Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Whooping cough can be deadly for infants, but 61 percent of adults don't know their vaccine status

Whooping cough can be deadly for infants, but 61 percent of adults don't know their vaccine status [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
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Contact: Mary Masson
mfmasson@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Most adults agree parents of newborns should insist visitors have updated vaccine for pertussis, according to new U-M National Poll on Children's Health

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are on the rise in the U.S., recently reaching their highest level in 50 years. The disease can be serious or even fatal to newborns who have not yet received vaccinations.

Effective vaccines against pertussis have been available for many decades, but that vaccine protection can wear off over time. A new University of Michigan poll shows that 61 percent of adults say they don't know when they were last vaccinated against pertussis, which could mean they might be unwittingly exposing vulnerable babies to the disease.

Only 20 percent of adults reported that they received the pertussis vaccine less than 10 years ago (the recommended time frame) and 19 percent said they were vaccinated more than 10 years ago.

"Pertussis is a very preventable disease," says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

"But many adults may think their childhood vaccinations still are protecting them against pertussis. Findings from this poll show that few adults have received a booster shot within the recommended 10-year time frame and in fact, two-thirds told us they were not aware of their vaccination status."

Pertussis easily spreads within households, day care facilities, schools and neighborhoods and is most often serious in infants and young children. In fact, the majority of deaths from pertussis occur in children less than 3 months old.

The poll found, however, broad support for parents to insist their newborns aren't exposed to those who might not be current on their pertussis vaccine.

The majority of adults polled (72%) strongly agree or agree that parents have the right to insist that visitors receive the pertussis vaccine before visiting a newborn baby in the hospital. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of adults strongly agree or agree that parents should make sure all adults receive the pertussis vaccine before visiting a newborn baby at home.

Pertussis vaccines are recommended for teens and adults (known as the "Tdap" vaccine), including pregnant women. Boosting immunity against pertussis among teens and adults is especially important for protecting newborns against the disease. Most infants who fall sick with pertussis got the illness from an older child or adult with pertussis.

"Welcoming a baby to the family is a wonderful time, and no one would want to put an infant at risk. So the results of this poll are encouraging because they indicate some awareness that visitors need to be protected against this disease," Davis says.

"Teens and adults who have received the Tdap vaccine are less likely to get whooping cough themselves, and therefore less likely to spread whooping cough to other people including infants who have not yet been protected by the recommended pertussis vaccinations."

Davis says he hopes the awareness among parents will increase the numbers of people seeking a booster vaccine.

"Expectant parents should have a conversation about pertussis vaccine with their family and close friends BEFORE the baby is born, to allow time for them to get their pertussis vaccine up to date," Davis says.

"If parents begin to take this approach, it may have a very positive impact decreasing the number of newborns who become severely ill or die as a result of pertussis."

###

Broadcast-quality video is available on request. See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBWS24DO6LY&feature=youtu.be

Full report: http://mottnpch.org/reports-surveys/protecting-newborns-whooping-cough

Resources:

CDC pertussis infographic http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infographics/protect-babies-from-whooping-cough.html

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) What You Need To Know http://www.cdc.gov/features/pertussis/

Pertussis outreach letter http://www2.aap.org/immunization/http://www2.aap.org/immunization/illnesses/dtp/PertussisVaccineOutreachLetter2012_3.pdfillnesses/dtp/PertussisVaccineOutreachLetter2012_3.pdf

Website: Check out the Poll's website: MottNPCH.org. You can search and browse over 70 NPCH Reports, suggest topics for future polls, share your opinion in a quick poll, and view information on popular topics. The National Poll on Children's Health team welcomes feedback,, including features you'd like to see added. To share feedback, e-mail NPCH@med.umich.edu.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mottnpch Twitter: @MottNPCH

Purpose/Funding: The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health based at the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the University of Michigan and funded by the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and the University of Michigan Health System is designed to measure major health care issues and trends for U.S. children.

Data Source: This Report presents findings from a nationally representative household survey conducted exclusively by GfK Custom Research, LLC (GfK), for C.S. Mott Children's Hospital via a method used in many published studies. The survey was administered in January 2013 to a randomly selected, stratified group of adults age 18 and older (n=2,182) from GfK's web-enabled KnowledgePanel that closely resembles the U.S. population. The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect population figures from the Census Bureau. The survey completion rate was 61 percent among panel members contacted to participate. The margin of error is 1 to 4 percentage points.

Findings from the U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health do not represent the opinions of the investigators or the opinions of the University of Michigan.


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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Whooping cough can be deadly for infants, but 61 percent of adults don't know their vaccine status [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Mary Masson
mfmasson@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Most adults agree parents of newborns should insist visitors have updated vaccine for pertussis, according to new U-M National Poll on Children's Health

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are on the rise in the U.S., recently reaching their highest level in 50 years. The disease can be serious or even fatal to newborns who have not yet received vaccinations.

Effective vaccines against pertussis have been available for many decades, but that vaccine protection can wear off over time. A new University of Michigan poll shows that 61 percent of adults say they don't know when they were last vaccinated against pertussis, which could mean they might be unwittingly exposing vulnerable babies to the disease.

Only 20 percent of adults reported that they received the pertussis vaccine less than 10 years ago (the recommended time frame) and 19 percent said they were vaccinated more than 10 years ago.

"Pertussis is a very preventable disease," says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

"But many adults may think their childhood vaccinations still are protecting them against pertussis. Findings from this poll show that few adults have received a booster shot within the recommended 10-year time frame and in fact, two-thirds told us they were not aware of their vaccination status."

Pertussis easily spreads within households, day care facilities, schools and neighborhoods and is most often serious in infants and young children. In fact, the majority of deaths from pertussis occur in children less than 3 months old.

The poll found, however, broad support for parents to insist their newborns aren't exposed to those who might not be current on their pertussis vaccine.

The majority of adults polled (72%) strongly agree or agree that parents have the right to insist that visitors receive the pertussis vaccine before visiting a newborn baby in the hospital. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of adults strongly agree or agree that parents should make sure all adults receive the pertussis vaccine before visiting a newborn baby at home.

Pertussis vaccines are recommended for teens and adults (known as the "Tdap" vaccine), including pregnant women. Boosting immunity against pertussis among teens and adults is especially important for protecting newborns against the disease. Most infants who fall sick with pertussis got the illness from an older child or adult with pertussis.

"Welcoming a baby to the family is a wonderful time, and no one would want to put an infant at risk. So the results of this poll are encouraging because they indicate some awareness that visitors need to be protected against this disease," Davis says.

"Teens and adults who have received the Tdap vaccine are less likely to get whooping cough themselves, and therefore less likely to spread whooping cough to other people including infants who have not yet been protected by the recommended pertussis vaccinations."

Davis says he hopes the awareness among parents will increase the numbers of people seeking a booster vaccine.

"Expectant parents should have a conversation about pertussis vaccine with their family and close friends BEFORE the baby is born, to allow time for them to get their pertussis vaccine up to date," Davis says.

"If parents begin to take this approach, it may have a very positive impact decreasing the number of newborns who become severely ill or die as a result of pertussis."

###

Broadcast-quality video is available on request. See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBWS24DO6LY&feature=youtu.be

Full report: http://mottnpch.org/reports-surveys/protecting-newborns-whooping-cough

Resources:

CDC pertussis infographic http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infographics/protect-babies-from-whooping-cough.html

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) What You Need To Know http://www.cdc.gov/features/pertussis/

Pertussis outreach letter http://www2.aap.org/immunization/http://www2.aap.org/immunization/illnesses/dtp/PertussisVaccineOutreachLetter2012_3.pdfillnesses/dtp/PertussisVaccineOutreachLetter2012_3.pdf

Website: Check out the Poll's website: MottNPCH.org. You can search and browse over 70 NPCH Reports, suggest topics for future polls, share your opinion in a quick poll, and view information on popular topics. The National Poll on Children's Health team welcomes feedback,, including features you'd like to see added. To share feedback, e-mail NPCH@med.umich.edu.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mottnpch Twitter: @MottNPCH

Purpose/Funding: The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health based at the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the University of Michigan and funded by the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and the University of Michigan Health System is designed to measure major health care issues and trends for U.S. children.

Data Source: This Report presents findings from a nationally representative household survey conducted exclusively by GfK Custom Research, LLC (GfK), for C.S. Mott Children's Hospital via a method used in many published studies. The survey was administered in January 2013 to a randomly selected, stratified group of adults age 18 and older (n=2,182) from GfK's web-enabled KnowledgePanel that closely resembles the U.S. population. The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect population figures from the Census Bureau. The survey completion rate was 61 percent among panel members contacted to participate. The margin of error is 1 to 4 percentage points.

Findings from the U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health do not represent the opinions of the investigators or the opinions of the University of Michigan.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/uomh-wcc061713.php

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Hojoki (for iPhone)


Having initially installed Hojoki for iPhone (free) under the impression that it was an aggregation app, and therefore a time-saver and productivity-booster of sorts, I was itching to delete it only a few hours later. The app was pushing annoying alerts and notifications at me several times an hour, often to signify something that had happened several minutes earlier and for which I already had been notified by the originating app. I persevered with Hojoki, turning off notifications that I didn't need or want and otherwise toggling the settings. Even after my tweaking of the settings, however, one evening Hojoki sent me a notification letting me know that a calendar item had changed. Of course it had. Because I changed it. Forty-five minutes earlier. If I wanted that notification (I didn't), I'd have wanted it right away.

The Hojoki iPhone app (there's also a website and Android app) does aggregate data from an expansive list of other apps and services, more than just about any I've seen. But it doesn't have any intelligence behind it to make sense of the information it collects. The market for aggregator apps has moved from those that simply consolidate to those that deliver meaningful information that we didn't have before.

Take, for example, the Cloze iPhone app. It pulls data from Twitter, Facebook, and email to show you what one person said across all those channels in a single day?and it also figures out if your relationship with that person is significant based on the kinds of communication you tend to have. The added value with Cloze is it provides insight into who is important and reminds you to pay attention to them.

The Modern Day Aggregators
Or consider for a moment what EasilyDo does: automates tasks that you might perform based on activity happening in your social networks, over email, and even in your daily comings and goings. You can set Easily.Do to send your significant other a text message automatically when you arrive at an airport using a geolocation setting. Or you can automatically add the contact details of a new person who has just emailed you.

A smarter breed of apps is replacing basic aggregators, but that's not the only reason Hojoki falls short. The app lacks design polish. Three or four years ago, the design would have been... fine?not great, but fine. Today, however, it looks dated, lacking smooth transition animations and using ugly stock photos when a profile picture is not available.

Hojoki and Project Management
The Web version of Hojoki includes a whole host of other features that start to drift into project management territory, and some of this functionality bleeds over into the mobile app, but some doesn't. For example, you can create workspaces on the iPhone, setting up groups of people with whom to collaborate. You can name the workspace and color-code it (although try changing the color, and you could find yourself repeatedly hitting the same button over and over again before it takes, as I did), but you can't upgrade to a Premium account from the app to increase your collaborator limit past five.

What's really confusing about the collaboration aspect is that Hojoki supports other collaboration/project management apps, including Podio, Yammer, Basecamp, Chatter, and Beanstalk. So you can aggregate notifications from project management tools into a new pseudo-project management tool, which you can also use to manage projects. That's just way too meta (and redundant) for me.

The Hojoki's On Me
I kept the Hojoki app on my iPhone 5 much longer than I really wanted to make sure I gave it a fair shot. But the app never won me over. It just doesn't offer anything special. Those of us who have been using an iPhone for several years already have our notifications the way we want them. If you're behind on that aspect, I suppose you could install Hojoki and cover all your bases quickly, but know that you could experience significant delays in getting your notifications.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/61sn6uQOisI/0,2817,2420456,00.asp

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Monday, June 17, 2013

Submissions for Expand's Insert Coin: New Challengers competition now open!

Calling all makers, dreamers, inventors and entrepreneurs, Insert Coin: New Challengers is back for round two! We were absolutely blown away by the responses to our Expand San Francisco competition. We had a hell of a time whittling all of the submissions down to a group of semi-finalists and had a blast interacting with all of the finalists on the show floor. Ultimately, Ziphius' head-turning aquatic drone took home the gold, a well-deserved and hard fought win. This time out, we'll giving 10 semifinalists tickets to the show, along with a $1,000 travel stipend. One Judges' Choice winner will walk away with $10,000 and one Readers' Choice winner will get $15,000. Both will also score a product review on this site.

Think you've got what it takes to walk away with the big prize at Expand NY in November? Well, now's your chance. We're opening up submissions today through September 27th. Semifinalists will be announced on this site and the big winners will be unveiled at the show. Submissions rules can be found after the break and over on our event page. We can't wait to see what you've got cooking this time out!

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Comments

Source: Insert Coin

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/jfGrYz6mfu4/

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Sunday, June 16, 2013

What we learned when we sent a female reporter shopping for a ...

With all the latest political controversy and looming legislation over gun ownership and Second Amendment rights, it is no wonder many Americans are making the important decision to invest in a gun.? In fact, there have been 72,005,482 background checks for gun purchases since President Barack Obama took office in 2008, according to FBI data.

The Daily Caller decided to send this reporter to gun stores in the D.C.-Metro area to document purchasing a handgun? from a female?s perspective, recording what recommendations I received and why, as well as how I was treated.

My proposal was simple: I am a young female looking for a handgun for home defense, with the ability to be used for concealed carry down the road, and willing to spend $500 to $600.

There were a few things every gun store recommended. First, each gun store discussed the basic factors one should consider when purchasing a handgun: functionality, reliability, ease of use and weight.? Based upon these factors, the recommendation by every gun store for a weapon compatible for both home defense and concealed carry was 9mm caliber handguns.? The overall consensus was that 9mm handguns are superior for personal defense because there is less recoil, they allow for accurate follow-up shots and the ammunition is equal to the effectiveness of that of a .45 or .40 caliber pistol.? It is also a compact pistol, so it is easily able to be used for concealed carry.

Additionally, the larger the gun, the more velocity of the round.? This equates to a more deadly projectile and that is particularly important for home defense purposes.

As you would expect with a larger gun, the magazine holds more ammunition ? usually between 10 and 18 rounds ? as compared to a .380, which while easier to conceal, typically holds fewer rounds.? As one employee stated to me, ?For home defense purposes, it?s not worth it.? It?s a gun you buy in order to scare people, but unless you have just the right shot, it will not be deadly.?

Put another way, an employee urged me to consider my end game.

?It?s all about your end game. If your end game is to conceal carry, go smaller to begin with it. Otherwise, you?ll end up buying two,? an employee at Nova Armament, LLC. advised.

Gun Store Experience

The more gun stores I went to, the more I noticed a pattern beginning to develop: the employees that were truly customer-oriented would take me through a similar process when showing me handguns.? First, they would have me grip the gun so I could see how it fit with my hand, as well as try to ascertain how secure my grip was.? A gun for the purposes of home or personal defense will be used in high-stress situations and it is crucial that you are able to quickly, securely and comfortably grip the handgun.? Secondly, they would see how I handled the slide-spring stiffness.? This is obviously critical in the operation of a handgun, so it is important that one feels comfortable with the effort needed to exert to cycle the slide of the handgun.? Additionally, particularly with many 9mm pistols, the size of the slides is relatively small and so there is less gripping area.? This is something to consider especially if you have larger hands.

All of these are simple actions you can take within a gun store when deciding which handgun is best for you.? One store I went to did not even bother to have me go through these routines though, so it is important you are proactive or chose another gun store.

The frequent suggestion was to keep things simple ? choose a gun that is simple to operate and maintain.

?For home defense, it?s about rack and bang. Keep it simple.?

The Recommended Guns

Glocks were the most frequent recommendation ? particularly Glock 17, 19 and 26 models.? They are all 9mm and marketed as purpose built, highly reliable and accurate guns.? Employees tout the fact that the pistols have been put through a range of torture tests and remain unaffected.? They are also low maintenance and do not require frequent cleanings.? The Glock 17, 19, and 26 have magazine capacities of 17, 15 and 10 rounds, respectively.? For any of these three models of Glocks, the price ranged from $525 to $599.

One store recommended the Walther PPQ M2 (Police Pistol Quick Defense) 9mm or Walther PPS (Police Pistol Slim) 9mm over the Glock models.? I am a petite female, so these two guns were specifically recommended to me because they are slightly smaller, slimmer and weigh less than most Glock models.? The suggestion was that for concealed carry ? especially in a holster ? it would be less bulky.? The features specifically touted to me about these Walther models were an ambidextrous magazine release button and the three-dot combat sights.? The PPQ model comes with a magazine that holds 15 rounds, while the PPS model can only hold magazines of 6, 7 or 8 rounds.? The PPS model offers considerably less rounds than the Glock models, but is easier to conceal.? The price ranged from $599 to $699 for these two models.

As an alternative to the Glock, multiple stores showed me the Smith & Wesson M&P9.? This gun holds 17 rounds and has a longer sight radius than the Glock 19.? It is also marketed as simple to operate and maintain.? But overall, if asked to compare to the Glock models, most employees use the old adage, ?It?s Chevy versus Ford.?? I was advised that it really boils down to the grip and which gun I felt more comfortable with.

The Ruger LC9-LM received an honorable mention from one store.? If your end game is concealed carry, it is a perfect size and can easily be carried in a holster or purse.? It has a magazine capacity of 7, plus one in the chamber.? And its biggest feature is a laser sight, which makes it that much easier to accurately shoot with, particularly if you are a beginner.? Its worth noting that the Glock and Walther models offer accessory rails, so mounting a flashlight or laser is a future possibility with those guns as well.? The Ruger LC9 runs for about $515.

Additional Takeaways

Whether the gun will be used for home defense or concealed carry, every store recommended that I invest in hollow-point bullets.? These bullets expand as they penetrate a target, thus maximizing tissue damage while decreasing collateral damage.? They are expensive, so it is not advisable to use frequently at the range.? Instead, one expert suggested you have at least one magazine always loaded with these bullets and that is your designated defense magazine.? Keeping magazines loaded will not cause any harm to the springs, as it is frequent decompression ? unloading and loading ? that causes wear and tear to magazines.? Most guns come with a minimum of two magazines, but it is often recommended that one invests in multiple magazines and designate them for either training or defense purposes.? Finally, another piece of advice to consider is that the commonality of your handgun is going to work in your favor, particularly for service and accessories.

Making the decision to purchase a gun is the first step in a long but rewarding process.? It is both an important and expensive investment, so it is well worth your time to visit a few gun stores, do your own research, compare prices and visit a range before making that final purchase.? Particularly if you are a female, most gun stores will be very accommodating and helpful in explaining guns and answering questions.? When recommending local gun ranges, one store even went as far as to advise me what ranges had better reputations for treating females more professionally!? And though a trip to the range can be expensive, especially with the current ammunition shortages, it is better to spend the money at the range than purchasing an incompatible handgun.? Gun stores are overwhelming not inclined to pressure you into making any immediate purchase ? in fact, quite the opposite, as I was consistently advised to weigh my options, test out the guns at a range and return with any questions or when I was ready to make a purchase. This is a device that may ultimately save your life, so choose wisely and take your time.

Editor?s note: I was surprised that not one revolver was mentioned as an option for home-defense. The .38 Special was typically the recommendation for a first gun but Jessica wasn?t presented with that option.

Follow Jessica on Twitter

Source: http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/15/what-we-learned-when-we-sent-a-female-reporter-shopping-for-a-home-defense-handgun/

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Saturday, June 15, 2013

North Korea proposes talks with U.S.

By Jane Chung

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday offered high-level talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, only days after it canceled planned official talks with South Korea for the first time in over two years.

Planned high-level talks between North and South Korea were scrapped last week after the North abruptly called off the talks. The North blamed the South for scuttling discussions that sought to mend estranged ties between the rival Koreas.

North Korea National Defence Commission in a statement carried by KCNA news agency on Sunday said Washington can pick a date and place for talks and the two sides can discuss a range of issues, but no preconditions should be attached.

"In order to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and to achieve regional peace and safety, we propose to hold high-level talks between the DPRK and the United States, " said the spokesman for the North's National Defence Commission in the statement. North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"If the U.S. is truly interested in securing regional peace and safety and easing tensions, it should not mention of preconditions for the talks," the statement said.

Earlier this year, North Korea threatened nuclear and missile strikes against South Korea and the United States after it was hit with U.N. sanctions for its February nuclear weapons test.

In the statement, Pyongyang reiterated it was willing to discuss disarmament but the world should also be denuclearized including its southern neighbor. It added it wants the United States to sign a formal peace treaty formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War that divided the two Koreas.

Korea was divided after the Second World War and when the Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a permanent peace treaty, leaving the two countries technically at war.

North Korea agreed a denuclearization-for-aid deal in 2005 but later backed out of that accord. It has said its nuclear arms are a "treasured sword" that it will not abandon.

North Korea's one major diplomatic ally, China, has urged Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program and return to talks.

The North has a long record of making threats to secure concessions from the United States and South Korea.

North Korea's 30-year-old leader, Kim Jong-un, took power in December 2011 and has since carried out two long-range rocket launches and a nuclear weapons test, as well as a campaign of threats against South Korea and the United States.

Threats have waned in the past month, showing signs of easing tensions such as proposing talks with South Korea in early June. The talks had been intended to discuss issues resuming operations of joint commercial projects and families split during the 1950-53 Korean War.

(Reporting By Jane Chung, Editing by Jack Kim, Michael Perry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-proposes-high-level-talks-u-kcna-014322264.html

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Exclusive: Cinven in exclusive talks for $2 billion CeramTec deal - sources

By Greg Roumeliotis and Philipp Halstrick

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Cinven Ltd is in exclusive talks to buy CeramTec, the industrial ceramics unit of U.S. chemicals maker Rockwood Holdings Inc , for close to 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion), three people familiar the matter said on Friday.

Cinven beat rival private equity firm BC Partners Ltd in the final bidding for CeramTec, the people said. A deal could be announced in the next few days, they added, but cautioned the talks could still fall apart.

BC Partners had offered just over 1.4 billion euros, one of the people said.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential. Cinven and BC Partners declined to comment, while Rockwood could not immediately be reached for comment.

Rockwood shares jumped on the news and ended trading on Friday up 2 percent at $66.56.

Germany-based CeramTec, founded in 1903, makes ceramics used in thousands of products from water treatment filters to electronic components in factory robots. It is one of three business units that Rockwood has put on the block.

Earlier this year, Rockwood CEO Seifi Ghasemi described the Princeton, New Jersey-based company's lithium and surface treatment businesses as core and said it would explore a sale of CeramTec in addition to its performance additives business and titanium dioxide business.

After struggling to fetch a good price for the titanium dioxide business, Rockwood bundled it with its performance additive operations in another auction that has attracted several private equity firms including Blackstone Group LP and Apollo Global Management LP , people familiar with the matter said last month.

Rockwood's focus on lithium has been driven by the advent of lithium batteries used in cars to cut carbon emissions. The rising popularity of smartphones and tablets, which need longer-running batteries, is also fuelling lithium demand.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York and Philipp Halstrick in Frankfurt; Editing by Andre Grenon, Bernard Orr)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-cinven-exclusive-talks-2-billion-ceramtec-deal-192929174.html

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Turkish PM vows to stop park protests

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? "Lawbreakers" will be removed from Istanbul's Taksim Square, Turkey's prime minister declared Thursday, rejecting the European Parliament's resolution condemning the excessive use of force by Turkish riot police against demonstrators.

Ratcheting up his defiant tone, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears determined to end two weeks of protests that have put an unflattering international spotlight on his Islamic-rooted government and its handling of the biggest street unrest of his 10-year tenure.

Pianist Davide Martello plays a recital to protesters gathered in Taksim Square, in an unusual respite from tear gas, water cannons and aggression.This verified video was uploaded to YouTube by Koray Agziyagli.

Erdogan's comments came a day after his Justice and Development party proposed a referendum over a development plan at Taksim Square that has fanned the protests. Police have repeatedly fired water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters; five people have died and over 5,000 have been injured. The government says 600 police were injured as well.

"This square belongs to the people of Istanbul, the people of the whole country, and to all international visitors. So we cannot allow lawbreakers to hang around freely in this square," Erdogan told local party leaders. "We will clean the square."

Erdogan also lashed out at the European Parliament over its non-binding motion for a resolution that expressed its concern over "the disproportionate and excessive use of force" by Turkish police.

A more typical scene from Taksim square, shown on June 11 as police try to disperse crowds with tear gas.This verified video was uploaded to YouTube by Do?u Ero?lu.

The EU assembly said it "deplores the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdogan" ? and accused him of adding to the polarization of the situation.

Just minutes before the EU legislature approved the motion in a show of hands, Erdogan thundered to raucous applause: "I won't recognize the decision that the European Union Parliament is going to take about us ... Who do you think you are by taking such a decision?"

The protests erupted May 31 after a violent police crackdown on a peaceful sit-in by activists objecting to a development project that would cut down the trees in Gezi Park, adjacent to Taksim Square, with a replica of Ottoman-era barracks.

The demonstrations then spread to dozens of cities, rallying tens of thousands of people each night, and broadened to a protest over Erdogan's overall rule.

Demonstrations spread to the capital city Ankara as well. On June 8 in Kizilay Square, vociferous demonstrations are met with tear gas at the front of the crowd.This verified video was uploaded to YouTube by Kas?m ?ktem.

Protesters have been objecting to what they say is the prime minister's increasingly authoritarian style and his perceived attempts to impose a religious and conservative lifestyle on a country with secular laws ? charges he rejects.

Protesters who have camped out in a peaceful sit-in in Gezi Park remained on site Thursday. Their continued presence by the hundreds has served as a base for large numbers of protesters who have congregated by the thousands on Taksim Square ? usually in the evening, after work.

Also Thursday, 26-year-old Ethem Sarisuluk ? who had been on life support for days ? was pronounced dead, according to family lawyer Sema Aksoy. He was believed to have been hit in the head by a tear gas canister June 1 during protests in Ankara, though lawyers were going to sit in on the autopsy to verity the exact circumstances leading to his death.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkish-pm-vows-rid-lawbreakers-park-122945896.html

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