruginosa under natural conditions. On the contrary, Codd and Poon (1988) reported that light intensities of 5-50 [micro]E x [m.sup.-2] x [s.sup.-1] had no significant influence on toxin production in a strain of M. aeruginosa. Utkilen and Gjolme (1992) reported an increase in toxin production rate up to 40 [micro]E x [m.sup.-2] x [s.sup.-1], and any further increase in light intensity resulted in a decrease in toxicity. They found that the toxin produced by this strain is a small peptide, and the ratio of toxin to protein increases up to 40 [micro]E x [m.sup.-2] x [s.sup.-1]. But in contrast to toxicity, this ratio is almost unaffected by any further increase in light intensity. Hence, they concluded that toxin synthesis increased faster than general protein synthesis at light intensities between 20 and 40 [micro]E x [m.sup.-2] x [s.sup.-1]. They showed that both toxicity and the ratio of toxin to protein were slightly enhanced by both red and green light as compared with white light. However, they concluded, a change in light quality had a minor effect on toxicity but may directly affect growth. The decrease in toxin production at high light intensities may also be caused by an accumulation of polysaccharides (Utkilen and Gjolme 1992). Radhakrishnan (2006) observed that high light intensity (5000 1x or 90-100 [micro]mol photons x [m.sup.-2] x [s.sup.-1] and temperature (40 [+ or -] 2 [degrees]C) enhanced the algicidal and fungicidal activity of the extracellular filtrates of the Anabaena sp. and Calothrix sp. Such contradictory reports regarding the effect of light intensities were explained by Sivonen (1990) who attributed them to differences in light sources, differences in culture media used, and differences in toxin detection method used. It can also be concluded that the differential behavior of a strain and …