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LONDON — mulberry bags People who use marijuana before driving are nearly twice as likely to cause a car crash as those not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to a Canadian analysis of previous studies. Researchers found drivers who had used marijuana within three hours of beginning to drive had nearly double the risk of causing a collision, especially those that were fatal. Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug worldwide and rates of its use in drivers are increasing. A 2007 study in Scotland found 15 percent of 537 drivers aged 17 to 39 had used marijuana within 12 hours- mulberry sale . Hall said more research was needed to prove whether roadside drug testing, as introduced in parts of Australia and the U.S., actually prevents more drug-related car accidents. The study was published Friday in the journal, BMJ- mulberry bags for sale

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A cancer drug quickly and dramatically improved brain function and social ability and restored the sense of smell in mice bred with a form of Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a new way to tackle the illness in people- mulberry bags . In the Science report, Dr. Landreth and his colleagues describe similar tests done with over 100 mice. When the drug was fed to mice with Alzheimer-like symptoms, it quickly improved their cognitive, social and olfactory functions. Losing the sense of smell, a disorienting and often debilitating experience, can be one of the first signs of Alzheimer's in humans- mulberry sale . Healthy mice typically will gather tissue paper strewn around their cage and use it to make a nest. Alzheimer mice stop doing that. When the drug was given to diseased mice they made nests, a sign of cognitive improvement. The benefits lasted up to three months, at which stage the scientists stopped their observations because that was sufficient time to show the drug's effects weren't transitory. Carl Wagner, an organic chemist at Arizona State University who is collaborating with Dr. Landreth on the project, said he had synthesized half a dozen such versions and was testing them- mulberry bags for sale

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The ancient Chinese exercise of tai chi improved balance and lowered the risk of falls in a study of people with Parkinson's disease- mulberry bags . Symptoms of the brain disorder include tremors and stiff, jerky movements that can affect walking and other activities. Medications and surgery can help, and doctors often recommend exercise or physical therapy. After six months of classes, the tai chi group did significantly better than the stretching group in tests of balance, control, walking and other measures. Compared with resistance training, the tai chi group did better in balance, control and stride, and about the same in other tests- mulberry sale . Tai chi training was better than stretching in reducing falls, and as effective as resistance training, the researchers reported. The improvements in the tai chi group continued during three months of follow-up. One of the study's strengths: Researchers could measure the results directly instead of relying on the patients' own reports, she said. But a placebo effect can't be totally discounted, she said, since the participants knew which exercise program they were assigned and that could have influenced results- mulberry bags for sale

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(02-07) 15:21 PST (AP) -- mulberry bags Students at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania can get the "morning-after" pill by sliding $25 into a vending machine, an idea that has drawn the attention of federal regulators and raised questions about how accessible emergency contraception should be. The FDA's sudden interest took place amid a furor over religious rights and access to birth control. An official resigned from the nation's largest breast cancer charity Tuesday over Planned Parenthood funding, and Republican presidential candidates attacked the Obama administration for a recent ruling requiring church-affiliated employers to provide birth control- mulberry sale . Consumers have long been able to insert a few coins for the likes of aspirin, ibuprofen, antacids and other common over-the-counter remedies. But some experts see a worrisome trend in making drugs like Plan B, which is kept behind the pharmacy counter, available in a vending machine. "It's a way for students to get the help or care they need," he said, adding that students appreciate the on-campus health care because the school, about 130 miles from either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, is so isolated- mulberry bags for sale

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The advantages for Mitt Romney are abundant in the Republican presidential primary here, but there is one obstacle that stands far taller than Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich or any rival: The inclination of New Hampshire to knock a front-runner down to size. When Mr. Romney claimed victory in Iowa by an eight-vote margin, he suddenly found himself on the wrong side of history in the nation’s first primary. mulberry bagsIn every competitive contest since 1980, the Republican winner of the caucuses has fallen short in New Hampshire. Mr. Romney, who treated a few hundred supporters to a spaghetti dinner here on Friday night, is trying to avoid the missteps of leading candidates before him and to overcome a sense among some voters that the Republican nominating contest is taking on the trappings of a coronation.“We’re in a real battle right now,” said Mr. Romney, whose tone was far less urgent than a few weeks ago when his rivals were on his heels. He closed his speech with a plea, saying: “Give me a bigger margin than eight votes if you possibly can.” As Mr. Romney took a 24-hour detour to South Carolina this week in hopes of getting a head start campaigning for the first Southern primary on Jan. 21, some of his rivals trudged across New Hampshire trying to plant the seed that he is already looking beyond New Hampshire and taking the state for granted.It was a sentiment that resonated with some voters, who are already feeling neglected because the primary here has not received the overwhelming attention of previous years because of Mr. Romney’s wide lead in many polls. “What’s bothered people in New Hampshire,” said Duncan Wood, 63, a civil engineer from Grantham, “is that it’s been assumed from Day 1 that he’d win New Hampshire, because he has a house here, mulberry salehe was a governor of a neighboring state. It’s like we aren’t really going to have a chance to vote because Romney’s going to win.” The Romney campaign is sensitive to suggestions that the candidate and his advisers are not tirelessly fighting to win New Hampshire. They are on constant alert for warning signs that his lead in polls could erode, apprehensive about a pair of back-to-back debates this weekend that provide a chance for his rivals to take a shot at him before it is too late. Tom Rath, a senior adviser to the Romney campaign who served in a similar role for the younger Mr. Bush, said the outcome of the New Hampshire primary 12 years ago still haunted him. And four years ago, he said, he had also detected the erosion of Mr. Romney’s support to Mr. McCain. “There was some sort of mood shift or indication by public or private data that something was happening,” Mr. Rath said. “We don’t see any similar indication this time. In fact, I see the opposite, I see an electorate that is very comfortable with Mitt Romney, has given everyone a good hard look and is now ready to vote.mulberry bags for sale”A moment later, he added, “But I’d like to vote tomorrow.” A poll released here on Friday from WMUR-TV and the University of New Hampshire Survey Center showed that Mr. Romney had 44 percent support, with Representative Ron Paul at 20 percent and Mr. Santorum at 8 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Newly empowered outside groups have spent more than $13 million to shape the unfolding presidential contest and are racing to deploy television and direct-mail attacks in South Carolina and other early GOP battleground states, federal elections data and interviews show.The spending is nearly double the $7.9 million outside groups spent at this point in the 2008 campaign, according to tally by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics — demonstrating the outsize influence new "super PACs" are having on the GOP primary fight. Leading the way: Restore Our Future, a super PAC backing Republican Mitt Romney, which spent more than $3.3 million on direct-mail and advertising to pummel former House speaker Newt Gingrich in Iowa, mulberry bagswhere he finished fourth this week after briefly leading the polls. The group, operated by former Romney aides, already has spent nearly $1.1 million in South Carolina and Florida combined, ahead of this month's primaries in those states. Super PACs are a new weapon in politics, spurred by recent federal court rulings that allow unlimited corporate and union spending in political advertising. They are barred from direct coordination with the candidate's campaign, but face no restrictions on how much they can raise or spend to support or attack politicians."The sky's the limit," Columbia Law School campaign-finance expert Richard Briffault said. "We are back to the pre-Watergare era of unlimited amounts of money."In many cases, the PACs are spending more than the candidates. The Red, White and Blue Fund, a super PAC backing Republican Rick Santorum, boasts that it outspent Santorum 20-to-1 in Iowa advertising. Gingrich has denounced the onslaught of outside group ads. But a super PAC supporting his campaign went on the offensive this week, mulberry saleposting a 2008 John McCain attack ad — "A Tale of Two Mitts" — on its website. "We intend to rise to the occasion," said Rick Tyler, a former Gingrich aide and a senior adviser to the group, Winning Our Future. He decried super PACs' potential to "usurp the candidate's" message. "But these are the rules, and we'll play by them."Most of the new groups don't have to disclose their donors until Jan. 31, the day of Florida's primary and weeks after voters in New Hampshire and South Carolina have cast their ballots.mulberry bags for sale"We may find the Republican nomination campaign is all but wrapped up before we know who's behind these committees," said Anthony Corrado, a campaign-finance expert at Colby College in Maine. "It's legal, but it reduces accountability in the system."

Craig Bellamy bagged a brace and Steven Gerrard was also on the scoresheet as Liverpool boosted their bid for a top four Premier League finish with a 3-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield on Friday.Liverpool trailed due to Daniel Agger's own goal midway through the first half, but Bellamy equalised soon after and the former Newcastle striker netted another goal from a free-kick in the second half.England midfielder Gerrard, who has missed most of the season due to injury, mulberry bagscapped a fine cameo performance from the substitutes bench with his side's third goal. Liverpool are now in fifth place in the league, level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, while Newcastle remain seventh.Gerrard expressed his delight at being able to play again."It's good to be back. I've had a terrible year with a lot of injuries but I just want to look forward," Gerrard told Sky Sports 1. "I'm delighted to be back with the lads today, to get on the scoresheet and get three points was a perfect return. It's great to be back."Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said the second goal had decided the match but was full of praise for his players and their campaign so far."We've done brilliant, we've got some very good players and we've had a really really good calendar year," he said. "We need to take that now into next year, and if we do anything like this last year, we may.surprise ourselves and the opposition in the league.mulberry sale"We're still in a good position even though we were beaten tonight."All eyes were on misfiring Liverpool striker Andy Carroll who has struggled for goals since completing a £35 million move from Newcastle last January. Newcastle defender Danny Simpson should have cleared the set-piece but only succeeded in getting in Tim Krul's way, and with the keeper already unsighted by Carroll, the ball flew straight in.Skrtel denied Demba Ba an equaliser before Carroll headed Gerrard's inviting cross against the woodwork.But Liverpool ensured they rounded off 2011 with a win when Gerrard found the net from an accute angle from inside the area in the 78th minute. After the match, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said he will be glad to see the back of 2011 because he believes 2012 could be a big year for Gerrard."It's great to see him get the reward because he has worked really hard to get where he is," said Dalglish after Gerrard climbed off the subs bench to score his side's third goal. "It was a freak injury that got him in trouble in the first place so the boy deserves a wee bit of luck. Maybe 2012 will bring him that.mulberry bags for sale"He is getting his way back to fitness. It's fantastic reward for him and everybody who has helped him to get back to the level he is at the moment."He will continue to work on his fitness. He has always been a huge asset to the club and he's got a lot of years to go. We'll look forward to those years."

Broadening its challenge to the United States, the Chinese government on Thursday announced an ambitious five-year plan for space exploration that could establish China as a major rival at a time when the American program is in retreat. Coupled with China’s earlier vows to build a space station and put an astronaut on the moon, the announcement conjured up memories of the cold-war-era space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States, mulberry bagswhich has de-emphasized manned spaceflight in recent years, is now dependent on Russia for transporting its astronauts to the International Space Station. Russia, for its part, has suffered an embarrassing string of failed satellite launchings. China has been looking for ways to exert its growing economic strength and to demonstrate that its technological mastery and scientific achievements can approach those of any global power. The plan announced Thursday calls for launching a space lab and collecting samples from the moon, all by 2016, along with a more powerful manned spaceship and space freighters. In recent years, China has also sought to build a military capacity in keeping with its economic might, building up its submarine fleet and, this year, testing its first aircraft carrier, a refurbished Russian model. Under the new space plan, it would vastly expand its version of a Global Positioning System, which would have military as well as civilian uses. The plan shows how the government intends to draw on military and civilian resources to meet the goals, which the government is betting will also produce benefits for the Chinese economy. mulberry sale“This approach offers lessons for other advanced space powers, including the U.S., which needs to make sure it sustains its high-level investment in various aspects of space development across the board,” said Andrew S. Erickson, a professor at the United States Naval War College who has studied the Chinese space program. “The one thing that is admirable about their program is they don’t have fits and starts,” said Joseph R. Fragola, a space safety expert who has visited the space facilities in China. “Their program is low budget but it is laid out, and they follow it in an orderly process, and we don’t do that.”Experts say Beijing is approaching its space program the way it did its military modernization. In addition to the aircraft carrier, which it bought from Ukraine, China has also made a progress on an anti-ship ballistic missile, which could be deployed to ward off foreign warships. Last January, the Chinese military tested a stealth fighter hours before Robert M. Gates, the defense secretary at the time, met in Beijing with President Hu Jintao. Unlike in the United States, where there are separate military and civilian space programs, in China the People’s Liberation Army is the driving force behind development of the Chinese space program. Civilian institutions, including various universities and laboratories, are part of the military-led efforts. In the white paper that laid out the plan, mulberry bags for salereleased by the State Council, China’s cabinet, the authors took pains to say that Beijing was not seeking to challenge any nation militarily with its space program.“China always adheres to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes weaponization or any arms race in outer space,” the paper said.

A last-minute surge of deal-seeking shoppers delivered better-than-expected holiday sales as nervous retailers lured latecomers with extended hours and steep discounts.The next question: How sharply will those discounts cut into profit margins? U.S. retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline, are on track to rise about 3.8% in November and December compared with a year ago, according to Michael Niemira, chief economist of the International Council of Shopping Centers.mulberry bagsThe results are something of a surprise to experts, who had originally forecast a weaker shopping season."Consumers are behaving in an unexpected way, spending more and taking more risk with credit," said Hana Ben-Shabat, a partner in the retail practice of global management firm A.T. Kearney. "The consensus going into the season was that consumers were still worried about the economy and jobs and were very cautious." Still, this year's results remain more subdued than in 2010, when sales rose 4.1%. And merchants said the outlook remains cloudy. Retailers say it is difficult to predict if shoppers will continue to spend freely amid continued uncertainty over the job market, wages and the European debt crisis."My biggest concern is the unknown of where the economy is going," Neal Black, chief executive of Jos. A Bank Clothiers Inc., said.mulberry sale In 2008, the company began discounting aggressively, assuming that the recession would last 18 to 24 months, as previous economic slowdowns had done. Three years later, the company is still discounting. "I don't see enough consumer enthusiasm to say 2012 will be a slam dunk," Mr. Black said.The tentative economic climate led retailers to steeper markdowns than last year, according to John Morris, a retail analyst at BMO Capital Markets, who says clothing chains' discounts rose about 7% versus last year. Abercrombie & Fitch Co., for example, marked the entire store 40% off compared to 30% off a year ago during the week before Christmas."The competition was more cutthroat among retailers this year," Mr. Morris said. For many retailers, the discounts were planned and baked into their earnings estimates—and some price tags were higher to start with. But stores also resorted to slashing prices to move merchandise, particularly coats and sweaters in the Northeast where the weather remained unseasonably warm. Shoppers began piling back into stores in the days leading up to Christmas, coinciding with the release of some positive economic news on jobless claims and housing starts. A consumer sentiment index released Dec. 22 showed consumer moods were at their highest level since June.Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics at Moody's Analytics, said he was skeptical that Americans have really loosened the reins on spending. "Clearly, high unemployment and weak wage growth is the elephant in the room, and until that core issue is addressed we are going to have sluggish consumer spending," he said. With steep discounts and free shipping on all products, Best Buy Co. was recently able to log a sales gain for the first time in six quarters. But earnings for the quarter ended Nov. 26 skidded 29% and profit margins narrowed.Target Corp. held sales on toys and electronics in the middle of the month to make up ground it lost to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s revived layaway program, according to retail analysts. mulberry bags for saleTarget estimated that its gross profit margin would be down modestly in the quarter, but David Strasser, retail analyst at Janney Capital Markets, said he thinks Target's discounts will take a bigger bite out its margins than the company anticipated. Looking ahead to 2012, Andy Hall, chief executive of Stage Stores Inc., expects customers to remain tight-fisted. A chain of about 800 moderately priced department stores, Stage is planning its inventory accordingly, focusing on value-oriented items, Mr. Hall said."We're planning the year pretty conservatively," he said. "Our customers will be pretty frugal."

It took only one game for the new-look Washington Wizards to resemble their same old dysfunctional selves. Andray Blatche took to Twitter on Tuesday to, in effect, criticize the way his criticisms were criticized after the Wizards’ season-opening loss to the Nets.mulberry bags“Every body need to shut up I didn’t call out my coach or team mates I said I had a bad game need it n the post instead of jump shots,” Blatche tweeted. Blatche was not happy after a 90-84 defeat in which the Wizards lost a 21-point lead, saying that he was not being used to the best of his abilities. He had 11 points on 5-for-13 shooting and was called for a technical for exchanging words with Kris Humphries. “You can’t keep having me pick-and-pop and shooting jump shots,” he said in the locker room. “Give me the ball in the paint. That’s where I’m most effective at. I’ve been saying that since training camp: I need the ball in the paint.” Blatche has been known to be a bit of a wild card during his seven seasons in the Wizards locker room, but this outburst was exceptional because he had introduced himself as “your captain, mulberry saleAndray Blatche” to the crowd during a pregame speech — and because the team is only one game into the season, playing under the theme “New Traditions.” “It was a situation last night, he’s been here longer than anybody else,” Saunders said.Before the lockout, Saunders gave Blatche a book titled “The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player.mulberry bags for sale” Blatche has said he read about half of it.Blatche did not speak to reporters Tuesday. Forward Drew Gooden missed Milwaukee’s first home game Tuesday for his flagrant foul in the season opener.Gooden was ejected in the third quarter Monday for slamming the Houston Rockets’ Gerald Henderson on the head with his arm as he attempted a driving layup.