SEATTLE ? Conservationists and Native American tribes are suing over the Navy's expanded use of sonar in training exercises off the Washington, Oregon and California coasts, saying the noise can harass and kill whales and other marine life.
In a lawsuit being filed Thursday by the environmental law firm Earthjustice, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups against the National Marine Fisheries Service claims the service was wrong to approve the Navy's plan for the expanded training.
They said the regulators should have considered the effects repeated sonar use can have on those species over many years and also required certain restrictions on where the Navy could conduct sonar and other loud activities to protect orcas, humpbacks and other whales, as well as seals, sea lions and dolphins.
Instead, the Navy is required to look around and see if sea mammals are present before they conduct the training.
Kristen Boyles, a Seattle-based attorney with Earthjustice, said it's the job of the fisheries service to balance the needs of the Navy with measures to protect marine life.
"Nobody's saying they shouldn't train," she said. "But it can't be possible that it's no-holds-barred, that there's no place where this can't happen."
In 2010, the fisheries service approved the Navy's five-year plan for operations in the Northwest Training Range Complex, an area roughly the size of California, about 126,000 nautical square miles, that stretches from the waters off Mendocino County in California to the Canadian border. The Navy has conducted exercises in the training range for 60 years, but in recent years proposed increased weapons testing and submarine training.
The groups want the permit granted to the Navy to be invalidated. They are asking the court to order the fisheries service to study the long-term effects of sonar on marine mammals, in accordance with the Endangered Species Act and other laws.
Regulators determined that while sonar use by navies has been associated with the deaths of whales around the world, including the beaching of 37 whales on North Carolina's Outer Banks in 2005, there was little chance of that happening in the Northwest. The short duration of the sonar use, typically 90 minutes at a time by a single surface vessel, and reduced intensity would help prevent whale deaths, they said. Regulators required the Navy to shut down sonar operations if whales, sea lions, dolphins or other marine mammals were spotted nearby.
The lawsuit, being filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, claims that the Navy's sonar use in the Northwest might be strong enough to kill the animals outright. But even if it doesn't, the repeated use of sonar in certain critical habitats, such as breeding or feeding grounds, over many years could drive those species away, making it more difficult for them to eat or reproduce, it claims. The fisheries service should have ordered the Navy to keep out of such areas, at least seasonally, the environmental groups said.
A spokeswoman for the Navy declined to comment on Wednesday, saying she had not seen the lawsuit, and the fisheries service did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
The plaintiffs include People for Puget Sound, a Seattle-based nonprofit, and the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, which represents ten Northern California American Indian tribes.
GLENDALE, Ariz. ? Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she meant no disrespect when she pointed a finger at President Barack Obama during an intense discussion on an airport tarmac. But the Republican governor says the Democratic president showed disrespect for her by abruptly ending their conversation.
The brief encounter ? out of earshot of observers but captured on camera ? was a highly visible demonstration of the verbal and legal skirmishing that has regularly occurred between Brewer and Obama's administration over illegal immigration and other issues.
Airport arrivals for presidents normally involve mere pleasantries between those involved, but Brewer and Obama have a history. And part of that history is what apparently got things going, according to accounts provided by Brewer and the White House.
Brewer said that during their talk, she invited Obama to visit Arizona to hear about her administration's achievements and to visit the U.S.-Mexico border, which has been a point of friction between the two because of illegal immigration issue.
Obama then said Brewer's recently published book mischaracterized a 2011 White House meeting between them.
Brewer said in an interview Thursday, at another Phoenix-area airport, that she talks a lot with her hands and that her pointing a finger at Obama during their conversation wasn't disrespectful.
"I respect the office of the president," she said. "I was there to welcome him."
She said she was grateful for the visit and intended to talk to him about the state's accomplishments. But she said she was "taken aback by his comments" when he said he wasn't happy with how her book described their White House meeting.
Immediately after the meeting, Brewer had said it was cordial, but her book said Obama lectured Brewer in the Oval Office and that she felt he was condescending toward her.
"It is what it is. I proceeded to say that to him, and he chose to walk away from me," she said Thursday.
Asked whether she regarded that as disrespectful, she replied: "Well, I would never have walked away from anybody having a conversation. And, of course, that is what it is. It is disrespectful for me."
Their relationship covers disagreements on "most of his policies," she said. "That doesn't mean we can't be cordial to one another."
The encounter was notable because it was rare case of an unscripted and tense moment between the president and a public official in view of reporters.
Obama, in an interview with ABC News, said the encounter with Brewer "is a classic example of things getting blown out of proportion."
"I think it's always good publicity for a Republican if they're in an argument with me," Obama said in the interview. "But this was really not a big deal. She wanted to give me a letter, asking for a meeting. And I said, `We'd be happy to meet.'"
White House press secretary Jay Carney chided reporters Thursday, saying the encounter with Brewer was getting too much attention from the press corps. The media coverage was overshadowing Obama's message of the day on energy.
Carney was questioned about Brewer's statement Thursday that Obama cut her short by walking away.
"I really assume you guys have more important issues to cover than this," Carney said.
Brewer is among the Republican governors who oppose the federal health care overhaul, but the illegal immigration issue has been a particular sore point between Obama and Brewer.
The U.S. Justice Department has challenged Arizona's controversial 2010 immigration enforcement law in court, while the administration and Brewer are at odds over whether the federal government has done enough to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
On Thursday, Brewer drew support from callers to conservative-oriented talk shows, but the incident left others in the state shaking their heads.
The Arizona Republic, the state's largest newspaper, editorialized that the image of Brewer wagging a scolding finger at the visiting president "now pretty much defines this state's relationship with Washington, D.C., to the world."
Bruce Merrill, a longtime Arizona pollster and a professor emeritus at Arizona State University, said there are two sides to the encounter, so it's hard to fully analyze what happened and why.
But the incident follows past incidents in which Arizona for a time balked at declaring a state holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr., and Arizona State University refused to award Obama an honorary degree, Merrill noted.
"It reinforces the image of Arizona being kind of a cowboy state that doesn't show a lot of respect," he said of the airport encounter.
The two mayors who stood next to Brewer during the airport encounter were not available for interviews Thursday, their offices said.
"He doesn't want to get involved," said Melissa Randazzo, spokeswoman for Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, a Republican.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton's office said his schedule had no time for an interview. Stanton is a Democrat.
___
Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report from aboard Air Force One.
Autism Speaks' first Philip and Faith Geier Autism Environmental Sciences Research grant Public release date: 25-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jane E. Rubinstein jrubinstein@rubenstein.com 212-843-8287 Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks awards $450,000 to epidemiologist M. Daniele Fallin, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for 3-year on gene-environment interactions
NEW YORK, N.Y. Autism Speaks is pleased to announce its first Philip and Faith Geier Autism Research Grants in Environmental Sciences, named in honor of Phil Geier and his late wife, Faith in recognition of his service to Autism Speaks and to the many individuals and families affected by autism. Acknowledging Mr. Geier's longstanding interest in the field, this grant will be awarded annually to the outstanding researcher, among the many funded by Autism Speaks, seeking to uncover the environmental factors whose interactions with genetic factors might be a cause of autism. This inaugural Geier Grant is awarded to epidemiologist M. Daniele Fallin, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, for her outstanding project on gene-environment interactions entitled "Genome-wide Examination of DNA Methylation in Autism." For this three-year project, Dr. Fallin will receive $449,998.
Fallin and her team will be studying gene-environment interactions across the entire genome of children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a focus on environmental influences during pregnancy, birth and early childhood. At present autism cannot be reliably detected before one year of age. But research suggests that it arises from disordered development during early brain growth and involves both genetic and environmental influences.
"This annual grant represents just the beginning of our commitment to fully investigate the environmental impacts that affect autism risk," Geier commented. "In the years ahead, you will see us supporting much more research in this neglected area."
Fallin will be investigating epigenetic changes in the DNA of 300 children with ASD and comparing them to changes in 300 unaffected children. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field of research examining the factors that influence gene expression. Research has shown, for example, that environmental influences such as infections, nutrition, toxins and hormones can essentially turn genes on or off. Some of these exposures can act much like a mutation to silence a gene or dampen its activity.
On a technical level, Fallin's team will be looking at changes in DNA methylation, an epigenetic process central to gene regulation. By relating this analysis to information on specific environmental conditions during gestation, birth and early childhood, the findings have the potential to identify avoidable risks and provide guidance for earlier diagnosis and improved treatments.
"The Geier Grant is phenomenal because it recognizes that we need to better understand how environmental influences can alter the biology of the brain and body in ways that affect autism risk," Fallin said. "Epigenetics may well be the mechanism by which this interaction occurs. It is also the area of research that brings together scientists who study autism's genetics with those who study environmental influences. It is so vitally important for autism science that we have these two groups working together."
"We share Phil and Dani's excitement about this highly innovative project," added Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geri Dawson, Ph.D. "It will explore in detail, for the first time, whether and how the environment may be influencing gene expression in autism. We hope that this will lead to insights into methods for reducing risk as well as new treatments to improve the lives of those who struggle with autism."
The Autism Speaks' Strategic Plan for Science sets environmental research as a priority, stating:
Prevention and treatment of autism through alteration of potential environmental factors is now considered a fundamental goal of research A wide range of environmental factors needs to be vigorously explored, including but not limited to exposure to toxins, vaccines, chemicals, and immune challenges.
Donations totaling over $640,000 have been received for the Geier fund. Individuals, organizations and corporations who would like to contribute to the Philip and Faith Geier Autism Research Grants in Environmental Sciences, and its focus on environmental research, may contact Richard Brown, Autism Speaks vice president of leadership giving, rbrown@autismspeaks.org
###
About Autism
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders autism spectrum disorders caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by social and behavioral challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 in 110 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum a 600 percent increase in the past two decades that is only partly explained by improved diagnosis.
About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization. Since its inception in 2005, Autism Speaks has made enormous strides, committing over $173 million to research and developing innovative resources for families. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. In addition to funding research, Autism Speaks has created resources and programs including the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network, Autism Speaks' Autism Genetic Resource Exchange and several other scientific and clinical programs. Notable awareness initiatives include the establishment of the annual United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, which Autism Speaks celebrates through its Light it Up Blue initiative. Also, Autism Speaks award-winning "Learn the Signs" campaign with the Ad Council has received over $300 million in donated media. Autism Speaks' family resources include the Autism Video Glossary, a 100 Day Kit for newly-diagnosed families, a School Community Tool Kit, a Grandparent's Guide to Autism, and a community grant program. Autism Speaks has played a critical role in securing federal legislation to advance the government's response to autism, and has successfully advocated for insurance reform to cover behavioral treatments in 29 states thus far, with bills pending in an additional 10 states. Each year Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in more than 80 cities across North America. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit http://www.autismspeaks.org.
About the Co-Founders
Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is Senior Advisor at Lee Equity Partners and Chairman and CEO of the Palm Beach Civic Association. He served as Vice Chairman of General Electric; and as the Chief Executive Officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than twenty years. He also serves on the board of directors of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, Mission Product, EMI Group Global Ltd., and AMC Networks Inc., and is a Trustee of the New York Presbyterian hospital. Suzanne Wright is a Trustee Emeritus of Sarah Lawrence College, her alma mater. Suzanne has received numerous awards, the Women of Distinction Award from Palm Beach Atlantic University, the CHILD Magazine Children's Champions Award, Luella Bennack Volunteer Award, Spirit of Achievement award by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's National Women's Division and The Women of Vision Award from the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2008, the Wrights were named to the Time 100 Heroes and Pioneers category, a list of the most influential people in the world, for their commitment to global autism advocacy. They have also received the first ever Double Helix Award for Corporate Leadership from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the NYU Child Advocacy Award, the Castle Connolly National Health Leadership Award and the American Ireland Fund Humanitarian Award. In the past couple of years the Wrights have received honorary doctorate degrees from St. John's University, St. Joseph's University and UMass Medical School.
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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.
Autism Speaks' first Philip and Faith Geier Autism Environmental Sciences Research grant Public release date: 25-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jane E. Rubinstein jrubinstein@rubenstein.com 212-843-8287 Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks awards $450,000 to epidemiologist M. Daniele Fallin, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for 3-year on gene-environment interactions
NEW YORK, N.Y. Autism Speaks is pleased to announce its first Philip and Faith Geier Autism Research Grants in Environmental Sciences, named in honor of Phil Geier and his late wife, Faith in recognition of his service to Autism Speaks and to the many individuals and families affected by autism. Acknowledging Mr. Geier's longstanding interest in the field, this grant will be awarded annually to the outstanding researcher, among the many funded by Autism Speaks, seeking to uncover the environmental factors whose interactions with genetic factors might be a cause of autism. This inaugural Geier Grant is awarded to epidemiologist M. Daniele Fallin, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, for her outstanding project on gene-environment interactions entitled "Genome-wide Examination of DNA Methylation in Autism." For this three-year project, Dr. Fallin will receive $449,998.
Fallin and her team will be studying gene-environment interactions across the entire genome of children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a focus on environmental influences during pregnancy, birth and early childhood. At present autism cannot be reliably detected before one year of age. But research suggests that it arises from disordered development during early brain growth and involves both genetic and environmental influences.
"This annual grant represents just the beginning of our commitment to fully investigate the environmental impacts that affect autism risk," Geier commented. "In the years ahead, you will see us supporting much more research in this neglected area."
Fallin will be investigating epigenetic changes in the DNA of 300 children with ASD and comparing them to changes in 300 unaffected children. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field of research examining the factors that influence gene expression. Research has shown, for example, that environmental influences such as infections, nutrition, toxins and hormones can essentially turn genes on or off. Some of these exposures can act much like a mutation to silence a gene or dampen its activity.
On a technical level, Fallin's team will be looking at changes in DNA methylation, an epigenetic process central to gene regulation. By relating this analysis to information on specific environmental conditions during gestation, birth and early childhood, the findings have the potential to identify avoidable risks and provide guidance for earlier diagnosis and improved treatments.
"The Geier Grant is phenomenal because it recognizes that we need to better understand how environmental influences can alter the biology of the brain and body in ways that affect autism risk," Fallin said. "Epigenetics may well be the mechanism by which this interaction occurs. It is also the area of research that brings together scientists who study autism's genetics with those who study environmental influences. It is so vitally important for autism science that we have these two groups working together."
"We share Phil and Dani's excitement about this highly innovative project," added Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geri Dawson, Ph.D. "It will explore in detail, for the first time, whether and how the environment may be influencing gene expression in autism. We hope that this will lead to insights into methods for reducing risk as well as new treatments to improve the lives of those who struggle with autism."
The Autism Speaks' Strategic Plan for Science sets environmental research as a priority, stating:
Prevention and treatment of autism through alteration of potential environmental factors is now considered a fundamental goal of research A wide range of environmental factors needs to be vigorously explored, including but not limited to exposure to toxins, vaccines, chemicals, and immune challenges.
Donations totaling over $640,000 have been received for the Geier fund. Individuals, organizations and corporations who would like to contribute to the Philip and Faith Geier Autism Research Grants in Environmental Sciences, and its focus on environmental research, may contact Richard Brown, Autism Speaks vice president of leadership giving, rbrown@autismspeaks.org
###
About Autism
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders autism spectrum disorders caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by social and behavioral challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 in 110 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum a 600 percent increase in the past two decades that is only partly explained by improved diagnosis.
About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization. Since its inception in 2005, Autism Speaks has made enormous strides, committing over $173 million to research and developing innovative resources for families. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. In addition to funding research, Autism Speaks has created resources and programs including the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network, Autism Speaks' Autism Genetic Resource Exchange and several other scientific and clinical programs. Notable awareness initiatives include the establishment of the annual United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, which Autism Speaks celebrates through its Light it Up Blue initiative. Also, Autism Speaks award-winning "Learn the Signs" campaign with the Ad Council has received over $300 million in donated media. Autism Speaks' family resources include the Autism Video Glossary, a 100 Day Kit for newly-diagnosed families, a School Community Tool Kit, a Grandparent's Guide to Autism, and a community grant program. Autism Speaks has played a critical role in securing federal legislation to advance the government's response to autism, and has successfully advocated for insurance reform to cover behavioral treatments in 29 states thus far, with bills pending in an additional 10 states. Each year Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in more than 80 cities across North America. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit http://www.autismspeaks.org.
About the Co-Founders
Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is Senior Advisor at Lee Equity Partners and Chairman and CEO of the Palm Beach Civic Association. He served as Vice Chairman of General Electric; and as the Chief Executive Officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than twenty years. He also serves on the board of directors of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, Mission Product, EMI Group Global Ltd., and AMC Networks Inc., and is a Trustee of the New York Presbyterian hospital. Suzanne Wright is a Trustee Emeritus of Sarah Lawrence College, her alma mater. Suzanne has received numerous awards, the Women of Distinction Award from Palm Beach Atlantic University, the CHILD Magazine Children's Champions Award, Luella Bennack Volunteer Award, Spirit of Achievement award by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's National Women's Division and The Women of Vision Award from the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2008, the Wrights were named to the Time 100 Heroes and Pioneers category, a list of the most influential people in the world, for their commitment to global autism advocacy. They have also received the first ever Double Helix Award for Corporate Leadership from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the NYU Child Advocacy Award, the Castle Connolly National Health Leadership Award and the American Ireland Fund Humanitarian Award. In the past couple of years the Wrights have received honorary doctorate degrees from St. John's University, St. Joseph's University and UMass Medical School.
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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.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan ? Eight candidates are registered to compete in the presidential election in this isolated, energy-rich Central Asian nation, but the all-powerful incumbent's victory is so predictable his opponents are praising him.
State control is absolute in Turkmenistan, a former Soviet state, and the involvement of multiple candidates appears designed to lend a faint democratic veneer to the Feb. 12 vote.
The registration period, which officially ended Wednesday, saw an original 15 candidates whittled down after two applicants withdrew and a further five couldn't produce required documentation. Those left openly state full support for the policies of authoritarian President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov.
Candidate rallies across the country are taking place against the background of large portraits of the president. In his election program, candidate Recep Bazarov, a regional agriculture official, hailed the "wise leadership of the respected President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov."
The perfunctory nature of the vote has left many uninterested, although state-mandated displays of enthusiasm are frequently visible at public events.
"I don't expect any changes, since the incumbent has no serious competitors among the current registered candidates," said Ashgabat resident Aydzhamal, 52, who declined to give his surname for fear of government reprisal.
Berdymukhamedov has run Turkmenistan, a nation rich in natural gas reserves that lies on the border with Iran and Afghanistan, since the sudden death in late 2006 of his erratic predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov.
When he came to power he promised to liberalize the political system, but he has exercised an increasingly arbitrary and personalized style of rule.
CINCINNATI ? Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.
Jones entered the plea in Hamilton County Municipal Court just as his non-jury trial was scheduled to begin. A second misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest was dismissed in a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Judge Brad Greenberg ordered Jones to serve a year of probation, complete 50 hours of community service and pay a $250 fine plus court costs. Jones could have received a maximum jail sentence of 30 days.
Jones, 28, was accused in court documents of being disorderly, shouting profanities and trying to pull away as officers arrested him at a downtown bar in July.
At the time, Jones was on probation in Las Vegas in connection with a 2007 no contest plea to a strip club melee that left three people wounded. He was ordered in November to perform an additional 75 hours of community service for violating that probation with the Cincinnati arrest.
Jones apologized in court to police for his conduct and said he realized that he "could have handled it a whole lot better." The judge told Jones that he did not know how "someone with your ability risks your career with this type of behavior."
Assistant City Solicitor Karla Burtch said Jones repeatedly approached officers "aggressively."
Jones said he was just trying to protect his fiancee.
"This is unprofessional behavior," Greenberg said. He told Jones that if he wanted to be regarded as a professional, "you need to act like one at all times."
Neither Jones nor his attorney would comment after leaving the courtroom.
The Bengals and the NFL did not immediately return calls Wednesday.
Jones will be a free agent after completing his second season with Cincinnati, which gave him a chance to continue his career.
Tennessee made Jones the sixth overall pick in 2005. He started 28 games in his first two seasons with the Titans, but repeated arrests scuttled his career. He missed the entire 2007 season with the first of two suspensions from the league.
The Titans traded Jones to Dallas before the 2008 draft. An alcohol-related altercation with a bodyguard that the Cowboys provided cost him another six-game suspension.
He was out of the NFL for a year before the Bengals gave him the two-year deal in 2010 and a final chance to show he can stay out of trouble and hold a job in the NFL. He excelled as Cincinnati's No. 3 cornerback before a neck injury ended his 2010 season after only five games. Jones had surgery for a herniated disc in his neck.
He had another procedure on the neck last summer and opened the season on an injury list, forcing him to miss the first six games. He pulled a hamstring in his first game back, forcing him to sit out two more.
Jones played the rest of the way and started eight games at cornerback in place of the injured Leon Hall. He didn't have an interception. Jones had two punt returns for 67 yards.
His arrest over the summer made him one of eight NFL players subject to discipline for incidents that occurred during the lockout. Bengals running back Cedric Benson also had an offseason arrest in Texas and got a one-game suspension during the season.
The league will review Jones' case and then could impose another suspension should he sign with a team.
___
AP Sports Writer Joe Kay contributed to this report.
MADRID (AP) -Jose Mourinho defended Cristiano Ronaldo's form on the eve of Real Madrid's Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Barcelona, describing his performance against Mallorca as his best since the coach's arrival at the club.
Ronaldo has come under criticism after squandering chances in a 3-1 loss to Barcelona last month, but Mourinho said the forward's work ethic in the second half of Saturday's 2-1 win was better than all of his Madrid accomplishments before.
"I've been with Cristiano for more than a year and half and I don't know how many goals he's scored, hat tricks, decisive goals like the winning goal in the cup final. But you know what my favorite Cristiano moment was? The second half against Mallorca, it was his best," Mourinho said on Tuesday, a day before the first-leg match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
"He worked like an animal and did exactly what the team needed. He was fantastic.
"He was dead by the end of the game after all that work," a scowling Mourinho added. "After the work he did in the second half no one can criticize him. If you want to criticize him we'll have a problem."
Ronaldo has scored 112 goals in 116 appearances since joining Madrid in 2009, and he set a Spanish league scoring record with 40 goals last season.
But the former Ballon d'Or winner has struggled against Barcelona with only two goals in 13 matches. His last goal against the Catalans was in the 1-0 cup final win last year to deliver Madrid its first Copa del Rey since 1994.
Ronaldo leads the championship with 21 goals for the Spanish leaders, who hold a five-point lead over three-time defending champion Barcelona. Madrid has won 22 of its last 23 games, with its only loss coming against Barcelona.
April's cup victory is the only victory for Madrid against the European and world champions in its last 12 meetings, but Mourinho told his players to erase that final from their minds.
"I won't change my idea and start to think that the league is not the priority. But tomorrow is a very important game," Mourinho said. "Over two legs, what matters is to score one more goal than the opponent. But what is the key (to victory), I don't know."
Mourinho said Angel di Maria would be included in the squad after reports emerged on Tuesday that the Argentina forward had suffered a setback in his recovery from a right thigh problem.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Cup relief
??Queens Park Rangers and Bolton both avoid upsets in their FA Cup replay games on Tuesday.
Divorce in itself does not pose a risk for childrenPublic release date: 17-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Amaia Portugal a.portugal@elhuyar.com 34-943-363-040 Elhuyar Fundazioa
If the parents adapt well to the new situation, their offspring do not have specific behavioral problems, concludes Priscila Comino, of the University of the Basque Country
This release is available in Spanish.
"It is not divorce in itself that can lead to problems in children. It is the divorce linked to interparental conflict, a lack of co-parenting, an unsuitable family climate, etc.," according to Priscila Comino, a researcher at the University of the Basque Country's (UPV/EHU) Faculty of Psychology. Comino has gathered data on 416 children between the ages of 4 and 18 to study and compare the behaviour of the offspring of divorced parents (214) with that of the offspring of married parents (202). The results show that there is no reason why the problems of a child of divorced parents should go beyond those that a child of married parents could have, as long as the parents have adapted positively to their new situation. In other words, rather than the divorce in itself, it is the divorce that has been poorly handled by the parents that could lead to additional behavioural problems in the child. This thesis is entitled Perfiles diferenciales en los problemas de conducta encontrados en hijos-as de progenitores divorciados y no divorciados (Differential profiles in the behavioural problems found in the offspring of divorced and not divorced parents).
Comino belongs to the Harremanak research group of the UPV/EHU, which is also running a parental education programme called Gurasoak. "It is a programme for working with families during the early stages of divorce. Work is done exclusively with the parents, but the aim is to promote greater resilience in them themselves and in their offspring," she explains. In actual fact, this PhD thesis has come about to provide data that will contribute towards prevention programmes like this one.
There are differences, but
The sample made up of 416 children was put together with the collaboration of associations and institutions, and in the case of the Basque Autonomous Community, with that of the primary and secondary schools that were asked to take part back in 2009 (about 20% agreed to do so). It involves a series of questionnaires filled in by the parents, so the children are kept on the sidelines. "They were asked to provide details of a socio-demographic type. Then the divorced parents were given the questionnaire dealing with the adaptation to divorce or separation, and both the divorced and married parents were given the test relating to the children," explains Comino. This test is the CBCL (Child Behaviour Checklist): "A set of 13 items with 113 behaviours enables us to obtain an average of the behavioural problems of the offspring by using the parents as respondents." Syndromes like introversion, depression, attention problems or delinquent behaviour are some of the yardsticks in this study.
According to the results obtained in the thesis, there are however differences in the average psychological well-being of the offspring of divorced and married parents, being more favourable in the case of the latter. But despite that, the children of divorced parents mostly emerge as well-adjusted emotionally. What is more, if one takes the casuistry further, the focus shifts: "In actual fact, the offspring of divorced parents a priori display more behavioural problems, but when we bring that adaptation of the parents themselves into the equation, the panorama changes."
And divorce is in fact only a problem when it is associated with other risk factors, like: interparental conflict, inadequate co-parenting, changes in the child's daily routines or psychological problems of the parents themselves. "If the parents have adapted positively to the divorce (this adaptation being understood as the encouraging of a positive context, an adequate co-parenting relationship and fewer problems of the parents themselves), the offspring are not going to have any more behavioural problems than those of the offspring of married parents. The confirmation of this relationship between the parents' adaptation and the adjustment of the offspring is essential with a view to working with the parents and achieving benefits, in them themselves and in their offspring," concludes Comino.
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About the author
Priscila Comino-Gonzlez (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, 1982) is a graduate in Psychology. She also holds Master's degrees in Psychoanalytic Clinical Training and another entitled: Psychology: the individual, the group, the organisation and culture. She wrote up her thesis under the supervision of Sagrario Yrnoz-Yaben, lecturer in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of the UPV/EHU and director of the University Post-graduate Specialist Course on Divorce and Separation. Today, Comino lectures on this post-graduate course. She worked on her thesis at the UPV/EHU. For the data gathering she had the collaboration of the Spanish Confederation of Separated Fathers and Mothers (to which the following belong: the Association of Separated Family Men of Madrid, the Andalusian Federation of Separated Fathers and Mothers, the Galician Association of Separated Fathers and Mothers, and Kidetza-the Basque Association of Separated Fathers and Mothers); family meeting points (of Galicia, Basque Autonomous Community, Valencia, Ceuta and Toledo); family support centres of Madrid City Council; the Agintzari social initiative co-operative; and schools in the Basque Autonomous Community.
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Divorce in itself does not pose a risk for childrenPublic release date: 17-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Amaia Portugal a.portugal@elhuyar.com 34-943-363-040 Elhuyar Fundazioa
If the parents adapt well to the new situation, their offspring do not have specific behavioral problems, concludes Priscila Comino, of the University of the Basque Country
This release is available in Spanish.
"It is not divorce in itself that can lead to problems in children. It is the divorce linked to interparental conflict, a lack of co-parenting, an unsuitable family climate, etc.," according to Priscila Comino, a researcher at the University of the Basque Country's (UPV/EHU) Faculty of Psychology. Comino has gathered data on 416 children between the ages of 4 and 18 to study and compare the behaviour of the offspring of divorced parents (214) with that of the offspring of married parents (202). The results show that there is no reason why the problems of a child of divorced parents should go beyond those that a child of married parents could have, as long as the parents have adapted positively to their new situation. In other words, rather than the divorce in itself, it is the divorce that has been poorly handled by the parents that could lead to additional behavioural problems in the child. This thesis is entitled Perfiles diferenciales en los problemas de conducta encontrados en hijos-as de progenitores divorciados y no divorciados (Differential profiles in the behavioural problems found in the offspring of divorced and not divorced parents).
Comino belongs to the Harremanak research group of the UPV/EHU, which is also running a parental education programme called Gurasoak. "It is a programme for working with families during the early stages of divorce. Work is done exclusively with the parents, but the aim is to promote greater resilience in them themselves and in their offspring," she explains. In actual fact, this PhD thesis has come about to provide data that will contribute towards prevention programmes like this one.
There are differences, but
The sample made up of 416 children was put together with the collaboration of associations and institutions, and in the case of the Basque Autonomous Community, with that of the primary and secondary schools that were asked to take part back in 2009 (about 20% agreed to do so). It involves a series of questionnaires filled in by the parents, so the children are kept on the sidelines. "They were asked to provide details of a socio-demographic type. Then the divorced parents were given the questionnaire dealing with the adaptation to divorce or separation, and both the divorced and married parents were given the test relating to the children," explains Comino. This test is the CBCL (Child Behaviour Checklist): "A set of 13 items with 113 behaviours enables us to obtain an average of the behavioural problems of the offspring by using the parents as respondents." Syndromes like introversion, depression, attention problems or delinquent behaviour are some of the yardsticks in this study.
According to the results obtained in the thesis, there are however differences in the average psychological well-being of the offspring of divorced and married parents, being more favourable in the case of the latter. But despite that, the children of divorced parents mostly emerge as well-adjusted emotionally. What is more, if one takes the casuistry further, the focus shifts: "In actual fact, the offspring of divorced parents a priori display more behavioural problems, but when we bring that adaptation of the parents themselves into the equation, the panorama changes."
And divorce is in fact only a problem when it is associated with other risk factors, like: interparental conflict, inadequate co-parenting, changes in the child's daily routines or psychological problems of the parents themselves. "If the parents have adapted positively to the divorce (this adaptation being understood as the encouraging of a positive context, an adequate co-parenting relationship and fewer problems of the parents themselves), the offspring are not going to have any more behavioural problems than those of the offspring of married parents. The confirmation of this relationship between the parents' adaptation and the adjustment of the offspring is essential with a view to working with the parents and achieving benefits, in them themselves and in their offspring," concludes Comino.
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About the author
Priscila Comino-Gonzlez (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, 1982) is a graduate in Psychology. She also holds Master's degrees in Psychoanalytic Clinical Training and another entitled: Psychology: the individual, the group, the organisation and culture. She wrote up her thesis under the supervision of Sagrario Yrnoz-Yaben, lecturer in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of the UPV/EHU and director of the University Post-graduate Specialist Course on Divorce and Separation. Today, Comino lectures on this post-graduate course. She worked on her thesis at the UPV/EHU. For the data gathering she had the collaboration of the Spanish Confederation of Separated Fathers and Mothers (to which the following belong: the Association of Separated Family Men of Madrid, the Andalusian Federation of Separated Fathers and Mothers, the Galician Association of Separated Fathers and Mothers, and Kidetza-the Basque Association of Separated Fathers and Mothers); family meeting points (of Galicia, Basque Autonomous Community, Valencia, Ceuta and Toledo); family support centres of Madrid City Council; the Agintzari social initiative co-operative; and schools in the Basque Autonomous Community.
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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.
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Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
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