Gariwala: নভেম্বর 2012

French court clears Continental of Concorde crash

9 hrs.

Thierry L?v?que , Reuters

VERSAILLES, France -- A French appeals court on Thursday absolved Continental Airlines of blame for a 2000 Concorde crash that killed 113 people and cleared a mechanic at the U.S. airline of the charge of involuntary manslaughter.

The verdict comes over a decade after the accident helped to spell the end of the supersonic airliner. A previous court ruled that a small metal strip that fell onto the runway from a Continental aircraft just before the Concorde took off from Paris, caused the crash.

Continental was originally fined 200,000 euros and ordered to pay the Concorde's operator, Air France, a million euros in damages. Continental appealed the verdict which it described as unfair and absurd.

Welder John Taylor was cleared of a 15-month suspended prison sentence for having gone against industry norms and used titanium to forge the piece that dropped off the plane.

Continental, now part of United Continental Holdings , had been ordered under the original ruling to pay 70 percent of any damages payable to families of victims. Airbus parent EADS would have to pay the other 30 percent.

The crash sped up the demise of the droop-nosed Concorde - the fastest commercial airliner in history and a symbol of Franco-British co-operation - as safety concerns coupled with an economic downturn after 9/11 drove away its wealthy customers.

The Air France Concorde, carrying mostly German tourists bound for a Caribbean cruise, was taking off from Paris on July 25, 2000 when an engine caught fire. Trailing a plume of flames, it crashed into a hotel near Charles de Gaulle airport. All 109 passengers and four people on the ground died.

After modifications, the plane returned to service but its operators, Air France and British Airways, retired it in 2003, citing high operating costs and a drop in demand.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/french-court-clears-continental-concorde-crash-1C7325956

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Les 10 commandements de la fashionista aux sports d?hiver

Publi? le 28.11.2012

Apr?s une ann?e en ville, il n?est pas rare de commettre un faux-pas une fois sur la neige. Que l?on choisisse Courchevel ou Val d?Is?re, les r?gles restent les m?mes, encore faut-il les avoir en t?te. C?est donc le moment de r?viser les bonnes mani?res mode dont vous aurez besoin une fois sur la station?

?

Par Karen Rouach

?

Une doudoune de cr?ateur tu choisiras.

Si elle est issue de la collaboration de Pyrenex et d'Alexandre Vauthier, c'est encore mieux.

?

Doudoune Alexandre Vauthier pour Pyrenex, prix sur demande.

Source: http://www.lofficielmode.com/2012/11/28/10-commandements-fashionista-ski/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10-commandements-fashionista-ski

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Action research----A must in Education: Action Research Progress ...

Action Research Project: Results Now

Progress Report

Troy Spivey

Lamar University

Abstract or Executive Summary

The action research study was conducted at Garrison High School, a small rural district in Texas with a high number of economically disadvantage students.? The school introduced a plan 2 years ago which was directed at reaching the needs of the ?at risk? population.? The school has experienced great results since the new innovations have been created.? According to the PEIMS report, the school has experienced a steady decrease in African American math scores over the last 3 years.? This category alone has prevented the district from receiving an Exemplary status according to the state ratings.? The school currently uses an online data accumulation program called DMAC.? The computer software uses disaggregated data to provide teachers and administrators access to individualized student reports.? The purpose of the research project is to compare results from regular scheduled benchmarks to the overall results of the standardized test.??? The study confirmed that results from regularly scheduled benchmarks were directly related to the performance scores on the standardized test.? The study lead to faculty and staff placing more emphasis on the relative data gathered from results of the benchmarks. The study includes data which proves that students whom struggle on benchmarks intern struggle with objectives on the standardized test.? This information proves that benchmarks are correctly aligned objectives and staff will work to brainstorm ways to improve performance.? The research study includes results from a student survey and an interview with an instructional teacher and current curriculum director.? The results from the surveys and interviews were evaluated and a meeting was scheduled. The administration devised a system in which struggling students attended tutorials on a weekly basis. The innovative plan for improvement was a collaborative plan between administrators, students, and teachers.? The objective of the staff and administration was to improve student understanding over the course of the year. The administration now uses the benchmarks to better evaluate the understanding of students. The administration provided training using the online program DMAC so that all staff consistently had readily accessible information. The staff now must conduct research studies on their own to determine the level of understanding from students.???????????

Introduction / Background (Section One)?

Results Now is an action research study that was conducted at Garrison High School in Garrison Texas.? The school enrolls 209 students in the high school and serves over 43% categorized as economically disadvantaged.? The study showed that according to a recent AIES report 34% of the students at Garrison High School are considered ?at risk? learners.? The school is composed of a diverse population but consist of 68% White and 18% African American.? The school is also composed of 10% Hispanic, 1% Asian/Pacific, .7% Native American, and 1.7% other.? The school experienced a significant let down 3 years ago in relation to the performance of the economically disadvantage students.? The High School Campus found itself on the verge of being labeled Academically Unacceptable according to Title I NCLB law.? The low performance scores resulted in the school using a collaborative approach to meet the needs of these students.? The school created a SBDM Committee to research ways to better accommodate these students needs.? In review of the AEIS report it is evident that the school system actively met the needs of the economically disadvantaged population.? The scores of all students meeting the standards have improved from 73% in 2010 to 90% in 2011.? The impact shows that a clear vision and the implementation of goals can lead to positive results.

The issue concerning the students at Garrison High School in 2011 revolves around the African American population.? The target area of discussion will be the exit level TAKS scores of mathematics.? According to the AIES report African American scores have dropped consistently over the last 3 years.? The report suggests that African American scores have dropped from 91% in 2009 to 85% in 2010.? The scores for African American students again dropped in 2011 and were reported at 81% meeting the standards.? The school is aware of these low performance scores but has recently experienced a change in administration.? The current administration has not taken the time to conduct data driven studies to brainstorm ways for improvement.? It will be very important to create a collaborative approach to reaching out to these students to increase achievement in the near future.? The school again found itself near the Academically Unacceptable rating due to the falling scores of the African American population in mathematics.? The school will need to again find ways to reach out to the struggling population of students.

The action research project that was conducted was geared toward improving African American scores, as well as all low performance students.? The study targeted students performance on the exit level mathematics section of the standardize test.? The project determined if student understanding was monitored properly throughout the year.? The study proved to be a very important source of information and data studies are now being conducted in all subject areas.?????????

The action research project benefited many stakeholders throughout the implementation year.? The person?s experiencing benefits will include: students, staff, and the school system.? The action research project monitored the results from the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years in the subject of mathematics. The study proved that students performance on regularly scheduled benchmarks and standardized test scores were directly related.? The information was broken down, using DMAC, by objective performance which provided teachers direct feedback from the information.? The study will show that there is a direct comparison of results between benchmarks and standardized testing.? The study proved that benchmarks are correctly aligned with TEKS and directly reflect knowledge and understanding.? The study added to the knowledge that more emphasis should be placed on benchmarking results. In 2012 the school conducted 3 benchmarks in the first semester and plans on conducting 2 benchmarks in the 2^nd semester. Using the action research plan we will evaluated the results from the benchmarks in the first semester and create a list of students for tutorials.? Tutorials will then be held 2 times a week for 6 weeks prior to the mandated testing day.? Students should benefit greatly from the extra instruction time and teachers will be able to increase the rigor of the advanced students.? The results from the benchmarks in the 2^nd semester should show vast improvements from the first semester, proving that this method of instruction is improving student achievement. The school is currently in the process of evaluating all results of benchmarks from the first semester and creating a list of students for tutorials. ??????????

Economically Disadvantaged-

is a term used by government institutions in for example allocating free school meals to "a student who is a member of a household that meets the income eligibility guidelines for free or reduced-price meals

violence in schools, deteriorating family structure, substance abuse, alarming media images, and gang activity put teens at risk. Teenagers who have trouble coping with the stresses of life are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in criminal activity, are sexually promiscuous, and attempt suicide.

(Public Education Information Management System) is a government-run database that gives Texas public school districts and regional education service centers the reports needed to properly oversee education

Highest possible rating for a public school based on standardized test scores according to Texas Education Agency

Academically Unacceptable Status-

Lowest possible rating for a public school based on standardized test scores according to Texas Education Agency

(Data Management for Assessment and Curriculum) is a component of the Region 7 Education Service Center that exists to supply Texas educators with the tools and services necessary to develop and improve the quality of education provided to students.

Data broken down based on ethnicity, gender, or socio economic status which provides individualized reports related to certain groups.

a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner.

is developed specifically from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to be an accurate predictor of performance on the STAAR or TAKS.

The Academic Excellence Indicator System pulls together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year. This information is put into the annual AEIS reports, which are available each year in the fall.

Title I funds are targeted to high-poverty schools and districts and used to provide educational services to students who are educationally disadvantaged or at risk of failing to meet state standards. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 supports standards-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills. a SBDM committee makes decisions. SBDM committees make important decisions regarding their particular campus' needs. These decisions can apply to anything ranging from a simple funding request for new team uniforms to more complex requests such as the hiring of more faculty members.

TAKS-

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do Literature Review (Section Two)

In evaluating the results from the action research project there were several pieces of literature that expressed concerns about issue revolving around the public school system.?? The literature supported and maintained the importance of having a properly trained staff to implement the improvement process.? Literature also suggests the importance of evaluating data in order to impact the best possible decisions.? Below will be a review of literature used in the action research study that greatly influences outcomes.??

Rooney, J. (2008). What do We Believe? Joanne Rooney

According to Rooney 2008, we too must tear ourselves away from the paper, e-mail, phone calls, and meeting that jam our days to participate in meaningful professional development, lest we, too, keep relying on information learned for and in a different era.? The literature suggests that it is important for staff to take time to become properly trained to deal with the diversity of the student population.? Student?s needs are like a revolving door and become more diverse and demanding on a day to day basis.? Rooney 2008 also suggests that it is important to communicate the vision of the program or district with all stakeholders.? All stakeholders must know and understand their role in the improvement process.? The common goal of a project will help lead to success.?

Jennings, J. & Rentner, D. (2006). Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools?

According to the Jennings and Rentner 2006 schools are paying much more attention to the alignment of curriculum and instruction and are analyzing test score data much more closely.? The most common improvements are greater alignment of curriculum and instruction with standards and assessments, more use of test data to modify instruction, use of research to inform decisions about improvement strategies, improvement in the quality and quantity of professional development for teachers, and the provision of more intensive instruction to low-achieving students.? In establishing the action research project the intern learned more than ever the importance of data analysis.? Staff properly trained in collecting and analyzing data will have an upper hand in establishing the direct needs of students. ?Decisions made based on collected data will have a direct impact on students needs.

The Education Trust (2004). The ABCs of AYP The Education Trust?

According to the Education Trust 2004 title I is a voluntary program that provides more than 12 billion per year to participating states that help educate low-income children.? States which receive Title I funding agree to commit themselves to the goal of bringing all student to proficiency in language arts and math by 2014.? According to the literature schools must communicate the vision and goals for improvement with parents.? The state begins by setting academic standards in deciding what all students should know and be able to do.? According to NCLB students need to learn many things to be successful but language arts and math are the building blocks for all further learning.? The text was very informative while conducting the current research project in describing AYP?s and Title I expectations.? The action research project was centered on the subject of mathematics due to the emphasis placed on this subject by state mandates.

Hess, F., & Gift, T. (2008). The Turnaround Fredrick M Hess and Thomas Gift??

According to Hess and Gift NCLB revolves around the notion that turnarounds constitute a new better way to solve problems facing America?s schools in gaining immense popularity among reformers of all stripes.? Unlike most reform efforts, which focus on incremental improvement, turnarounds seek to take school from bad to great within a short period.? ?Turnarounds offer the opportunity to take familiar educational institutions and improve them through coaching, mentoring, capacity building, best practices, and other existing tools.?? The information provided in the text was very beneficial in establishing the action research project.? The idea to provide tutorials for struggling students stemmed from the idea of coaching/mentoring students.? The idea of offering training for teachers also came from the idea of capacity building expressed in the article.? Hess and Gift also expressed the idea that staging a successful turnaround entails setting high expectations and then begin flexible with regard to how principals, teachers, and staff go about meeting them.? The expectations for the action research project were clearly outlined and understood by staff members.? The first step to improvement will always revolve around the communication process.?

Texas Education Agency, (2012), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) The Texas Education Agency website was very beneficial in establishing the basis for the action research project.? A researcher can collect information concerning any district in the state.? They can search and compare results based on performance records.? The website provides information regarding state mandates and also provides insight about changes to come in the Texas Education System. The Data Management for Assessment and Curriculum website was very beneficial in collecting????? information regarding previous benchmarks and testing results.? The information is broken down based on demographics which prove to be very informative when evaluating and comparing results.?? The information breaks down the information in an individualized report by subject.? The program requires a username and password in order for the school to participate.? The program is an awesome tool for schools wanting collect and analyze data on a regular basis.?? Action Research Design (Section Three)

Target Population: Struggling students enrolled in 11^th grade mathematics which participate in the exit level mathematics portion of the TAKS test.

Target Size: 64 Students (Total Class Size)

Target Reached 28 Students (Needed Additional Resources)?

Collected data showing the results from the scheduled benchmarks throughout the year during the 09-10 and the 10-11 school years for 11^th grade math
Collected data showing the results from the standardized test for the 09-10 and the 10-11 school years for 11^th grade math
Individualized the reports to show performance based on race, gender, and economic status
Evaluated and presented the relationship between the benchmarks and the results from the standardized test
Developed a system for tutorials to be offered to struggling students

ACTIVITIES TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES

Conducted a DMAC study in which data will be evaluated and charted
Conducted a survey of test takers to evaluate importance of benchmark test
Conducted an interview with the 11^th grade math teacher
Conducted and interview with the Curriculum Director in which results will be discussed
Created a chart to itemize scores based on individualized performance

1.????? Standardized test results from 09-10 and 10-11

2.????? Benchmark results from 09-10 and 10-11

1.????? Categorize results based on gender, race, and economic status

2.????? Compare success or failure of benchmarks and standardized test

1.????? ?Evaluate properly aligned TEKS on benchmarks

1.????? Evaluate the seriousness of the test takers about the actual benchmark tests

1.????? Collected data using DMAC program containing benchmark and standardized test scores

2.????? Broke down data into race, gender, and economic status results

3.????? Formed a chart in which related data is compared

4.????? Surveyed actual test takers

5.????? Interviewed 11^th grade math teacher

6.????? Interviewed Curriculum Director

7.????? Created a tutorial list for struggling students

Research collector
11^th Grade math instructor
Curriculum Director
High School Principal

MONITORING SUCCESS/ EVALUATION

From the results of the study the 11^th Grade Math teacher better understood the significance of conducting benchmarks
The study revealed the results of benchmarks and standardized test scores were directly related and more emphasis will be placed on the benchmarks.
The study also revealed the results of benchmarks and standardized test scores were directly related proving that the curriculum is properly aligned

The data concerning the action research project was collected in several different ways.? The researcher believes that in order to receive appropriate relative data the information should be collected using multiple resources.? The first form of data collection came from using the online program DMAC.? The program breaks down information in regards to demographic results on benchmarks as well as state mandated testing.? The results collected from the study showed that the information was directly related meaning that students found struggling on benchmarks eventually struggled on the standardized test.? The data was broken down into individualized categories to determine which groups of students would need additional resources.? The action research project was directed at increasing the overall scores of African Americans but will serve the purpose of increasing the achievement of all students.? The second step to the data collection project was to evaluate the results from a student survey given to 11^th grade test takers.? The survey was used as a gauge to monitor student?s actual feelings about benchmarks. The results of the study are listed:? 33% of the student population really participates, 67% of the student population answered that benchmark tests are meaningless.? The next step was to interview the current 11^th grade math teacher.? During the interview there were several questions regarding the importance of benchmarks and what emphasis are placed upon them.? The DMAC data was presented to the teacher showing the comparable results from each study.? The information regarding the student surveys were also presented at the conclusion of the meeting.? The intern made the recommendation that the high school faculty collaborate new innovative ways to increase participation on benchmarks. The next step in the data collection process was to interview the curriculum director.? The information regarding the DMAC study and student surveys were presented to the curriculum director.? The director came to the conclusion that each teacher should be equipped with the knowledge to conduct their own data driven analysis studies.? The school is now currently conducted individualized data reports by subject area.? Once the data from all available resources was collected the intern developed an individualized performance chart showing areas of weakness.?

The information below will describe the research and progress related to the implementation of the action research project.? The charts below describe the total number of students tested and categorized the groups which struggle to achieve.? The charts include information from the 09-10 and 10-11 school years prior to implementation of the action research project.? The final chart upon completion of the project show the results since the implementation of the tutorial sessions for struggling students started.? The charts are imprinted below:?

?????

? Benchmarks 09-10 Exit Level Mathematics

??????? All Students =64??? Met Strd 29???? %Met Strd 45%





American Indian/Alaskan Native

Benchmarks 10-11 Exit Level Mathematics All Students= 49?????? Met Strd 29???? %Met Strd 59%





American Indian/Alaskan Native

Conclusions and Recommendations (Section Five) The action research will prove that once goals are set towards student weaknesses the achievement results will improve. ?The action research project is designed to research the comparison between regularly scheduled benchmarks and state mandated testing.? The action research project will prove there is a direct ?relationship between the benchmarks and standardized testing showing the school?s curriculum is properly aligned.? The intern will use several methods of data collection throughout the implementation process.? It was very beneficial to examine multiple resources before the implementation began.? Once the research was evaluated and itemized the project began to fall into place.?? The goal of the action research project is to increase the achievement of certain groups of students on benchmarks which would intern lead to better ?results on standardized tests.? The tutorials will provide a chance for these struggling students to be improve scores on standardized tests. Hopefully, the results from the previous year?s benchmarks will increase dramatically with the installation of tutorials.? I feel it will be very beneficial for the school to ?research other schools that have implemented tutorials as an event in the students scheduling.? ?I also feel as though it will be important for the school system to research ways in which benchmarks can become more meaningful for student performance.? After reviewing the results from the survey the intern learned that a large percentage of the student population puts forth not effort in regards to benchmarks. The school should collaboratively come up with ways in which more emphasis can be placed on benchmarks in the near future as they are a direct reflection of performance on the state mandated test. ?I feel as though the research project proved to be very beneficial for the school system.?? I would recommend that each teacher and school system actively conduct research projects to better understand the weaknesses of the student population.? The first step in finding a solution to a problem is being able to indentify that a problem exist.?

References (Final Section)

Rooney, J. (2008). What do We Believe?

Jennings, J. & Rentner, D. (2006). Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools?

The Education Trust (2004). The ABCs of AYP The Education Trust

?Hess, F., & Gift, T. (2008). The Turnaround Fredrick M Hess and Thomas Gift

Texas Education Agency, (2012), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) ??? Education Week (2012) Title I ??? Retrieved from? http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/title-i/

Source: http://reidspivey.blogspot.com/2012/11/action-research-progress-report.html

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Source: http://cantinepatrice8.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/action-research-a-must-in-education-action-research-progress.html

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Daughters to Demi Moore: MOVE ON!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/daughters-to-demi-moore-move-on/

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GOP senator offers 'fiscal cliff' solution

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A freshman GOP senator is jumping into the debate on how to avoid a "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and automatic spending cuts, advocating a mix of tax increases with curbs on Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker is circulating a 10-year, $4.5 trillion plan loaded with controversial proposals, including a less generous inflation adjustment for Social Security, and a gradual increase in the regular Social Security retirement age to 68 and the Medicare eligibility age to 67.

Corker's plan also includes $749 billion in higher tax revenue claimed by capping itemized deductions at $50,000, a proposal that hits wealthier taxpayers the hardest.

Corker has yet to attract any Democrats in support. But he's a rarity on Capitol Hill in that he's offering specific spending cuts and tax increases instead of vaguely-worded bromides about how to tackle the country's deficit woes.

Corker offered a broad outline of the 242-page measure on the editorial page of Monday's Washington Post. A more detailed summary circulating on Capitol Hill contains a fuller description, including higher Medicare premiums for upper-income earners and new revenue from Medicare co-payments and deductibles.

Federal workers would get hit with higher contributions to their pensions and would receive an $11,000 voucher payment to finance their family's health insurance, saving taxpayers about $7 billion a year.

The fiscal cliff is a one-two punch of automatic cuts to the Pentagon and domestic programs ? the punishment for the failure last year of a deficit supercommittee to craft a budget deal. Economists warn it could send the United States back into a recession, and high-level talks between the White House and top Republicans like House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, continue in hopes of meeting a year-end deadline to avoid the cliff.

Corker's plan is a longshot. For starters, he rejects the idea of settling for a "down payment" on the deficit that would be used to punt the big decisions on the budget to next year, even though that's the recommendation of Boehner. And his plan is tilted to painful choices on Social Security and Medicare that Democrats are unlikely to embrace.

"Kicking the can down the road ? setting up a process for token deficit reduction today with the promise of more reforms later ? is misguided and irresponsible and shows a total lack of courage," Corker says.

The White House insists that instead of limiting deductions, any budget solution must include higher tax rates on upper-income earners.

"Math tells us that you can't get the kind of balanced approach that you need without having rates be part of the equation," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Monday. "We haven't seen a proposal that achieves that, a realistic proposal that achieves that."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-11-27-Fiscal%20Cliff-Corker/id-12688d4e1a5841868efb7cbb53a33d60

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Google renews objections to class action lawsuit over scanning non-Gmail subscribers? emails

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Home / Breaches, Business, Court / Google renews objections to class action lawsuit over scanning non-Gmail subscribers? emails

Jonny Bonner reports:

Google has renewed its objections to a class action alleging that it intercepts emails and eavesdrops on online users in violation of California privacy laws.

In a brief filed in San Jose, the tech giant says two lead plaintiffs took ?isolated words out of context? and misapplied state law, which ?does not reach emails and electronic communications.?

Brad Scott and Todd Harrington sued Google in June for violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act.

They claim that Gmail scans emails for words and content, and intentionally intercepts messages between non-Gmail subscribers and subscribers.

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Source: http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=31696

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Chelsea 'regrets' handling of ref abuse claim

By ROB HARRIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 1:12 p.m. ET Nov. 27, 2012

LONDON (AP) -Chelsea has expressed "regret" but stopped short of apologizing to Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg after accusing him of racism in a case that was later dropped by the authorities.

The European champions also stressed that they would have no problem with Clattenburg refereeing its matches again.

Clattenburg was accused by Chelsea midfielder Ramires of saying "shut up you monkey" to teammate John Obi Mikel during an Oct. 28 Premier League match against Manchester United, but the English Football Association found that the referee had no case to answer.

Chelsea now concedes that it was wrong to publicly allege that Clattenburg used "inappropriate language" in a statement issued within two hours of the match finishing.

In attempt to clear-the-air with Clattenburg, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck on Monday held a "constructive and open discussion" with him, the other topflight referees and Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.

"The club regrets not having given more consideration before issuing a statement on the evening of Sunday 28th October," Chelsea said in a joint statement with the Premier League and referees' body. "The club also regrets the subsequent impact the intense media scrutiny had on Mark Clattenburg and his family."

But The 16 topflight referees, including Clattenburg, do accept that Chelsea "had an obligation under FA rules to report the allegation," the statement said, after being received in "good faith" by a player.

That paves the way for Clattenburg to referee Chelsea matches again.

"There was recognition by all parties that the impartiality and integrity of refereeing in this country remains paramount," the statement said. "Chelsea FC made it clear they would welcome Mark Clattenburg back to Stamford Bridge in the future and (Professional Game Match Officials) would have no issue in appointing him to a Chelsea FC match going forward."

Clattenburg was cleared of any racist behavior by the FA and the police, but English football has been blighted with racism cases recently.

A man was arrested on Wednesday after former England and Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore, who is now a radio pundit, was allegedly racially abused on Twitter.

London police are investigating anti-Semitic chants by West Ham fans at Tottenham on Sunday.

And police in northeast England have launched an investigation after a racist gesture appeared to be aimed by a fan at West Bromwich Albion striker Romelu Lukaku during Saturday's match at Sunderland.

In pictures that emerged on Tuesday, a fan appeared to make a monkey gesture at the Belgium international, who is black, after he scored West Brom's third goal in a 4-2 win. Lukaku is on a season-long loan at West Brom from Premier League rival Chelsea.

The incident comes less than a month after a Chelsea fan was banned from Stamford Bridge for making a monkey gesture in a match against Manchester United.

More newsSteve Dykes / Getty Images

MLS names Best XI ? no surprises

PST: For the first time in 10 years, the team has 3 forwards, but positions have always been a loose thing when it comes to recognizing the season?s best.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45324854/ns/sports-soccer/

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Chris Brown deletes Twitter account after feud

R&B singer Chris Brown has taken down his Twitter account after a vulgar online exchange with comedian Jenny Johnson.

Johnson says she's now receiving death threats on Twitter from Brown's supporters.

The fight started when 23-year-old Brown posted a picture of himself, saying he looked old. Johnson replied: "I know! Being a worthless piece of (expletive) can really age a person."

Brown fired back a series of crude sexual jokes. Johnson posted a link to a news story about Brown's 2009 assault on singer Rihanna.

Before deleting his account, Brown wrote: "Just ask Rihanna if she mad??????" The on-again-off-again couple have been seen together recently.

A representative for Brown's record label didn't immediately respond Monday to an email seeking comment.

Brown had 11.6 million followers on Twitter.

___

Online:

http://www.twitter.com/JennyJohnsonHi5

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chris-brown-deletes-twitter-account-feud-171352228.html

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Increasing drought stress challenges vulnerable hydraulic system of plants, GW professor finds

Public release date: 27-Nov-2012
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Contact: Latarsha Gatlin
lgatlin@gwu.edu
202-994-5631
George Washington University

Amy Zanne, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, co-authors paper published in Nature studying effects of drought on plant life

WASHINGTON - The hydraulic system of trees is so finely-tuned that predicted increases in drought due to climate change may lead to catastrophic failure in many species. A recent paper co-authored by George Washington University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Amy Zanne finds that those systems in plants around the globe are operating at the top of their safety threshold, making forest ecosystems vulnerable to increasing environmental stress.

In the current issue of the journal Nature, Dr. Zanne and lead authors from the University of Western Sydney in Australia and Ulm University in Germany, report that the hydraulic system trees depend on is a unique but unstable mechanism that is constantly challenged.

"Drought is a major force shaping our forests," said Dr. Zanne, a faculty member within the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. "Over the last century, drought has been responsible globally for numerous large-scale forest diebacks. To make effective predictions of how forest landscapes may change in the future, we need to first understand how plants work."

The primary challenge plants face during drought is how to keep their plumbing working. Drought stress creates trapped gas emboli in the water system, which reduces the ability of plants to supply water to leaves for photosynthetic gas exchange and can ultimately result in desiccation and death.

"Vulnerability to embolism is one of the main factors determining drought effects on trees," Dr. Zanne said. "However, plants vary dramatically in their resistance to drought-induced embolism, which has made predictions of how forests might be altered under future climates more difficult."

While the research findings are alarming, plants do have a few other tricks up their sleeves. They may have some flexibility of changing their plumbing or new species of trees may replace species no longer capable of persisting in a given place.

An international team consisting of Dr. Zanne and 23 other plant scientists organized via the ARC-NZ Research Network for Vegetation Function at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, analyzed existing measures of plant hydraulic safety thresholds in forest species around the world.

The surprising result that the group discovered is that while plants vary greatly in their embolism resistance, they are sitting at similar safety thresholds across all forest types. The team found these thresholds are largely independent of mean annual precipitation.

The findings explain why drought-induced forest decline occurs in arid as well as wet forests, which had historically not been considered at risk.

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George Washington University

In the heart of the nation's capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.

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