Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/yEUcqlATvjY/130730235642.htm
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Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Fresh fuel reignites Asperger's debate
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Children with Asperger?s Syndrome have different electroencephalography (EEG) patterns to children with autism, reveals a new study. With distinct neurophysiology, the study pours fresh fuel on the on-going debate about how Asperger?s should be classified.
Ackman's Pershing Square unveils stake in Air Products
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss, Swetha Gopinath and Ernest Scheyder
BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager William Ackman unveiled his biggest bet ever on Wednesday, announcing a $2.2 billion play on Air Products & Chemicals Inc., but shed no light on how the billionaire trader kept the position secret for the past two months.
The activist investor's Pershing Square Capital Management owns 9.8 percent of the industrial gas maker, making it the company's biggest shareholder. Pershing Square might have bought more if Air Products had not adopted a "poison pill" defense to prevent a takeover when some on Wall Street began speculating it might be in Ackman's sights.
Speculation mounted earlier this month that Ackman, who tends to make only a few concentrated bets at a time, was laying the groundwork for something big when he set out to raise as much as $1 billion to invest in a company he declined to name.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ackman said on Wednesday that he began buying the stock in early June and believes it to be "undervalued" and an "attractive investment." He did not finish buying shares until Tuesday.
Much of the buying was through seven holding companies Pershing Square incorporated in Delaware. Most of the entities were incorporated in early June, but one was formed on May 23 and the final one was incorporated on July 2.
Over the years, Ackman has used similar entities to accumulate shares in target companies, such as for a big stake bought in Fortune Brands in 2010.
Air Products, whose rivals include Praxair Inc
The "poison pill" plan gives existing shareholders the right to buy new shares at a discount if a person or group were to acquire 10 percent of the company without board approval.
One big mystery is how Ackman managed to keep the investment under wraps as he was building his very large stake.
Investors are required by federal securities law to disclose when they acquire 5 percent or more in a publicly traded U.S. company. But hedge fund managers, in particular those pursuing activist strategies, have become skilled over the years at finding ways around the regulatory requirement.
They can delay the disclosure process by requesting "confidential treatment" from the Securities and Exchange Commission to avoid having to disclose stakes under the argument that doing so might interfere with a business strategy.
Pershing Square has made use of this practice and filed an updated quarterly holding list in April for the quarter ended December 13, 2012, revealing that it had a 5.9 million share stake in Mondelez International.
Securities law experts said it is likely that Ackman may have deployed a similar strategy for building a large stake in Air Products.
For Ackman, the Air Products announcement comes at a critical time, as he rides a $1 billion short bet against Herbalife. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Pershing Square has incurred at least a $300 million loss on its bearish bet on the nutritional drink and supplement company.
CNBC reported on Wednesday that investor George Soros, a sometime tennis partner of Ackman's, took a large long position in Herbalife. Carl Icahn, a long-time rival of Ackman, also holds a large long position in Herbalife, which Ackman says is a pyramid scheme.
With APD shares now trading at $108.93 on Wednesday, up nearly 16 percent over the last month, Ackman might be able to show his investors gains for the month and boost his year-to-date performance. Other winners in the portfolio include Procter & Gamble, Canadian Pacific Railway and Howard Hughes Corp.
What Ackman may like about Air Products is that the company has few competitors and its industrial gas business has lucrative long-term contracts. However, in recent months it has been hit by high exposure to sluggish growth in Europe and analysts say it should divest its non-core gas businesses.
Those businesses account for roughly 20 percent of sales, including a chemicals unit and one that caters to computer chip makers.
Ackman's stake comes two years after Air Products unsuccessfully tried to buy smaller rival Airgas Inc in a $5.9 billion hostile bid. Ironically, Airgas successfully used a own "poison pill" defense to ward off Air Products.
(Additional reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore, Sam Forgione in New York; Editing by Matthew Goldstein, Matt Driskill and Dan Grebler)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ackman-buys-9-8-percent-stake-air-products-115529665.html
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Lu'an Capital & Energy Investment Inc. Acquires Shares of Sona Resources Corp.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 29, 2013) - Lu'an Capital & Energy Investment Inc. (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a subscription agreement (the "Subscription Agreement") with Sona Resources Corp. ("Sona"), pursuant to which the Company has purchased, on a private placement basis (the "Transaction"), 3,665,000 units (the "Units") at an offering price of $0.30 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $1,099,500. Each Unit consists of one common share of Sona (a "Common Share") and one-half of one warrant (a "Warrant"), with each whole Warrant entitling the holder to purchase, for a period of 24 months following the closing date, one additional Common Share of Sona at a price of $0.50 for the first 12 months and $0.60 thereafter.
Pursuant to the Transaction, the Company acquired 3,665,000 Common Shares of Sona (the "Purchased Shares") representing approximately 13.3% of Sona's issued and outstanding share capital. The Company previously owned 500,000 Common Shares of Sona. Subsequent to the closing of the Transaction, the Company owns 4,165,000 Common Shares of Sona, which represents approximately 15.1% of Sona's issued and outstanding share capital. The Company now also owns 1,832,500 Warrants, which, if the Warrants were fully exercised, together with the Company's current shareholdings of Sona, would represent approximately 20.4% of Sona's issued and outstanding share capital on a diluted basis. The Transaction closed on July 25, 2013.
Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, the Company will have the right to nominate one individual (a "Nominee") to serve on Sona's board of directors (the "Board"), if the Board comprises eleven or fewer directors. If the Board comprises twelve or more directors, the Company will have the right to nominate one additional Nominee.
As a condition of the Subscription Agreement, the Company and Sona have also entered into a voting agreement (the "Voting Agreement") with respect to any current and future Common Shares owned or controlled by the Company (the "Company's Shares"). Pursuant to the Voting Agreement, Sona will determine how to vote, or act or proceed on each and every of the matters referred to in any notice of shareholders meeting held by Sona (such determination being a "Decision"). Sona will deliver a written notice to the Company of the Decision and the Company will vote the Offeror's Shares in accordance with the Decision. The Voting Agreement will automatically terminate six years after the Subscription date.
The Purchased Shares were acquired for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, the Company may from time to time acquire additional securities of Sona or dispose of securities of Sona in the open market, by private agreement or otherwise.
A copy of the requisite early warning report will be filed on the SEDAR profile for Sona Resources Corp. at www.sedar.com.
Source: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=1815601&sourceType=3
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Tuesday, July 30, 2013
This One-Handed Bottle Opener Sure Is Handy
Do you ever get frustrated when trying to open a beer bottle? You can do it on the side of a table, but that typically hurts your hand (a lot). You can open it with a lighter, but that's so college. You could use a regular bottle opener, but that's so boring.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-one-handed-bottle-opener-sure-is-handy-954328530
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Monday, July 29, 2013
First First-to-File Patent - Patent Law Blog (Patently-O)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]By Dennis Crouch The first post-AIA patent issued recently ? Design Patent No. D685,381 directed to a foldable laptop stand and owned by the UK company Bluelounge. The application sailed-through as part of the design ...
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'How to use Chromecast' video has a pretty awesome easter egg
Personality cult built around Egypt's top general
FILE - In this Monday, July 8, 2013 file photo, Egyptians chant slogans as they hold a poster of Egyptian Army Chief Lt. Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during a protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Arabic reads on the poster reads, "Sissi, go down, let the Brotherhood hide." In dark sunglasses and a uniform studded with medals, Egypt?s top general is everywhere, looking down from posters and banners proclaiming him ?lion of the nation.? Adoring songs vow ?We are behind you.? Barely a month after he removed the elected president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is riding a wave of adulation _ in part, state fueled _ that is drawing comparisons between him and modern Egypt?s first charismatic strongman, Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Some are warning that the personality cult could pave the way to new authoritarianism. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
FILE - In this Monday, July 8, 2013 file photo, Egyptians chant slogans as they hold a poster of Egyptian Army Chief Lt. Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during a protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Arabic reads on the poster reads, "Sissi, go down, let the Brotherhood hide." In dark sunglasses and a uniform studded with medals, Egypt?s top general is everywhere, looking down from posters and banners proclaiming him ?lion of the nation.? Adoring songs vow ?We are behind you.? Barely a month after he removed the elected president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is riding a wave of adulation _ in part, state fueled _ that is drawing comparisons between him and modern Egypt?s first charismatic strongman, Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Some are warning that the personality cult could pave the way to new authoritarianism. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
FILE - In this Wednesday, April 24, 2013 file photo, Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi reviews honor guards during an arrival ceremony for his U.S. counterpart at the Ministry of Defense in Cairo. In dark sunglasses and a uniform studded with medals, Egypt?s top general is everywhere, looking down from posters and banners proclaiming him ?lion of the nation.? Adoring songs vow ?We are behind you.? Barely a month after he removed the elected president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is riding a wave of adulation _ in part, state fueled _ that is drawing comparisons between him and modern Egypt?s first charismatic strongman, Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Some are warning that the personality cult could pave the way to new authoritarianism. (AP Photo/Jim Watson, Pool, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, July 7, 2013 file photo, opponents of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. In dark sunglasses and a uniform studded with medals, Egypt?s top general is everywhere, looking down from posters and banners proclaiming him ?lion of the nation.? Adoring songs vow ?We are behind you.? Barely a month after he removed the elected president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is riding a wave of adulation _ in part, state fueled _ that is drawing comparisons between him and modern Egypt?s first charismatic strongman, Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Some are warning that the personality cult could pave the way to new authoritarianism. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - In this Friday, July 5, 2013, photo, opponents of Egypt's ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi flock around soldiers atop armored personnel carriers at Maspero, Egypt's TV and radio station, not far from Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. In dark sunglasses and a uniform studded with medals, Egypt?s top general is everywhere, looking down from posters and banners proclaiming him ?lion of the nation.? Adoring songs vow ?We are behind you.? Barely a month after he removed the elected president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is riding a wave of adulation _ in part, state fueled _ that is drawing comparisons between him and modern Egypt?s first charismatic strongman, Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Some are warning that the personality cult could pave the way to new authoritarianism. (AP Photo/Hussein Tallal, File)
FILE - In this Friday, July 26, 2013 file photo, Egyptian soldiers stand guard atop an armored personnel vehicle on a bridge that leads to Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. In dark sunglasses and a uniform studded with medals, Egypt?s top general is everywhere, looking down from posters and banners proclaiming him ?lion of the nation.? Adoring songs vow ?We are behind you.? Barely a month after he removed the elected president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is riding a wave of adulation _ in part, state fueled _ that is drawing comparisons between him and modern Egypt?s first charismatic strongman, Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Some are warning that the personality cult could pave the way to new authoritarianism. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
CAIRO (AP) ? In dark sunglasses and a uniform studded with medals, Egypt's top general is everywhere, looking down from posters and banners proclaiming him "lion of the nation." Adoring songs vow "We are behind you."
Barely a month after he removed the elected president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is riding a wave of adulation, drawing comparisons between him and modern Egypt's first charismatic strongman, former President Gamal Abdel-Nasser. State media and pro-military TV channels and newspapers have done everything they can to fuel the fervor.
But some warn that the personality cult could pave the way to new authoritarianism after a coup that the army and its supporters insist was aimed at promoting democracy.
"I worry about el-Sissi and the possible arrogance of the victor. And I fear him if he decides that the army is stronger than any future president that he will control like a puppet," wrote Mohammed Fathy, a columnist in the newspaper Al-Watan. "The admiration for him has gone beyond normal levels and is now more like deifying him."
The hype has swelled to the point that some are convinced el-Sissi will take off his uniform and run for president in elections due to take place early next year. A military spokesman denied el-Sissi has any intention to do so. That has done nothing to end the speculation by those for and against the idea.
"Bottom line, el-Sissi will be president because he has no choice but to be. People have already started treating him as such and because he is de facto ruler," Fathy wrote in a column on Monday, adding that media are depicting the general as "Nasser 2013."
The raving over el-Sissi is rooted in the satisfaction many Egyptians took from his July 3 coup removing President Mohammed Morsi. It came after four days of massive protests by millions nationwide demanding the president step down, accusing him of failing to manage the country and handing power over to his Islamist allies.
The nationalist fervor and resentment of the Islamists has so far all but drowned out arguments by Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi's other supporters that the coup against Egypt's first freely elected president has wrecked democracy. Two large-scale killings of dozens of pro-Morsi protesters in clashes the past three weeks have won them little sympathy amid a public attitude ? again fueled by the military, officials and many media outlets ? that the protesters are violent extremists.
But the lavish celebration of el-Sissi also speaks of a nation looking for a leader it can rally behind. It underscores a close bond between the Egyptian public and the armed forces. As a mostly conscript army, there is hardly an Egyptian family that hasn't sent a son to the military, which fought four wars with Israel ? the most recent in 1973.
That translates into a trust of the army's intentions among many.
"The army will not stay forever, just long enough to restore order and security in the country," said Ezzat Fahim, a 38-year-old father of two. He carried an el-Sissi poster in Cairo's Tahrir Square during massive nationwide rallies on Friday that the general himself called for as a show of support for the military to act against "terrorism."
The degree of trust has survived among much of the public despite the fact that the generals were the power behind the scenes during six decades of authoritarian rule. Hosni Mubarak, ousted in the 2011 uprising after 29 years in power, was a career air force officer.
The military ruled directly for nearly 17 months after Mubarak's fall until Morsi was inaugurated ? a period that bruised the generals' image, with anti-military protests in the streets and accusations of abuses by troops. Some believe that after that experience, el-Sissi will be wary of seeming to hold too much power.
"So far, I am not worried of him seizing power," said Mohammed Hashem, a leftist book publisher and veteran pro-democracy campaigner. "I see no signs that he is tempted to do so. If he does, I will be out on the streets again shouting 'down, down with military rule'."
But the el-Sissi-fest is powerful, seemingly rooted in part in a desire for a charismatic nationalist figure.
Morsi, the country's first president not to come from the military, was unable to create that image, with his Islamist agenda appealing only few outside his base. Mubarak sorely lacked charisma and a human touch and was seen as building up a regime based on cronyism and corruption and the power of oppressive police agencies.
The yearning could explain the rampant comparisons to Nasser.
Nasser, a military officer, was the mastermind of a 1952 coup that toppled the monarchy. As president, Nasser was lionized for nationalizing the Suez Canal in 1956, negotiating the withdrawal of occupying British forces, dismantling the feudal agricultural system and spreading free education. When he died in 1970, millions participated in the funeral.
Since his death, many acknowledge his faults: His rule was oppressive against both secular and Islamist dissidents, and the state-run system he created decayed into corruption. But there is also nostalgia for what was seen as good in him.
That worries some.
"The notion of someone becoming the savior and hero of a nation as big and ancient as Egypt is a big mistake," prominent rights campaigner Gamal Eid warned.
El-Sissi, he said, "knows fully well that people are inclined to trust those who are sincere even if they don't approve of what they do."
The sort of enthusiasm for the 58-year-old el-Sissi has not been seen since Nasser's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s.
In the huge crowds that came out for Friday's rally, many waved posters juxtaposing pictures of el-Sissi and Nasser. "Buy the picture of el-Zaeem," shouted one woman selling el-Sissi posters, using the Arabic word for "leader" exclusively associated in Egypt with Nasser.
Protesters wore around their necks small portraits of el-Sissi next to a lion symbolizing strength. One poster had him smiling and in his hallmark dark sunglasses with the words: "El-Sissi, the love of the people."
Protesters drew a giant portrait of el-Sissi with green laser beams on the side of a high-rise hotel overlooking Tahrir.
Ghada Shereef, in an op-ed piece Thursday in the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm, gushed that if el-Sissi gave the word, women would line up to marry him or just be his concubines. "That is a man who is adored by Egyptians," she wrote in the article, titled "El-Sissi, just wink to get what you want."
Previously the head of military intelligence, el-Sissi was little known outside the army when Morsi appointed him defense minister and head of the armed forces last August. Morsi's aides have said they saw him as a pious Muslim who had shown signs of sympathy with their Islamist agenda.
As army chief, however, he's shown no political agenda in any direction.
But he has cultivated a unique charisma for a military man. Unlike the usual stern-faced generals, el-Sissi has shown an emotional side, a quality many of his fans cite as proof of his compassion.
On Sunday, he sat at a police graduation ceremony fighting back tears as the commander of the police academy waxed lyrical on his patriotism. The army's propaganda machine has also been marketing him as a youthful and energetic leader. Army videos show el-Sissi jogging in camouflage fatigues along with other commanders, or warmly chatting with soldiers during war games.
It's a stark contrast to his near-mummified predecessor, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the Mubarak-era defense minister who ruled Egypt for nearly 17 months until Morsi was inaugurated and soon after removed him.
El-Sissi has invited celebrities to army-sponsored functions. At a live concert in April, he held the microphone like a pop singer to address the audience.
"I want to say something to you: Don't ever worry about Egypt," he said. "Egyptians can change the whole world when they want." The singers and dancers who had just finished their show broke into chants of "the army and the people are one hand."
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