FED:Genes shed new light on cause of MS

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2011
FED:Genes shed new light on cause of MS

Scientists have taken a leap forward in their quest to find a cure for multiple sclerosis,
by identifying more than fifty genes linked to the disease.

The international study has identified 57 genes with a certain pattern, which highlights
the immune system's role in why some people develop MS, a disease of the central nervous
system.

The finding could play a vital role in finding a cure for the 2.5 million people worldwide
with MS, and was one of the largest human genetic studies ever undertaken.

The study, by the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium, is being published
by the scientific journal Nature today.

AAP RTV bt/wz/nap

KEYWORD: MS (SYDNEY)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Roadtrain rumbles towards record books

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2006
Qld: Roadtrain rumbles towards record books

By Bruce McKendry

BRISBANE, Feb 17 AAP - The world's longest ever road-train is revved up and ready to
roll into the record books.

The motorised monster will rumble down the highway outside the tiny Darling Downs town
of Clifton in southern Queensland tomorrow, a place in the Guinness Book of Records firmly
in its giant sights.

To succeed, Brisbane truck driver John Atkinson must use a single prime mover to pull
120 trailers measuring 1,700 metres in length - that's more than 16 football fields -
100 metres down the road.

Organiser Mick Boyce says spectators are expected to double Clifton's usual population
of 600 and cheer on the world record attempt.

"It's taken a while to get it all together but we've had great support from everyone,"

he said today.

"The police, Main Roads and Clifton Shire are helping us close down a two kilometre
stretch of road from 6am and Chris Sheedy from the Guinness Book of Records will be there
to hopefully see us do it."

The Queensland attempt has to beat the current world record of 1,445 metres, set by
Doug Gould in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

"There's 15 of them flying over from WA and they reckon they are going to sabotage
our attempt," joked Mr Boyce.

"It's a friendly rivalry really and we even have eight people coming from New Zealand,
just out of interest.

"We're looking forward to it but the weather could be a factor. We've had two inches
of rain here in the last 24 hours and that is making things difficult.

"We will only be going first gear, so it will only be a couple of kilometres an hour."

The record attempt, which is raising money for cancer sufferers in rural areas, takes
place at midday.

AAP bmk/sc/drp/de

KEYWORD: ROADTRAIN

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Alcohol report findings

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2011
FED:Alcohol report findings

Findings of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation report:



* More than one-third of drinkers or four million Australians consume alcohol to get drunk.



* 37 per cent of Australians perceive alcohol to be the most harmful drug compared
to tobacco and illicit substances.



* 78 per cent of regular drinkers think Australians have a problem with alcohol, up
from 59 per cent in 2010.



* 82 per cent of people believe more needs to be done to reduce harm caused by alcohol-related
illness, injury, death and related issues.



* 6.4 million Australians consume six or more standard drinks on a typical occasion.



* Almost one quarter of 18-24 years who drink alcohol have six or more standard drinks
on one occasion.



* 80 per cent of Australians believe consuming alcohol while pregnant can be harmful
to the developing foetus.

AAP ms/sb/pc

KEYWORD: ALCOHOL FACTBOX

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:29 road deaths in the holiday season

AAP General News (Australia)
12-26-2010
FED:29 road deaths in the holiday season

Following is a breakdown of road fatalities this holiday season 2010-11:

New South Wales 6

Victoria 10

Queensland 8

South Australia 0

Western Australia 2

Northern Territory 1

Australian Capital Territory 1

Tasmania 1

NATIONAL TOTAL: 29

(EDS: National road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 17 to 2359 Monday
January 3. Some states and territories have different periods.)

AAP mi/mp

KEYWORD: TOLL NATIONAL FACTBOX

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD:Drag race hotshot in drug trial

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2010
QLD:Drag race hotshot in drug trial

BRISBANE, Aug 17 AAP - A former hotshot of the drag racing circuit has been committed
to stand trial on drugs charges.

Brett Raymond Stevens will face the Supreme Court in Brisbane at a date to be fixed
on one count each of trafficking and two of producing a dangerous drug.

A committal hearing in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday and Tuesday was told that
Stevens, 45, produced ecstasy and cannabis at his Narangba home between 2007 and 2009.

He is also accused of selling amphetamines.

A further two related summary charges of possessing tainted property will be dealt
with in Brisbane Magistrates Court in late November.

Stevens was a stalwart of the drag racing circuit.

At his final race meeting at Willowbank in December 2008, he received a plaque in recognition
of his 18 years in the sport.

AAP cf/pjo/was

KEYWORD: STEVENS

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Two dead in separate crashes

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-2010
NSW: Two dead in separate crashes

SYDNEY, April 9 AAP - Two men are dead after separate crashes within three hours of
each other in regional NSW, police say.

In the first crash, about 5.25am (AEST) on Thursday, a southbound Ford station wagon
collided with a semi-trailer travelling in the opposite direction on the Pacific Highway
about 75km south of Ballina on the NSW north coast.

"The truck's fuel tank ruptured and it also lost a wheel and veered into a truck-stop,
hitting a prime mover parked in the area," police said in a statement.

The 69-year-old man driving the Ford was trapped for a short time before being taken
to hospital, where he later died.

The semi-trailer driver and a man sleeping in the parked truck were not injured in the smash.

In the Blue Mountains, about 8.20am (AEST), two utes collided head-on while travelling
on the Great Western Highway at Mt Victoria.

A 43-year-old Urunga man driving the westbound ute died at the scene while a man and
woman in the second vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Police will prepare reports for the coroner in relation to both crashes.

AAP ad/rs

KEYWORD: TOLL NSW

2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Nation's swine flu outbreak not past peak: Roxon

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-2009
FED: Nation's swine flu outbreak not past peak: Roxon

MELBOURNE, Aug 26 AAP - The nation's swine flu pandemic has not yet passed its peak,
Health Minister Nicola Roxon says.

In Melbourne to address a national consultation on health reform, Ms Roxon said the
latest data showed about 80 per cent of people tested with flu-like symptoms had been
diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.

"Obviously there's anecdotal evidence about a drop-off in presentations in particular
areas, but we're seeing increases still in others," Ms Roxon told reporters on Wednesday.

"We are still seeing a fair number of people in the vulnerable groups who are presenting
with quite serious illnesses."

The health minister said evidence from overseas indicated the virus had continued past
the normal winter seasons "for a period of time".

"It's not possible I don't think for us to yet say, and certainly we wouldn't want
to say it prematurely, that we've passed the peak."

There are currently 440 people in hospital around Australia with the H1N1 strain, with
100 of those in intensive care units.

"Obviously we continue to be concerned that this is putting a lot of pressure on hospitals
across the country with peaks rising and dropping off in different states at different
times," Ms Roxon told reporters.

"That number we expect will continue to grow, while the numbers of hospitalisations
are still relatively high."

The death toll from swine flu has reached 138, with two confirmed deaths in the ACT,
36 in NSW, six in the NT, 30 in Qld, 15 in SA, six in Tasmania, 24 in Victoria and 19
in WA.

Once a complete set of safety data has been provided from human trials, the CSL swine
flu vaccine will be ready for approval at a date yet to be determined in September, Ms
Roxon said.

AAP ees/gfr/jl

KEYWORD: FLU ROXON

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Premier urges public to dob in Marysville arsonist

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2009
Vic: Premier urges public to dob in Marysville arsonist

Victorian Premier JOHN BRUMBY is urging anyone with information on the Marysville firebug
to contact police .. as detectives close in on the arsonist.

Police have interviewed a Country Fire Authority volunteer over the blaze that killed
38 people on February 7 .. but no-one's been charged.

A police information caravan will be set up in Yea on Saturday .. with police and the
premier appealing to the public for help.

Mr BRUMBY's assured the public .. any information given will be treated in confidence.

He says police are working hard to find the arsonist responsible for the Marysville
fire and an arrest would help residents heal.

AAP RTV cmb/jxt/tm

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC (BALLARAT)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: New housing code will cut home approvals to ten days

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2008
NSW: New housing code will cut home approvals to ten days

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - A new housing code, aimed at reducing approval times for new homes
and extensions from several months to 10 days or less, will provide a much needed boost
to the NSW housing industry, the state government says.

Planning Minister Kristina Keneally said the new code would apply to lots over 450
square metres, where a new single or two-storey detached house was planned.

It would also cover house alterations and additions, including swimming pools.

"If a proposed house meets set standards which limit its potential impact on neighbours
and the look of a street, it should not be tied up in red tape," Ms Keneally said in a
statement on Friday.

She maintained the new code would protect neighbours' rights and privacy, and would
not allow heritage-controlled houses to be demolished.

Ms Keneally said a checklist would ensure new homes or extensions would comply with
council standards.

"The checklist includes setbacks from the street, neighbouring properties and back
fence," she said.

"If a proposed house exceeds these limits, it would go through the development application
process."

The code will apply from February 27 next year.

Last year it took an average of 123 days to approve development applications for new
detached houses in Sydney, and 53 days in regional areas, Ms Keneally said.

Urban Taskforce spokesman Aaron Gadiel said the new code would help ordinary families
build their dream homes.

"The planning system has been bogged down in trivia, which has stopped councils allocating
the necessary resources to major developments - such as townhouses, apartments, shopping
centres and industrial premises," he said in a statement.

The Urban Taskforce is a property development lobby group.

AAP bc/wjf/ldj

KEYWORD: CODE

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Main stories in today's 3AW news

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2008
Main stories in today's 3AW news

MELBOURNE, August 8 AAP - Main stories in today's 3AW news:

- PM Kevin Rudd meets briefly with Chinese premier ahead of Games opening ceremony.

- Olympic flame heading towards Beijing's bird's nest main stadium.

- Federal Police and customs smash international drug ring with ecstasy street value
of $4.4 billion.

- Search of creek near Kooyong fails to find 9 year-old missing boy.

- A man who claims his wife set fire to herself two years ago has been charged with her murder.

- AFL round tonight marks football's 150th anniversary.

- Opposition says workers will have to take a pay cut if Rudd government increases
compulsory super contribution to 12 per cent.

- Tollways will continue to be built despite disappointing traffic level on Melbourne's
newest tollway Eastlink.

- Deal close to US military forces to leave Iraq by 2013.

- All Ords down 29 points to 5001. Aust dollar equal to 89.9 US cents.

AAP jxt

KEYWORD: MONITOR 3AW 1200

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Police hope to recovere crash victims' bodies tonight

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2008
WA: Police hope to recovere crash victims' bodies tonight

PERTH, Feb 14 AAP - Police today hope to recover the bodies of two people killed in
a mid-air collision between a helicopter and a light aircraft in a remote part of Western
Australia.

The R44 Helicopter and Piper fixed wing aircraft collided last night while culling
feral goats in the rugged Kennedy Range National Park in WA's Gascoyne region, about 150km
east of Carnarvon, authorities said.

Two aboard the aircraft died but the helicopter's crew of two escaped uninjured, and
have been flown out via helicopter, police said.

"They have been assessed by ambulance staff at Gascoyne Junction, found to have no
injuries and released," a police statement said.

"The bodies of the pilot and passenger in the Piper are still at the scene.

"Police hope to be able to recover the bodies late this afternoon or early tomorrow."

Forensic Police from Geraldton have arrived in Carnarvon ready to make their way to
the crash scene.

A police helicopter was also expected to arrive in Gascoyne Junction later this afternoon.

Carnarvon police were informed of the crash by a helicopter pilot at 7.50pm (WDT) yesterday.

The caller reported two people were dead and a third seriously injured, but the call
then fell out and police were unable to again contact the pilot on his satellite phone.

A flight last night by Australian search and rescue organisation (AusSAR) detected
an emergency beacon at the crash site, which is in an area inaccessible to cars.

A rescue helicopter, with two pilots, two paramedics and one police officer on board,
left Carnarvon at 7am today and arrived at the crash site about 8am local time.

Both aircraft had been involved in a joint feral goat control program by the Department
of Environment and Conservation and the Department of Agriculture.

It is understood that the pilots of the helicopter and the plane were under contract.

AAP lk/jlw/

KEYWORD: CRASH BODIES

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Booze busted, two injured in bottle shop bingle

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2007
Vic: Booze busted, two injured in bottle shop bingle

MELBOURNE, Aug 28 AAP - The booze flowed for all the wrong reasons when a car ploughed
through a hotel bottle shop in Geelong.

Police believe a man failed to stop his Ford Laser sedan at a T-intersection and crashed
into the Grovedale Hotel bottleshop on the Surf Coast Highway at Grovedale, Geelong, shortly
before 10pm (AEST) yesterday.

The crash caused serious structural damage, coming to rest in the shop's cool room.

The driver, 42, of Grovedale, and a diner inside the hotel, 30, of Belmont, were taken
to Geelong Hospital with minor injuries.

Geelong traffic management unit senior constable Ron Gray said someone could have been
killed or seriously injured.

"A staff member was actually supposed to be doing stocktake in the bottle shop cool
room so it is very fortunate we are not dealing with a fatality," he said.

The driver will be charged on summons with driving offences.

AAP jrd/rs

KEYWORD: BOTTLESHOP

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Four men arrested over shooting during pub fight =2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2007
NSW: Four men arrested over shooting during pub fight =2

Police later said a 25-year-old Erskine Park man had been charged with discharging
a firearm with intent, other firearms offences, attempting to use a weapon to avoid apprehension
and assaulting police.

A 21-year-old St Marys man was charged with discharging a firearm with intent and being
an accessory after the fact.

A 34-year-old Glenmore Park man was charged with discharging a firearm with intent
and other firearms offences.

All three have been refused bail and are due to appear in Parramatta Local Court today.

A 26-year-old Rutherford man was charged with hindering police. He has been released
on bail and is due to appear in Parramatta Local Court on May 9.

AAP wjf/evt/cdh

KEYWORD: SHOOTING 2 SYDNEY (REOPENS)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Three die on Qld roads in horror 24hrs

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2006
Qld: Three die on Qld roads in horror 24hrs

Police are still trying to identify a man killed when his utility burst into flames
after colliding with a tanker west of Gympie.

The accident happened on the Burnett Highway .. north of Goomeri .. about 4.20pm (AEST)
yesterday.

The tanker driver was unhurt.

Last night .. a 50-year-old man was killed when his car hit a tree on Cooroy Tewantin
Road at Tewantin.

And a 92-year-old man died in Rockhampton hospital from injuries suffered when his
car and a semi trailer collided at Egans Hill yesterday afternoon.

AAP RTV jmm/jmt

KEYWORD: TOLL QLD (BRISBANE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: A big interest rate headache looms for homeowners

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2006
Fed: A big interest rate headache looms for homeowners

By Shane Wright, Economics Correspondent

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - Home owners have a problem.

Do they hope world, and by extension Australian, economic conditions slow and take
pressure off domestic interest rates?

Or do they take an extra job, max-out the credit card, and cop another interest rate hike?

That's effectively the choice delivered to them by the Reserve Bank in its quarterly
statement on monetary policy, released two days after the central bank lifted official
interest rates to six per cent.

The bank sees inflation around almost every corner, both here and abroad.

Wages are on the move, petrol prices are feeding into higher costs for producers, the
economy is operating as close to capacity as physically possible, and the deflationary
impact of the strong dollar has worn off.

Beyond the continent's shores, inflation is also on the move in other countries (as
are interest rates) on the back of a strong global economy.

Some homeowners are betting the bank, having lifted interest rates twice this year,
won't do it again because of the damage that might cause.

That's like betting on Carlton to make this year's AFL grand final.

Competition among lenders has meant that if you shop around, finding a rate below the
standard variable rate of 7.8 per cent is not too hard. For instance, online and phone
mortgage provider one direct (one direct) plans to offer 6.71 per cent until at least
January.

That means that an official interest rate of six per cent isn't having the same impact
it would if there wasn't so much competition.

In other words, the bank thinks it can lift rates higher without causing too much more pain.

Reserve Bank governor Ian Macfarlane, who retires next month, has used his last statement
on monetary policy to give a wake-up call to both Prime Minister John Howard and Treasurer
Peter Costello.

The shortage of skilled workers continues to hurt. Consumers just don't seem to get
the message that having debt does have repercussions.

And the July 1 tax cuts get their own special mention; but for the wrong reasons.

The government, and plenty of economists, have argued that high petrol prices have
acted as a de facto interest rate rise, curbing the spending powers of shoppers.

But the bank has found that, together with low unemployment, those tax cuts allowed
shoppers to keep hitting the malls.

With inflation likely to be at the top of the Reserve Bank's target range well into
next year, it means an interest rate rise is a good chance in coming months.

November looms as the month of choice. The bank board will meet a week after the latest
inflation figures. Those figures will confirm if homeowners are to get a pre-Christmas
interest rate dose.

And that will certainly be a big problem for about 8.7 million Australians.

AAP sw/sb/sp

KEYWORD: ECONOMY (AAP ANALYSIS)

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Labor to join govt in seeking clemency for Bail Nine

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2006
Fed: Labor to join govt in seeking clemency for Bail Nine

KIM BEAZLEY says Labor will join the federal government in seeking clemency for two
of the Bali Nine drug smugglers sentenced to death in Indonesia.

The opposition leader says his party .. like the government .. will make appeals to
the Indonesian government to spare the lives of ANDREW CHAN and MYURAN SUKUMARAN.

They were sentenced yesterday to die by firing squad.

Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER says the government will always seek clemency for
Australians facing the death penalty.

AAP RTV bt/was/jas/tm/wz/ibw

KEYWORD: INDON NINE BEAZLEY (SYDNEY)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Death row shows irrationality of execution - Norden

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2005
Fed: Death row shows irrationality of execution - Norden

A priest who's a friend of the Melbourne family of condemned Australian NGUYEN TUONG
VAN will tomorrow ring his church bell 25 times .. once for each year of NGUYEN'S life.

Fr PETER NORDEN'S told ABC radio the irrationality and the immorality of taking a life
in order to uphold the value of human life .. can be seen when you visit death row and
see people waiting to be killed.

Father NORDEN .. who's a long-time anti-death penalty campaigner who's visited condemned
prisoners .. says it' important NGUYEN'S mother KIM be allowed to hug her son one last
time.

Fr NORDEN'S parish in inner Melbourne held a prayer vigil in St Ignatius church last
night and more prayers will be held tomorrow morning .. before a mass at the time of the
execution.

AAP RTV dep/jv

KEYWORD: NGUYEN NORDEN (CANBERRA)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Community grows out of touch with war, says defence group

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2005
Fed: Community grows out of touch with war, says defence group

CANBERRA, Feb 1 AAP - Australians have grown out of touch with the realities of war,
the Australia Defence Association said today.

An Australian airman, Paul Pardoel, who was serving with the British Royal Air Force,
died in the crash of a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft yesterday morning.

The death has sparked a debate over the role of Australian forces in Iraq and their safety.

ADA executive director Neil James said while the defence forces never liked losing
members and the family needed time to grieve, it was not a useful debate to have.

"Obviously the family needs some privacy to grieve properly," Mr James told ABC Radio.

"But the people of Australia need to be reminded that the defence force are out there
working on their behalf in often quite dangerous circumstances.

"And we are, unfortunately, in the sort of era where there aren't that many Australians
with close personal experience of either armed conflict or personal service in the defence
force.

"And there tends to be a little bit of an attitude that it's just done by someone else
and the average Aussie does not have to worry about it, and we think that's a bit sad."

Mr James said Australians needed to acknowledge the potential sacrifice that its servicemen
and women were making on their behalf.

AAP pjo/cjh/sd

KEYWORD: IRAQ PLANE JAMES

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

back‐arc basin

back‐arc basin A zone of substantial sedimentation and tectonic enlargement, lying behind an island arc. The process of this enlargement, known as back‐arc spreading, is thought to resemble normal oceanic crust formation, but in conjunction with a subducting plate. This injection of new oceanic crust seems to be dispersed, rather than in spreading ridges.

Internet Taxation and Regulation; 80% of America's Online Community Oppose Internet Taxation; 49% of Online Population Support Guidelines for Internet Sites.

Business/Technology Editors

ROCHESTER, NY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2000

Taxation of Internet sales is highly unpopular among America's online community. The results from the most recent Harris Interactive Election 2000 survey indicate that over 80% of America's online community oppose Internet sales taxes at the federal, state or local level. In addition, 65% of the online community believe that a sales tax would decrease online purchases, compared to only 26% of respondents who feel that it would not impact online purchases. When asked whom Internet sales taxes would hurt the most, 54% of respondents felt that a sales tax would hurt consumers while 32% felt it would hurt online businesses. Few (8%) felt the sales tax would hurt traditional businesses. Opinions about Internet sales taxes are consistent across race, education, income and party identification. The online community is highly unified in its dislike for Internet sales taxes. (SEE TABLES 1-3 FOR MORE DETAILS.)

And while many free speech advocates view the Internet as the ultimate medium for promoting free expression, not everyone agrees - particularly online users. Surprisingly, the online population favors:

-- Establishing voluntary or mandatory guidelines for

Internet sites to follow,

-- Allowing public facilities and companies to control the

type of Internet content or sites that patrons or

employees can access, and

-- Requiring PC manufacturers to include a software product

that filters or restricts certain Internet sites or

content on all new PCs.

These findings regarding Internet sales taxes and regulation of Internet content are from the most recent Harris Interactive Election 2000 survey conducted from April 4th to April 10th among 15,331 respondents selected at random from the Harris Interactive Internet panel of more than 5.6 million respondents.

Although four out of every ten (41%) online users believe Internet content should not be regulated, surprisingly almost half (49%) support some type of Internet regulation. Establishing voluntary guidelines for sites to follow is favored by 28% of online users while mandatory guidelines are favored by 21%. The differences in who favors unrestricted versus restricted Internet content are clearly divided along the lines of gender and political identification. A majority (55%) of men favor no government regulation compared to only 29% of women, while Republicans (42%) and Independents (45%) are more likely than Democrats (36%) to favor keeping the government out of the regulation of Internet content. (SEE TABLE 4 FOR MORE DETAILS)

Of those who favor either voluntary or mandatory guidelines for Internet sites, half (51%) would like to see these guidelines take the shape of a rating system, similar to those used by TV and movies. A system that provides a specific definition of content that is or is not acceptable is favored by 39% and 10% are undecided as to what type of guidelines should be established. (SEE TABLE 5 FOR MORE DETAILS)

In addition, online users overwhelmingly favor the ability of public facilities (such as libraries and schools) and companies to control the type of content their patrons or employees can access, with 65% favoring public facilities and 58% favoring companies controlling content. Political identification strongly influences opinions on this issue with Republicans more likely to favor the ability of public facilities or companies to control Internet content compared to Independents and Democrats. (SEE TABLES 6 & 7 FOR MORE DETAILS)

Requiring PC manufacturers to include software that filters or restricts certain types of Internet sites or content also receives support from the online community, with 50% favoring this proposal, 38% opposed to it and 12% undecided. On this issue, women are much more likely than men to favor the proposal with 58% of women supporting this option compared to 41% of men. (SEE TABLE 8 FOR MORE DETAILS)

Throughout the campaign season, some of the questions from Harris Interactive Election 2000 surveys will be regularly available through Excite@Home's new elections site (http://elections.excite.com/poll). Questions regarding the issue of the regulation of Internet content will appear on the site from May 7th to May 9th. Visitors to the site can cast their votes on these questions and compare their opinion with those of Harris Interactive's online panel of more than 6.2 million respondents and with other Excite.com members.

For a more detailed look at the online community's views toward

Internet sales taxes and the regulation of

Internet content see tables 1-8 at

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/index.asp?HI_election=election

Methodology

This Harris Interactive Election 2000 study was conducted between April 4th and April 10th with a national sample of 15,331 respondents from the Harris Interactive Inc. panel of Internet users. The data reported here are based on a random sub-sample of 7,511 respondents. Data were weighted by age, sex, education, income, race/ethnicity, region, and hours spent online, in order to generalize the results to the national online population.

In theory with a randomly chosen sample of this size and after weighting the data, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult online population of the United States had been polled. The sample used by Harris Interactive is not a random sample. While individuals have been randomly sampled from our database for this survey, they have previously chosen to take part in the Harris Interactive database.

There are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. These potential sources of error include question wording and question order, non-response, and screening (e.g. for likely voters). It is difficult or impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors so the words "margin of error" should be avoided when reporting all survey data.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive (Nasdaq: HPOL), a leading global market research firm, uses Internet-based and traditional methodologies to provide its clients with information about the views, experiences, behaviors and attitudes of people worldwide. Known for its Harris Poll, Harris Interactive has over 40 years experience in providing its clients with market research and polling services, including custom, multi-client research, service bureau research, as well as customer relationship management services. Through its U.S. and Global Network offices, Harris Interactive conducts research in over 85 different countries in more than 30 different languages. Harris Interactive uses its proprietary technology to survey its database of more than 6.2 million online panelists. For more information about Harris Interactive, please visit our Web site at http://www.harrisinteractive.com.

About Excite@Home

Excite@Home (Nasdaq:ATHM), the leading broadband media company, offers media services through Excite(www.excite.com) and Blue Mountain Arts (www.bluemountain.com), and broadband subscription services through @Home (www.home.com) and @Work (www.work.home.net). The company has a worldwide footprint of 72 million cable homes under long-term contract to accelerate its position as the leading broadband media company. Excite@Home's MatchLogic division (www.matchlogic.com) offers marketers industry-leading digital advertising capabilities, including rich media production, ad and e-mail services, and database analysis -- all integrated into a complete solutions package.

Safe Harbor Statement

This media release includes statements that may constitute forward-looking information. We caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. Additional detailed information concerning a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ is readily available in the "Risk Factors" section of our Prospectus, dated December 6, 1999 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933.

Assured Access To Demonstrate Industry's Highest Density Dial Access Concentrator at SUPERCOMM '98

   X1600 Access Concentrator Takes Carrier Class Remote Access to New Levels              System Software Supports Virtual Private Data Networks          for Corporate Network Outsourcing and Wholesale Dial Access    

ATLANTA, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Assured Access Technology, Inc. today announced the first live demonstration of its recently introduced X1600 Access Concentrator at SUPERCOMM '98 Booth #2465 from June 9 - 11 in Atlanta. The X1600 will be configured as a high-density dial access platform with channelized T3 access and a mix of V.90 and ISDN modems.

A 16-slot high-capacity access concentrator specifically designed for deployment in the public data network, the X1600 can scale to over 2,000 modems (or three DS3s) and over 3,000 ISDN lines. Assured Access is the only company to support all of these capabilities and densities in a single platform.

In addition, the company will highlight its virtual private data networking (VPDN) and wholesale dial applications for growing Internet Service Providers. The Assured Access product family supports robust system software with value-added features that can unlock new sources of revenue for these service providers.

Wholesale Internet Service Providers are also growing rapidly and need to reduce their cost per port. "Most access concentrators deliver economies of scale, but fall short in terms of availability," said Art Klein, President and Chairman of Assured Access. "Our entire product family couples true scalability with carrier-class reliability, so that wholesalers can grow and reduce per-port cost without compromising network uptime."

In addition, the system software supports the concept of multiple virtual routers (MVRS(TM)) that gives growing service providers the ability to provide virtual private data networks for businesses, whether large or small. Businesses can use the power of the Internet to expand their corporate networks' reach to employees, suppliers and partners.

"When we designed the system's architecture, we also designed in many value added services that enable Internet Service Providers to deploy VPDNs for their business customers generating new services and revenues from their basic access concentrator platform," said Marilyn Suey, Vice President, Marketing. "The thrust behind Assured Access' products is to simplify the Internet infrastructure, while offering ways to enrich the Internet by adding new features and services with the highest reliability built-in."

Next Generation Access Concentrator

The X1600, a NEBS compliant system, joins the company's six-slot X600 and 10- slot X1000 Access Concentrators, giving service providers a full portfolio of highly reliable access platforms that have unsurpassed scalability. Whether deployed in a traditional telephone central office environment or in an Internet Service Provider's super-POP, the X1600 relieves network complexity by eliminating the need for separate access routers or standalone LAN switches and access servers. The X1600's distributed processing architecture supports high-density multi-service access, ranging from dial-up to leased line access, and delivers true PSTN performance.

In addition, the X1600 simplifies POP expansion and management by enabling large POPs to cost-effectively grow into super-POPs. By simply adding new modules to meet any mix of service requirements, service providers can now more easily manage large POPs with the X1600 instead of a multitude of single function devices amidst racks of equipment.

The Assured Access X600 and X1000 access concentrators are available now and are in evaluation in several RBOC and Network service provider sites.

All members of the Assured Access Switch family are easy to install, operate and maintain and provide the flexibility, scalability, performance, and fault tolerance required for successful public network operations. The product family was designed to eliminate downtime. There are no single points of failure in an Assured Access system and every essential hardware and software component can be backed up by at least one redundant copy -- all hardware components are hot-swappable.

Founded in September 1996, Assured Access Technology, Inc. develops, markets and supports a family of multi-service access concentrators to fulfill the operational and business objectives of Internet Service Providers. With an advanced architecture that is scalable to significantly more than the capacity of current access solutions, the Assured Access product family is positioned to help Service Providers increase switched and dedicated access capacity. Assured Access is headed by a management team from high technology industry leaders including FORE Systems (Nasdaq: FORE), Rockwell (NYSE: ROK), Ascend (Nasdaq: ASND), 3Com (Nasdaq: COMS), and AT&T (NYSE: T).

  SOURCE  Assured Access Technology, Inc.       -0-                             06/08/98   

/CONTACT: Sheryl Schultz of SRS Associates, 508-647-0044, sheryl@srsassociates.com/

      /Web site:  http://www.assuredaccess.com/     (FORE ROK ASND COMS T)  CO:  Assured Access Technology, Inc. ST:  Georgia IN:  CPR SU:  PDT      LZ -- NEM055 -- 1356 06/08/98 14:57 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com   

HCCS Partners with American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) to Offer Nurse Training.

Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) and Essentials of Nurse Manager Orientation Online Training

JERICHO, N.Y., July 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Care Compliance Strategies, Inc. (HCCS) announced today a partnership with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), to deliver a series of critical care nursing and nurse management online training courses delivered on HCCS Learning Management Systems. This training includes two separate AACN courses: Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) and Essentials of Nurse Manager Orientation. The courses are available on two HCCS Learning Management Systems, SimPL - The Simple Platform for Learning and the HCCS Healthcare Learning Platform (HLP).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061010/NYTU194LOGO )

Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) is a comprehensive introduction to critical care nursing. It focuses on the fundamentals, providing the theoretical foundation necessary to care for critically ill patients. ECCO includes 10 learning modules and uses a body systems approach. Modules are comprised of multiple lessons that provide in-depth, interactive content with rich graphics and illustrations that keep learners engaged. Each module addresses the anatomy and physiology of the body system, relevant diagnostic information, and the clinical presentation and management of common disorders for each of the body systems.

Essentials of Nurse Manager Orientation is a comprehensive course for frontline managers, charge nurses, aspiring managers and leadership staff. Essentials of Nurse Manager Orientation was developed in partnership with the American Organization of Nurse Executives and is the first Web-based leadership course created specifically for nurse managers. The course was developed by experts in nurse management and covers key skills necessary for successful leadership.

"This partnership with AACN adds significant value to HCCS' mission," says Ben Diamond, President of HCCS. "The combination of these detailed and high-quality AACN training courses combined with the functionality of the HCCS Simple Platform for Learning and HCCS Healthcare Learning Platform Learning Management Systems, promises to meet demanding critical care nursing and nurse management training requirements. In addition, the courses provide a necessary vehicle for healthcare organizations to ensure staff provides the highest quality care to patients."

These courses provide a combined 109 continuing education credits, helping nurses maintain licensure. They are easily accessible and afford online learners the ability to set their own pace and work remotely from any computer with broadband Internet access.

About AACN

AACN is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing the interests of more than 500,000 nurses who are charged with the responsibility of caring for acutely and critically ill patients. The association is dedicated to providing its members with the knowledge and resources necessary to provide optimal care to critically ill patients.

About HCCS

HCCS is the leading provider of effective online training courses and learning management systems to healthcare facilities. HCCS has provided over three million hours of compliance and competency training courseware to hospitals, teaching facilities, medical schools, health plans and other health care entities. The HCCS Compliance Learning Library contains expert training content in the areas of Medicare, Medicaid, HIPAA, Harassment, Research, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Compliance. The HCCS Healthcare Learning Platform (HLP) is a healthcare specific Learning and Competency Management System.

http://www.hccs.com (516) 478-4100 or (877) 933-hccs.

SOURCE Health Care Compliance Strategies, Inc.

Research and Markets: Singapore - Broadband Market and Broadcasting Services 2011.

DUBLIN -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4273bf/singapore_broadb) has announced the addition of the "Singapore - Broadband Market and Broadcasting Services" report to their offering.

Already boasting an elaborate internet network, with around 100% of internet households having broadband access Singapore has certainly not allowed itself to become complacent. The island state remains keen to build on its excellent technology base. The government has continued to maintain a strong commitment to making broadband internet access widely available to the population and at the same time lifting the quality of the access. Apart from the excellent infrastructure available to support broadband services, the administration and the operators have put a major effort into expanding these services and increasing the ease of access, one such initiative being the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure and the Next Generation National Broadband Network.

For some years now Singapore's TV broadcasting sector has been feeling the impact of convergence. The liberalisation of the media industry in Singapore was triggered a decade ago when the then Ministry of Information and the Arts announced that broadcasting operators could look at' the telecommunications sector and telecommunications companies could look at' the broadcasting sector. The regulatory regime was changed to facilitate this. Whilst the initial response was slow, over time there has been substantial development and the broadcasting sector has been given a fresh boost with the advent of new platforms such as internet protocol television.

This report reviews the state of Singapore's broadband market and provides market statistics. In also looking at the broadcasting sector, the report presents the changes in the digital media market and the impact on the major players and customers.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Synopsis

2. Broadband market

2.1 Overview

2.2 Background

2.3 Broadband and internet statistics

2.4 Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure (Next Gen NII) 2.4.1 Background 2.4.2 Network company (NetCo) 2.4.3 Operating company (OpCo) 2.4.4 Progress - 2010 2.4.5 Analysis - Singapore's national broadband network

2.5 Broadband service providers

2.6 Broadband technologies 2.6.1 Cable modems 2.6.2 Digital subscriber line (DSL) 2.6.3 Powerline broadband 2.6.4 Fibre-to-the-home (FttH) 2.6.5 Wireless broadband

2.7 Voice over internet protocol (VoIP)

3. Broadcasting market

3.1 Overview

3.2 Regulatory environment 3.2.1 Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA) 3.2.2 Media Development Authority (MDA)

3.3 Regulatory developments

3.4 Convergence

3.5 Digital TV 3.5.1 Adoption of DVB standard 3.5.2 Transition to DTV

3.6 Cable and pay TV 3.6.1 Market overview 3.6.2 SCV/StarHub merger

3.7 Satellite TV

3.8 Interactive TV (iTV)

3.9 Free-to-air (FTA) TV 3.9.1 Market overview 3.9.2 Media Corporation of Singapore (MediaCorp) 3.9.3 MediaWorks 3.9.4 Merging of MediaCorp and MediaWorks operations

3.10 Internet protocol TV (IPTV) 3.10.1 SingNet's mio TV 3.10.2 StarHub

4. Related reports

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4273bf/singapore_broadb

Microsoft in [pounds sterling]5.2bn deal to buy Skype.(Business)

Byline: Simon Duke

MICROSOFT has agreed the most expensive takeover in its 36-year history in the technology giant's latest bid to boost its loss-making internet division.

The software group yesterday splashed out [pounds sterling]5.2bn on Skype, a website that allows users to call each other for free over the internet.

Microsoft made its surprise move after a series of expensive investments have failed to reduce Google's overwhelming lead in the fast-growing online advertising market.

Chief executive Steve Ballmer is trying to bring Microsoft into new markets to counter the growing threats to its mainstay computer business.

Profits from its Windows operating system are expected to fall substantially over the coming years as consumers replace their PCs and laptops with sleek tablet computers, such as Apple's iPad.

Ballmer hopes that Skype's technology will bolster the company's array of online busi -nesses, from its Xbox and Kinect games consoles to its Hotmail service.

Skype will also become a bridgehead in Microsoft's ongoing battle to establish itself in the mobile phone arena, where it has been comprehensively outplayed by Apple and Google.

The deal will barely put a scratch in Microsoft's cash pile, which stood at a colossal [pounds sterling]31bn at the start of April.

Still, many analysts believe Microsoft is vastly over-paying for a company that lost [pounds sterling]5m last year, has just 145m monthly users and, by Ballmer's admission, boasts only a 'nascent' online advertising business.

Andrew Bartels of the respected Forrester Research consultancy said: 'This doesn't make sense at all as a financial investment.'

The deal will trigger a huge return for the owners of Skype, which include investment firm Sliver Lake and online auction giant eBay, which bought Skype for around [pounds sterling]2bn in 2005 only to off-load a two-thirds stake in 2009.

Tony Bates, Skype's Britishborn chief executive, is also in line for a large windfall.

He was handed stock options worth [pounds sterling]12m when he joined Skype in October when the company was aiming for a [pounds sterling]2.5bn float.

But the 43-year-old's share package is thought to be worth twice that amount following yesterday's blockbuster takeover.

Austrian Airlines to fly to Baghdad from 8 June 201; Three flights a week from Vienna to Baghdad; Five daily flights from London Heathrow to Vienna with partner bmi.

M2 PRESSWIRE-April 26, 2011-: Austrian Airlines to fly to Baghdad from 8 June 201; Three flights a week from Vienna to Baghdad; Five daily flights from London Heathrow to Vienna with partner bmi(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:26042011

Austrian Airlines now flies to two destinations in Iraq Serves a total of 12 destinations in Middle East Austrian Airlines is to reincorporate the Vienna-Baghdad-Vienna route into its scheduled flight programme from 8 June 2011 onwards. The carrier will operate a total of three flights a week to the Iraqi capital. The service will be provided using an aircraft from the Airbus A320 fleet.

Austrian Airlines is returning to the Iraqi capital after 21 years. This will be Austrian's second destination in Iraq, together with the city of Erbil. Austrian Airlines originally included the Vienna-Baghdad route in its flight schedule in 1982, but was forced to discontinue its service due to the Kuwait crisis in 1990.

Austrian Airlines provides its customers with a route network of 130 destinations worldwide. It operates the leading hub for the Central and Eastern Europe region, with 46 destinations. Passengers can take one of the five daily flights from London Heathrow to Vienna. From there, Austrian offers flights to 10 long-haul destinations from Vienna. Seven of these are in Asia, and three are in North America.

Austrian Airlines is a pioneer in the Middle East: In December 2006, it has been the first Western European airline to operate a service to northern Iraq, and has continually expanded its presence in the region. In summer 2011, Austrian Airlines will operate six flights a week to Erbil. In spring 2004, Austria also became the first country in Western Europe to conclude a new, liberal and bilateral transport agreement with the Iraqi authorities after the Iraq war.

This was done on the initiative of Austrian Airlines. With the additional connection to Baghdad, Austrian Airlines offers flights to 12 destinations in the Middle East.

Austrian in-flight hospitality A flight with Austrian Airlines starts exactly as it means to go on: smoothly and easily. The carrier offers its guests the very latest check-in options using the internet and mobile telephones. Passengers can print out their boarding passes themselves if they wish; alternatively, Austrian can send the document by SMS direct to a mobile phone. The service is available free of charge and on demand. Once on board the aircraft, Austrian flight attendants provide an especially friendly and warm service, pampering passengers with typically Austrian hospitality. We also pamper our passengers with culinary delicacies from our renowned long-term partner and Formula 1 caterer DO&CO.

The Austrian Airlines Vienna-Baghdad-Vienna route will operate as follows: Vienna - Baghdad - Vienna schedule for summer 2011 (all times local): Vienna - Baghdad Flight days Departure Arrival OS 827 Wednesday, Friday, Sunday 10.00 a.m. 3.00 p.m.

Baghdad - Vienna Departure Arrival OS 828 Wednesday, Friday, Sunday 4.00 p.m. 7.30 p.m.

Customers can find further details of the flight availability of Austrian Airlines and the different ways to book flights at the Austrian website by going to www.austrian.com or by visiting their nearest travel agency.

Austrian Airlines

Austrian Airlines is Austria's largest carrier and offers a global route network of round 130 destinations. In Central and Eastern Europe, the route network is particularly dense: With 46 destinations Austrian Airlines is the market leader throughout the region. Thanks to its favourable geographical location at the heart of Europe, the company's hub at Vienna International Airport is the ideal gateway between East and West. Austrian Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group, Europe's largest airline group, and a member of the Star Alliance, the first global alliance of international airlines.

For further information:

Corporate Communications AUSTRIAN AIRLINES: Martin HEHEMANN / Patricia STRAMPFER / Michael BRAUN / Ursula BERGER; Tel: +43 (0) 51766 11231, martin.hehemann@austrian.com, patricia.strampfer@austrian.com, michael.braun@austrian.com, ursula.berger@austrian.com;

Owner, Editor, Reproducer: Austrian Airlines AG, Corporate Communications public.relations@austrian.com.

Please find further information concerning the disclosure according to 24 and 25 Media Act on www.austrian.com

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

Check Point and Ponemon Release Joint Survey on Web 2.0 Security.

Check Point Software Technologies, a developer of Internet security solutions, and the Ponemon Institute, a privacy and information management research firm, released the findings of a global survey, Web 2.0 Security in the Workplace, revealing that up to 82 percent of IT security administrators surveyed believe social networking, Internet applications and widgets have lowered the security posture of their organization.

Respondents cited viruses, malware and data loss as the top Web 2.0 concerns, with as many as 77 percent of businesses planning to implement a solution addressing such vulnerabilities within the next five years.

According to the survey of over 2,100 IT security administrators in countries around the world, the majority of respondents believe employees are essential to helping organizations mitigate security risks associated with Internet applications in the enterprise. However, IT security administrators believe employees rarely or never consider corporate security threats in their everyday business communications -- when downloading Internet applications, web browsing, opening links, video streaming, utilizing peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing sites and engaging in social networking outlets.

"IT security administrators are concerned about the impact of Web 2.0 applications in the enterprise, but they also need better tools to understand which applications employees are using for business purposes," said Juliette Sultan, head of global marketing at Check Point Software Technologies. "Implementing a solution that factors in specific group or individual needs provides the bridge between users and IT administrators, and encourages employees to be more cautious when web browsing, taking into account corporate security policies."

The Web 2.0 Security in the Workplace survey was independently conducted by the Ponemon Institute in June 2010, surveying IT security administrators located in the U.S., U.K. France, Japan and Australia. The survey sample represents a range of organizations varying in size, from small and medium businesses to large enterprises, and across 12 different industries, including financial, industrial, government, retail, healthcare and education.

More Information:

http://www.checkpoint.com/products/downloads/whitepapers/ponemon_white_paper.pdf

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

U.S. Robotics Introduces New PC Card With Cellular & Telephony

Feature-rich 33.6 kbps Megahertz(R)-brand PC Card modem includes

              Caller ID, Answering Machine and Cellular Capability 

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The computer industry's leading PC Card manufacturer, U.S. Robotics Corporation (Nasdaq: USRX), today introduced the new Megahertz model XJ4336 PC Card for notebook computers and handheld computing devices, featuring 33.6 Kbps speed -- the fastest modem speed available based on V.34 standard.

In addition to faster transmission speeds, the new Megahertz XJ4336 PC Card is the industry's first PCMCIA cellular-capable modem to offer telephony features such as Caller ID and answering machine capability. And Megahertz is the only brand to feature the exclusive XJACK(R) connector system.

"We continue to lead the mobile connectivity industry during a time of fast growth by understanding our customers requirements and delivering the quality products and functionality they demand," said Robert Bauer, vice president of marketing for U.S. Robotics Mobile Communications Corp., a subsidiary of U.S. Robotics Corporation. "Our next generation of PC Card modems, the XJ4336, establishes a new level of speed, simplicity and reliability, enabling users to quickly access complex files, the Internet and online information services."

In addition to increased speed, the Megahertz XJ4336 meets mobile users' converging technology needs, by combining an array of telephony functions with an already feature-rich PC Card modem.

Adding the convenience of local caller ID service -- where available -- and digital telephone answering machine functions, the XJ4336 PC Card helps mobile and SOHO (small office home office) users simplify their work, by extending the communication capabilities of their laptop computers and eliminating the need for additional telecom equipment.

All Megahertz-brand PC Card modems come with a five-year warranty and access to free technical support (801-320-7777). For sales information, customers can contact U.S. Robotics Mobile Communications at 800-LAPTOPS (800-527-8677), or send e-mail to salesinfo@mhz.com.

U.S. Robotics is one of the world's leading suppliers of products and systems that provide access to information. The company designs, manufactures, markets and supports remote access servers, enterprise communications systems, desktop/mobile client products, modems and telephony products that connect computers and other equipment over analog, digital and switched cellular networks, enabling users to gain access to, manage and share data, fax and voice information. Its customers include Internet service providers, regional Bell operating companies, inter-exchange carriers and a wide range of other large and small businesses, institutions, and individuals. The company's fiscal 1995 sales were $889.3 million; sales for the first nine months of fiscal 1996 were $1.37 billion.

Megahertz and XJACK are registered trademarks of U.S. Robotics Mobile Communications Corp.

SOURCE U.S. Robotics Mobile Communications Corp.

     -0-                             09/17/96 

/CONTACT: Jeff Xouris of Barkley & Evergreen Public Relations, 816-842-l500, or jxouris@bande.com/

(USRX)

CO: U.S. Robotics Mobile Communications Corp. ST: Utah IN: CPR SU: PDT

TT-MO -- LATU070 -- 6412 09/17/96 10:04 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

FairPoint to Continue and Expand Low-Income Assistance Programs in New Hampshire; NH Legal Assistance Supports FairPoint's Transaction Involving Verizon's Wireline Operations in State.

CONCORD, N.H., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FairPoint Communications, Inc. ("FairPoint") has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with New Hampshire Legal Assistance ("NHLA") on behalf of its clients to support initiatives to assist low income consumers in New Hampshire, including the Lifeline and Link-Up programs. Based on this agreement, NHLA has agreed to support FairPoint's acquisition of the Verizon wireline operations in New Hampshire.

NHLA agreed to support the transaction following the execution of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties related to the continuation and expansion of various programs such as Lifeline and Link-Up. NHLA is asking the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, which is reviewing the FairPoint - Verizon transaction, to approve the Memorandum, while simultaneously expressing its support for the transaction.

"NHLA appreciates FairPoint's concern for the needs of our low income, elderly and disabled clients," said NHLA Staff Attorney Alan Linder. "NHLA looks forward to working with FairPoint in safeguarding the interests of its customers."

"We care about all the residents of New Hampshire and are therefore pleased to continue services for those residents most in need. We are looking forward to working with NHLA to ensure that New Hampshire's low-income residents receive services," said Gene Johnson, FairPoint's Chairman and CEO. "The people of New Hampshire will be our customers. Our goal is to provide all of them with the best technology and customer service possible."

About FairPoint

FairPoint is a leading provider of communications services to rural and small urban communities across the country. Incorporated in 1991, FairPoint's mission is to acquire and operate telecommunications companies that set the standard of excellence for the delivery of service to rural and small urban communities. Today, FairPoint owns and operates 30 local exchange companies located in 18 states offering an array of services, including local and long distance voice, data, Internet and broadband offerings. FairPoint is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FRP".

This press release may contain forward-looking statements by FairPoint that are not based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates" and similar expressions and statements related to potential cost savings and synergies expected to be realized in the merger. Because these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such factors include those risks described from time to time in FairPoint's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including, without limitation, the risks described in FairPoint's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K on file with the SEC. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All information is current as of the date this press release is issued, and FairPoint undertakes no duty to update this information. Source: FairPoint Communications, Inc., http://www.fairpoint.com/.

FairPoint has filed, and the SEC has declared effective, a registration statement in connection with the proposed merger. FairPoint urges investors to read these documents and other materials filed and to be filed by FairPoint relating to the proposed merger because they contain and will contain important information. Investors can obtain copies of the registration statement, as well as other filed documents containing information about FairPoint and the proposed merger, at http://www.sec.gov/, the SEC's website. Investors may also obtain free copies of these documents and FairPoint's other SEC filings at http://www.fairpoint.com/ under the Investor Relations section, or by written request to FairPoint Communications, Inc., 521 E. Morehead Street, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28202, Attention: Investor Relations.

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

   MEDIA CONTACTS: Pam Joy                   (207) 642-7337                   pjoy@fairpoint.com                    Scott Tranchemontagne                   603-540-4380                   scott@montagnecommunications.com  

CONTACT: Pam Joy of FairPoint Communications, +1-207-642-7337, pjoy@fairpoint.com; or Scott Tranchemontagne, +1-603-540-4380, scott@montagnecommunications.com

Web site: http://www.fairpoint.com/ http://www.sec.gov/

For Melisa G. Guerra becoming an organ donor was a matter ofFulfilling a promiseRemembering organ and tissue donation, as a gift.

Byline: Daniel Garcia Ordaz

Apr. 10--SAN BENITO -- A promise made was a promise kept for Melisa G. Guerra. When he was three, her eldest son, Christopher, 20, received a heart valve to repair his heart and she decided then that she would become an organ donor. "It was a life or death situation for him and they found heart valves and matched it," said Martin Guerra, Melisa's widowed husband. On March 17, while a good portion of the Western world was celebrating St. Patrick's Day, Melisa's family was grieving over her death from a burst aneurysm in her brain. To honor her wishes, Melisa indeed became an organ and tissue donor after her death. Her younger sister, Cecilia Ratcliff, said that Melisa's right lung saved a 44-year-old woman. Her liver saved a 42-year-old man. Her pancreas went to someone in Illinois. Her heart valves, kidneys, soft tissues and bones were also donated. Organ harvesters even took the outer surface of her skin and her eyes. Cris Garza, director of the San Benito Funeral Home here, prepared Melisa's body for viewing. He said that organ procurement organizations often conduct training for the funeral industry to help embalmers prepare the deceased post organ-donation. Garza said that the bodies are dressed in such a way that no one can tell whether the person was an organ donor. "It's not for everybody," he said of organ donation. "It's the way (families) are approached. It's really kind of sad when the doctors and nurses say, CyThere's nothing else we can do.'" Melisa Guerra, 41, was a library assistant at Dr. CM Cash Elementary here. She was visiting Ratcliff's family in Austin during Spring Break with her husband and their five children before her sudden illness. As the pressure from a severe headache led to numbness and shortness of breath, the sisters called 9-1-1 and Melisa had surgery to repair a major blood vessel. Before the surgery, she was allowed to visit with her family.

"Melisa was able to respond to everyone," Ratcliff said. "We were very optimistic. She was a very strong person." Surgeons had told the family that only one in three people that have an aneurysm lives long enough to see the hospital -- and so far she had survived. But her sister never regained consciousness after the surgery. Although no leaks were found in her brain after the procedure, Melisa's heart stopped. She was brought back to life, but the trauma had caused a major stroke and she was declared brain dead, Ratcliff said. "There was nothing they could do," she said. When representatives from an organ procurement organization asked the family to consider gifting Guerra's organs, the family had a ready answer. In separate conversations, Melisa had told her younger sister and husband that she wanted to be an organ donor, "so we granted her wish," Ratcliff said. "When it actually happens to you, it's still tough," Ratcliff said. "She was the first one in our family to do this. At first, we didn't want to share her with everybody else, but she's one of the lovely ones. I think that was her mission." Ratcliff said the family was allowed to stay with Melisa even as two organ procurement representatives were on the Internet in the hospital room "trying to find matches." The family was pleased to witness the process. "She was gold to them," she said. Ratcliff said the gift of her sister's organs was even more special because Melisa had B-negative blood. According to the United Blood Services, only two percent of the population has Type B Rh-negative blood. "They knew it would take a miracle from God," Ratcliff said. Ratcliff said the organ recipients, whose contact information she has requested, will become part of Melisa's family.

"The people that Melisa helped -- we have no idea who they are," she said. "If everybody could be an organ donor, this country would be better." Martin said that the couple had again discussed organ donation about two years ago. It was a relief to Melisa's parents and siblings that he was in agreement. "They thought I didn't know about that," he said about her decision. The situation made it clear how imperative it is to discuss organ donation beforehand, Martin said. "That way there won't be any argument," he said. Martin said that all of his children still live at home, which has helped cushion the shock of his wife's sudden death. Melisa's voice can still be heard on the family's telephone answering machine. He said the family decided to share Melisa's story and mentioned her organ donations in her obituary in hopes of saving lives. "When I granted her the wish, it was nothing to think about when all this happened," Martin said. "What Melisa did, it inspired a lot of family members."

Copyright (c) 2006, Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.),

(213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Broadcom to Present at the Morgan Stanley Semiconductor & Systems Conference.

Broadcom Corporation , the leading provider of integrated circuits enabling broadband communications, announced that William J. Ruehle, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will be presenting at the Morgan Stanley Semiconductor & Systems Conference on Monday, March 3, 2003. The company's presentation will be made available to the public via audio Webcast.

The presentation will take place at 7:45 a.m. Pacific Time (10:45 a.m. Eastern Time) on March 3, 2003, at The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, California.

The Webcast may be accessed from the Investor Information section of Broadcom's Website at http://www.broadcom.com/investor . The replay of the Webcast should be made available within 24 hours of the presentation, and will be accessible until 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (8:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on March 10, 2003.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is the leading provider of highly integrated silicon solutions that enable broadband communications and networking of voice, video and data services. Using proprietary technologies and advanced design methodologies, Broadcom designs, develops and supplies complete system-on-a-chip solutions and related hardware and software applications for every major broadband communications market. Our diverse product portfolio includes solutions for digital cable and satellite set-top boxes; cable and DSL modems and residential gateways; high-speed transmission and switching for local, metropolitan and wide area networking; home and wireless networking; cellular and terrestrial wireless communications; Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway and telephony systems; broadband network processors; and SystemI/O(TM) server solutions. These technologies and products support our core mission: Connecting everything(R).

Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and may be contacted at 1-949-450-8700 or at http://www.broadcom.com/ .

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

All statements made or incorporated by reference in Broadcom's presentations at this financial conference, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "potential," "continue," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and are based upon the information available to us at that time. Such information is subject to change, and we will not necessarily inform you of such changes. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom include, but are not limited to, general economic and political conditions and specific conditions in the markets we address, including the continuing significant economic slowdown and volatility in the technology sector and semiconductor industry, trends in the broadband communications markets in various geographic regions, and possible disruption in commercial activities related to terrorist activity or armed conflict in the United States and other locations; our ability to retain and hire key executives, technical personnel and other employees in the numbers, with the capabilities, and at the compensation levels needed to implement our business and product plans; the volume of our product sales and pricing concessions on volume sales; changes in our product or customer mix; our ability to specify, develop or acquire, complete, introduce, market and transition to volume production new products and technologies in a timely manner; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's technologies and products in our target markets; delays in the adoption and acceptance of industry standards in the foregoing markets; the effects of new and emerging technologies; competitive pressures and other factors such as the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; the timing of customer-industry qualification and certification of our products and the risks of non-qualification or non-certification; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party semiconductor foundries and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; intellectual property disputes and customer indemnification claims and other types of litigation risk; the risks of producing products with new suppliers and at new fabrication and assembly facilities; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies and in achieving higher levels of design integration; the availability and pricing of third party semiconductor foundry and assembly capacity and raw materials; the quality of our products and any remediation costs; the risks and uncertainties associated with our international operations, particularly in light of recent events; the effects of natural disasters, international conflicts and other events beyond our control; the level of orders received that can be shipped in a fiscal quarter; and other factors.

Broadcom's Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason.

Broadcom(R), the pulse logo, Connecting everything(R) and SystemI/O(TM) are trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

    Broadcom Media Contact:    Bill Blanning    Sr. Director, Corporate Communications    949-450-8700    blanning@broadcom.com     Broadcom Financial Analyst Contact:    Glenn Josephson    Investor Relations    949-585-5663    glennj@broadcom.com  

CONTACT: Media, Bill Blanning, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications, +1-949-450-8700, blanning@broadcom.com, or Financial Analysts, Glenn Josephson, Investor Relations, +1-949-585-5663, glennj@broadcom.com, both of Broadcom Corporation

Web site: http://www.broadcom.com/investor

Web site: http://www.broadcom.com/

Opticality Introduces Glasses-Free 3D Digital Signage for Advertisers, Strengthening Message Retention with Images That 'Hover' in Mid-Air; Complete Solution with Screen Sizes from 17" to 50".

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Opticality Corporation today unveiled a line of 3D digital displays ranging in size from 17" to 50" that equip corporate marketers with a fresh, stop-people-in-their-tracks alternative to conventional 2D display, television and print advertising. The screens make images appear to hover in mid-air without the need for special 3D viewing glasses, addressing the need for innovative ways to capture consumers' attention, build brand awareness, and increase message retention.

The displays can also be used as a new platform for arcade games, medical and scientific imaging, and digital broadcasting on both PCs and TVs.

Opticality's displays present 3D images that float deep within and as much as six feet in front of LCD and plasma screens, utilizing proprietary technology that has been successfully tested in over 1,000 venues around the world. Images can be seen in a wide 120-degree field for simultaneous viewing by multiple people in retail stores, malls, airports, hotels, casinos, sports arenas, trade shows, exhibition halls and other high-traffic environments of any kind.

Each screen can carry messages from multiple advertisers, creating a lucrative new revenue stream for advertising agencies as well as revenue- sharing opportunities for venues where the screens are placed. Some models can also support both 2D and 3D content, making it possible to mix existing 2D messages with newer 3D ads.

Opticality also offers a complete toolset for easy and flexible deployment, including:

   -- Content creation tools, with the option to create new 3D content or      convert legacy 2D content utilizing popular animation programs such as      Maya or 3ds Max and then running the video through Opticality's      rendering software plug-in.  Alternatively, corporate marketers can      engage Opticality or its network of licensed content creation houses to      develop product or branding messages.   -- Content management tools for play list creation, measurement reporting      and seamless content delivery, making it easy to stage multiple      messages from one or more advertisers as well as track results.   -- Free-standing, wall-mounted or cabinet-based installation, including      integration into marketing furniture available from Opticality or its      dealers.    

"Corporate marketers today need to find a way to cut through the advertising clutter, and our 3D displays offer the first completely new messaging platform since the advent of banner ads on the Internet," said Elliot Klein, President and CEO of Opticality.

"Research shows that it now takes 117 prime-time commercials to reach the same number of people as three 60-second TV spots in 1965, and developments like TiVo digital video recorders are making it even more difficult to connect with consumers," Klein noted. "Moving to 3D signage can help advertisers combat these challenges by making messages pop -- literally -- for maximum impact."

About Opticality Corporation

Opticality Corporation (formerly X3D Technologies Corp.) is a world- leading 3D technology company focusing on developing, marketing and licensing autostereoscopic 3D 'opticality' displays, products and content production services to the advertising, computer and television industries. The company's patented 3D software and hardware technologies enable observers to see lifelike images that float deep inside and project up to several feet in front of the screen. Images are visible to the naked eye, require no special viewing aids, and can be seen at 120-degree peripheries. The company's offerings include turnkey programs customized to meet partners' business objectives. For more information, visit http://www.opticalitycorp.com/ .

CONTACT: Belinda Banks for Opticality Corporation, +1-212-946-2823, Belinda@sspr.com

Web Site: http://www.opticalitycorp.com/ http://www.cesweb.org/default_flash.asp