"WWE 2K14" Downloadable Content and Season Pass program announced

New York – 2K today announced details surrounding downloadable content and a Season Pass program for "WWE 2K14," the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. The content offering, slated to include an extensive variety of playable WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends, will be available for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation3 computer entertainment system.

Behold screenshots of the action!

“WWE 2K14" delivers a comprehensive selection of downloadable content, including impressive roster additions, fan-favorite gameplay and customization options,” said Chris Snyder, Senior Director of Marketing at 2K. “Combined with the game’s Season Pass program, we are offering the ultimate WWE video game experience for an amazing value.”

About the "WWE 2K14" Downloadable Content Program*

The "WWE 2K14" downloadable content program is scheduled to include the following items, which will be available on the Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft for Xbox 360 and on PlayStation Network for the PlayStation3 system:

Content Group #1 – nWo Pack and Accelerator:

• Playable New World Order (nWo)-themed Superstars: Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Syxx, Curt Hennig, Scott Steiner and The Giant;
• Accelerator: Enables players to unlock all in-game items, as well as customize individual WWE Superstar attributes:
  • The nWo Pack will be available for a suggested purchase cost of $8.99
  • The Giant will be available free of charge
  • The Accelerator will be available for a suggested purchase cost of $1.99
  • The Accelerator is currently scheduled for release on launch day – Oct. 29, 2013, in North America and Nov. 1, 2013, internationally;
  • The nWo Pack is currently scheduled for worldwide release in Nov. 2013.

Content Group #2 – WWE Superstars and Moves Pack:

• WWE Superstars: Fandango and Big E Langston
• WWE Divas: Brie Bella, Nikki Bella and Summer Rae
• Moves Pack: More than 30 new moves and taunts, including the Black Widow (made popular by AJ Lee) and the Koji Clutch (made popular by CM Punk):
  • WWE Superstars and Divas, along with the Moves Pack, will be available for a suggested purchase cost of $7.99
  • Summer Rae will be available free of charge
  • All content is currently scheduled for worldwide release in Dec. 2013.

Content Group #3 – WWE Legends and Creations Pack:

• WWE Hall of Famers: Bruno Sammartino and “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes
• Legendary WWE Superstars: “Ravishing” Rick Rude and Jake “The Snake” Roberts
• Playable Superstar: WWE Manager and pop culture icon Virgil
• Custom Superstar Parts Pack: 15 new Superstar parts to utilize for the most creative freedom in WWE Games history:
  • WWE Legends and the Creations Pack will be available for a suggested purchase cost of $8.99
  • Virgil will be available free of charge
  • All content is currently scheduled for worldwide release in Jan. 2014.

About the "WWE 2K14" Season Pass Program

Players may purchase "WWE 2K14" downloadable content at a reduced price point through the game’s Season Pass program. For a one-time purchase cost of $19.99, a savings of more than 25 percent versus individual content purchases, players will receive the following items:

• Season Pass Program Exclusive – Playable “The Outsiders”-themed Superstars: Scott Hall and Kevin Nash
• All Content Groups: nWo and Accelerator Packs, WWE Superstars and Moves Pack and WWE Legends and Creations Pack
• Online Badges: Over 10 exclusive options.

* Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account and Internet connection required. Copy of "WWE 2K14" required to play.

Become Immortal – 2K’s lineup of premier sports simulation titles expands with the Company’s upcoming release in the renowned WWE video game franchise, WWE 2K14. Developed by Yukes for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, WWE 2K14 is positioned to deliver the greatest roster in franchise history and be the most electrifying, authentic and comprehensive WWE video game experience to date. WWE 2K14 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. Players who pre-order WWE 2K14 will receive Ultimate Warrior at no extra cost on launch day on Oct. 29, 2013 in North America and Nov. 1, 2013 internationally.

View Comments

Source: http://www.wwe.com/inside/2k/wwe-2k14/wwe-2k14-downloadable-content-and-season-pass-program-announced
Related Topics: Angela Ahrendts   miley cyrus snl   Gia Allemand Dead   Snowden   Guardians of the Galaxy  

Read More

KEXP Presents: Lucy Rose

With a voice as sweet as her name, English singer/songwriter Lucy Rose bloomed in the KEXP studios with an acoustic performance. Stateside listeners may not recognize her, but you might have heard her backing vocals on the most recent Bombay Bicycle Club albums. On her own, Rose composes tender, lovelorn ballads, performing with a worldliness that defies her young age of 24. Her debut full-length, Like I Used To, came out last year in her own country, but just became available in the U.S. in September. It's an album that's sure to take root here.

Source: http://www.npr.org/event/music/234742239/kexp-presents-lucy-rose?ft=1&f=1039
Similar Articles: Henry Blackaby   sons of anarchy   kim zolciak   elvis presley   mick jagger  

Read More

This Week in Photography: Boston #FTW, Nirvana, and the Best Diversity on Instagram

Our newest edition of This Week in Photography is all over the place, but in a good way. Viral sports photos, the racial politics of Instagram, 4K ski flicks, and the legacy of Nirvana. Grab your Saturday morning coffee and enjoy.

The "Sports Photo of the Year"

The above photo by Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe shows Boston police officer Steve Horgan cheering as Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter fails to catch a grand slam hit by the Red Sox's David Ortiz. The hit tied the score and set the stage for a Boston win in the second game of the ALCS playoffs. The picture, which is being called the "Sports Photo of the Year," has since gone viral because it's a great photograph but also because it's a big thumbs up to the Boston Police Department after their handling of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Photo: Stan Grossfeld/Boston Globe/Getty Images.

Photojournalism Crowdfunding Platform Emphas.is Collapses

On Monday, the British Journal of Photography broke the backstory about Emphas.is' decision to shutdown.

Emphas.is was a photojournalism crowdfunding platform founded by Karim Ben Khelifa, Tina Ahrens and Fanuel Dewever whose launch in 2010 was met with optimism within the photo industry. At that time, traditional modes of funding for in-depth photojournalism were crumbling, so photographers embraced the prospect of journalism supported by direct consumer contributions.

During its run, Emphas.is helped a small number of photographers successfully raise money for important projects. Laurent reports that growing debt is what did the website in. By the end, it was €328,000, or more than $530,000, in the hole. Laurent says employees worked without salary, the founders spent heaps of their own money trying to keep the website afloat and initial investors lost any ROI.

A handful of photographers also lost out. According to Laurent, Walter Tjantelé, the publishing director, is holding on to the remaining books produced by Emphas.is Publishing.

Chicago Sun-Times Sells Photos of Laid Off Photogs

In May, the Chicago Sun-Times laid off all of its full-time photographers, a move that drew intense criticism. The newspaper recently decided to add insult to injury by putting the fired photogs’ work up for sale and extolling them as “one-of-a-kind.” It's ironic advertising because, as WIRED reported, the work of the Sun-Times' newly minted iPhoneographers does not hold a candle to what the staff photographers used to produce.

The Best of Photography and the Best of Diversity on Instagram

Digital Trends' recent article recommending "7 of the Most Captivating Photojournalists on Instagram Capturing Conflict Zones," raised eyebrows when it was published. David Campbell, a blogger and professor, thought the list was too short for meaningful conclusion and that it unnecessarily focused on photographers Instagramming from conflict zones. Zarina Holmes noted that no women were on the list and John Edwin Mason (WIRED fave) pointed out the glaring omission of non-white photographers. As a response, Mason compiled a list of diverse Instagrammers whose work he recommends.

"This list is by no means definitive," Mason says. "I'd love to call it 'The Best Asian, Black, Latino, and Female Photographers on Instagram,' but it's far too provisional."

Provisional or not, this is the most well-rounded list of Instagrammers we've seen to date.

Mason closes by singling out Ruddy Roye (image above) for particular praise. We've long been admirers of Roye's work because of the way he uses Instagram to create an emotional connection with the people he photographs.

Photo: "While white people are arrested in greater numbers in practically every crime category in America, blacks are being incarcerated at a higher percentage than their white counterparts. There are black men at Rikers Island today solely because they cannot afford bail. They are not convicted of a crime, they are just poor." -- Basir Mchawi, activist. By Ruddy Roye.

New Exhibit: Shomei Tomatsu: Island Life

Japanese photographer Shomei Tomatsu's first solo show in the United States in nearly a decade is currently at the Art Institute of Chicago. Tomatsu, who died in 2012, is often called the most important Japanese photographer of the post World War II-era and his work influenced generations of photographers after him. The show, Shomei Tomastsu: Island Life, focuses on his work from Japan’s southern islands and is a study in contrasts, with photos of American bombers taking off from Okinama for Vietnam as well as beautiful shots of the surrounding sea.

Photo: Untitled (Aka-jima, Okinawa), from the series The Pencil of the Sun, 1973. By Shomei Tomatsu.

New Film: Way of Life

Back in April we first reported on the $750,000, 4K ultra high-definition, gyro-stabilized, helicopter-mounted camera rig that Teton Gravity Research, a production company with several well-known ski and snowboard films under its belt, was using to shoot its newest flick, Way of Life. The film is now on iTunes and it was worth the wait. The cinematography is gorgeous, but we also like the film because in addition to epic skiing segments there are several little vignettes about the skiers the crew met while filming around the world. These mini-profiles give the film personality and set it apart from other ski movies, which tend to drown the audience with action.

Photo: Tim Durtschi, Hochfugen, Austria. By Adam Clark.

New Book: Nirvana

For his new book, Nirvana, Jason Lazarus asked people the question, "Who introduced you to Nirvana?" People responded with handwritten accounts and photos that Lazarus then curated. Some responses are hazy with nostalgia and affection. Others are darker and tainted by loss and frustration. The images show friends, parents, loved ones and old flames each illuminating an individual experience with the band. It's hard to believe it’s been so long since Nirvana was making headlines, but for many their music still strikes an emotional chord.

Nirvana is published by and available from Here Press.

Photo courtesy of Jason Lazarus.

New Show: Sudarios (“Shrouds”)

CENTER, a photography non-profit in Santa Fe, New Mexico, hosted an opening Friday for Sudarios, a portrait series by Erika Diettes about people who were forced to stand by and watch their loved ones be tortured during the Columbian armed conflict. The giant black and white photos show the subjects at close range and most capture them with a moving and sometimes hard to look at expression of mourning. The moments are so striking because the photos were taken while the subjects shared their stories with a therapist who accompanied the photographer. For display, the photos are printed on semi-transparent silk as a way to represent the hollowness that the violence left behind.

The show is only up for one week, so please catch it if you can. You can find more information on the CENTER website.

Photo by Erika Diettes.

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661370/s/32a61325/sc/10/l/0L0Swired0N0Crawfile0C20A130C10A0Ctwip0C/story01.htm
Category: Mr Cee   bruno mars   Jason Dufner  

Read More

D.C. Starting to Look a Lot Like Beirut

I’ve spent most of my career covering Middle East politics. I always thought it was its own unique field. But, in the last few weeks, I’ve felt myself to be at a real advantage trying to explain American politics. You see, it turns out that all those years covering Sunnis and Shiites, Israelis and Palestinians, tribal conflicts and “Parties of God” have been the best preparation for covering today’s Washington, D.C., and particularly the Tea Party. Seriously, you’d get a much better feel for Washington politics today by reading “Lawrence of Arabia” than the Federalist Papers. This is not good news.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/10/20/dc_starting_to_look_a_lot_like_beirut_318207.html
Category: jadeveon clowney   elvis presley   National Tequila Day  

Read More

MPAA Claims Victory as File-Sharing Service IsoHunt Shuts Down

The operator of the popular file-sharing service isoHunt, which the courts have declared a massive copyright scofflaw, is shutting down to settle a long-running lawsuit from the Motion Picture Association of America, according to court records lodged today.

Gary Fung, the site’s Canadian operator, also agreed to pay $110 million in damages as part of the deal to end the long-running legal battle. He is unlikely to get his hands on that much money, but the Hollywood studios get what they want: the shuttering of a torrent search engine that pointed the way to pirated movies, music, videogames and software. The deal (.pdf) includes Fung sites called IsoHunt, TorrenTBox and Podtropolis.

“Today’s settlement is a major step forward in realizing the enormous potential of the internet as a platform for legitimate commerce and innovation,” said Chris Dodd, the MPAA’s chairman. “It also sends a strong message that those who build businesses around encouraging, enabling, and helping others to commit copyright infringement are themselves infringers, and will be held accountable for their illegal actions.”

Programmer Bram Cohen released the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol in 2001, and its efficient way of transferring files has become the method of choice for illicit, peer-to-peer sharing of copyright-protected content that sites like Canada’s isoHunt and Europe’s The Pirate Bay have capitalized upon.

Gary Fung

The isoHunt litigation began in a Los Angeles federal court in 2006. In March of this year, a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that, unlike the search engine Google, Fung does not deserve protection under U.S. copyright laws for hosting links to pirated content. That’s because Fung’s business model, the court said, was designed for the primary purpose of copyright infringement, with the majority of links on his search engines pointing to unauthorized, copyright-protected content. It was the first time a U.S. federal appeals court has ruled against a BitTorrent search engine.

Fung claimed it was not he, but his millions of users, who fed his sites with links and were redistributing them without authorization from the rights holders. Fung asserted that he was merely a search engine, like Google, that was protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s so-called safe-harbor provision that permits internet companies to escape liability for illegal content posted by their users if it is promptly removed at the request of the rights holder. Fung claimed he removed files upon request.

The appeals court did not see it his way, ruling the safe harbor under the DMCA does not exist for sites that “induce” unlawful file sharing. The court noted that isoHunt had prominently featured a list of “Box Office Movies” of the 20 highest-grossing movies in U.S. theaters, and also hosted links to where the movies were being seeded by BitTorrent users. Once somebody begins downloading the link, they also begin seeding the file to others in what is known as a “swarm.”

The U.S. Copyright Act carries penalties of up to $150,000 per violation.

Under terms of the settlement, Fung has seven days to shutter the sites.

IsoHunt claims to offer 44 million peers, more than 13 million active torrents, and is ranked the 426th most-visited website, according to Alexa.com.

Fung declined comment.

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661370/s/3295e8d1/sc/1/l/0L0Swired0N0Cthreatlevel0C20A130C10A0Cisohunt0Eshutters0C/story01.htm
Category: scarlett johansson   Roosevelt Field Mall   NFL.com   nbc sports   Breaking Bad Season 6  

Read More

Report: 5 Die As Motorcycle, SUV Collide In S. Pa.

BLUE RIDGE SUMMIT, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say five people were killed when two motorcycles collided with an SUV in south-central Pennsylvania near the Maryland line.

Franklin County Coroner Jeffrey Conner tells the Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., that the five died in the crash Saturday afternoon in Washington Township.

According to the paper, township police confirmed that two motorcycles traveling in one direction collided head-on with the SUV, killing four people on the motorcycles and one person in the SUV.

Conner says officials still were notifying next of kin and couldn't release further information.

Washington Township Supervisor Elaine Gladhill says she went to the scene because of the high number of fatalities to support emergency workers. She called it "horrific."

Spokesmen for county and township police as well as the coroner couldn't be reached early Sunday for further comment.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=238203806&ft=1&f=
Category: 9news   Iggy Azalea   megyn kelly   Anastasia Ashley   Riley Cooper Racial Slur Video  

Read More

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan full fight video highlights

Watch Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan full fight video highlights from UFC 166's main card above, courtesy of FOX Sports.

UFC 166 took place October 19, 2013 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Gabriel Gonzaga, who has won five of his past six fights, improved to 16-7 with the victory. Shawn Jordan saw his two-fight win streak snapped and fell to 15-5 overall Catch the video highlights above.

For more on Dodson's victory, check out the play-by-play by Chuck Mindenhall.

Round 1: Jay Stafin is the third man in the cage. Gonzaga errant on a leg kick, as Jordan takes the center of the cage. Jordan smiling. Both trade jabs, but can't follow up. Each leery of the other's power to end the fight early, it seems. Bam! Jordan swooped in with an uppercut and then came over the top with a left, and got caught with a short counter right hook. That punch dropped Jordan, and Gonzaga pounced on him and delivered the finishers. Crazy coordination and wherewithal by Gonzaga to land that punch amidst a Jordan combination.

UFC 166 results: Gabriel Gonzaga def. Shawn Jordan via TKO (strikes) at 1:33 of R1.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/10/20/4857808/gabriel-gonzaga-vs-shawn-jordan-full-fight-video-highlights
Tags: Ray Rice   harry potter   Star Trek Into Darkness   Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 11   justin timberlake  

Read More

Helen Fielding On Bridget Jones: Still Looking Good At 51

Who could forget that slightly manic — but ever so endearing — single gal looking for love in London: Bridget Jones. From her first diary entries in 1996, to her portrayal on the big screen in 2001, to her most recent ramblings in this year's Mad About the Boy, we've gotten to go inside the mind of Bridget Jones and see the truth, the whole truth about what it's like to be a woman most definitely now not in her 30s.

The woman behind the diaries, Helen Fielding, tells NPR's Rachel Martin that Bridget now appears — at least on the outside — to have grown up a bit. And yes, as you've probably heard by now, her dashing Mr. Darcy is no longer. "I was quite surprised by the scale of the reaction, certainly in Britain, to Mark Darcy's death," Fielding says. "I was watching the news one night, BBC, and there's the Syrian crisis, and then, next story was headline news: Mark Darcy's dead!"

Interview Highlights

On writing about a situation many people find themselves in

They are single again, and they are a bit older, and the dating landscape has completely changed, and they have to get out there again. And when Bridget was single before, there was no email, even — all those messages she sent to Daniel in the office about 'you appear to have forgotten your skirt,' and things, were just an archaic office messaging system. So Bridget's now back out there dating, dealing with texting, with Twitter, with online dating, and with children — and with the fact that, you know, life is busy and complicated, and you're juggling work and all these other things, and that seemed to me to be a very rich area to write about.

Helen Fielding says she wanted to explore a common predicament: getting older, finding yourself single again, and having to deal with a changed dating landscape.

Alisa Connan

Helen Fielding says she wanted to explore a common predicament: getting older, finding yourself single again, and having to deal with a changed dating landscape.

Alisa Connan

On Bridget's age

The first novel, I didn't say how old she was, I left it vague. And I was going to do that this time, and then I thought, I'm just going to dare to do it. I'm going to say that she's in her 50s. Because I think that just as when I wrote the first Bridget, the 30-something spinster, as she was then called, got such a bad press, that hadn't caught up with what was really going on. You know, Bridget felt in some part of her brain that she was Miss Havisham, and she was going to end up dying alone and being eaten by a dog, just because she hadn't got a boyfriend when she was in her 30s.

And I think there's the same sort of thing going on with idea of the woman in her 50s, that she should somehow be staring morbidly at a lake, or knitting, and have a tight grey perm and a shopping trolley. Whereas in fact, what I see around me is it's the same — women are still looking good, still dating if they're single, still feel the same inside ... there shouldn't be this outdated notion of 'a woman of a certain age,' which in itself is a patronizing thing to say, and never applied to men.

On whether there will be more Bridget

All I do know is, I won't write another book unless I've got something I really want to say. I mean, I do think one thing that could be quite funny — but it wouldn't really work — to write about someone becoming a celebrity would be funny, because there's so many things, even when you're on a book tour — I remember when the first Bridget Jones book became successful, coming back to my flat in London, and there was a photographer on a motorbike outside. And I was wildly indignant, and why can't they leave me alone! It's intolerable! But then it was a pizza. Domino's delivery man. And I was really disappointed ... that's quite a rich seam, too. But I don't think it's right for Bridget. Maybe.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/20/237075402/helen-fielding-on-bridget-jones-still-looking-good-at-51?ft=1&f=1008
Related Topics: seahawks   Cristy Nicole Deweese   kate upton   House of Cards   Erbie Bowser  

Read More

5 Shows To Watch This Weekend Like The Queer Eye 10 Year Reunion, Brandi Glanville in a Movie and More

By Haley Longman

Into all boy bands, past and present, and will watch anything on TV about teens or pregnancy (so clearly Teen Mom is her favorite).

So much TV to watch this weekend, so not enough time to fit it all in! Between the Queer Eye 10 year reunion and two housewives popping up on two TV networks that aren’t Bravo, here’s what’s worth your precious weekend hours and why:

OK! Exclusive: Tyler Blackburn Reveals Ravenswood Scoop

What Not to Wear. Friday at 9pm on TLC. It’s the series finale! Whoa! We’ll see Stacy and Clinton check in on past contestants and have one last hurrah in Las Vegas, which certainly seems fitting. #GoBigorGoHome

OK! News: Weekly Recap of Watch What Happens Live

Hello Ross. Friday at 10pm on E!. Nene Leakes drops by Ross’s show. Question: How can that much sass fit into one talk show studio? Seriously though.

Missing at 17. Saturday at 8pm on Lifetime. RHOBH‘s Brandi Glanville makes her acting debut in a Lifetime movie about a girl who goes missing. Here’s a glimpse:

Photos: 8 Celebs Who Bared All in Pasties

The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Sunday at 8pm on Bravo. Part 1 of the tell-all special showed us that Rosie and Joe Giudice wouldn’t pass a 7th grade social studies class. What will be possibly be learned in part 2?!

OK! Old School: Why Project Runway Season 4 Was The Best

Queer Eye Reunion: 10 Years Later. Sunday at 9pm on Bravo. So, where are they now? Andy Cohen sits down with the 5 original Bravolebrities from Queer Eye for a catch-up—and probably some seriously amazing girl talk.

BravoTV.com

OK! News: Which Real Housewife Claims to Be Broke?!

What’s on your TV agenda for the weekend? Tweet us @OKMagazine.

Source: http://okmagazine.com/meet-the-stars/5-shows-to-watch-this-weekend-like-the-queer-eye-10-year-reunion-brandi-glanville-in-a-movie-and-more/
Similar Articles: CJ Spiller   zac efron   Star Trek Into Darkness   megan fox   Kidd Kraddick  

Read More

NVIDIA's G-Sync is a module for gaming monitors to alleviate screen ...

NVIDIA head Jen-Hsun Huang revealed G-Sync this morning, a module for gaming monitors that helps alleviate screen tearing and skipping issues. A variety of display companies are already on board, including ASUS, BenQ, Philips and ViewSonic. Huang said the module kills stutter entirely, pushes down lag and kills tearing. The monitors with G-Sync look the same as a normal display, as the module is built into the rear (as seen above). We're told by NVIDIA's Ujesh Desai that the module won't make new monitors much more expensive, and the module works with GPUs that have Kepler architecture (so the GTX 660 and up). G-Sync monitors will be available starting in Q1 2014.

"This eliminates the penalty for the drop in frame rate," Epic's Mark Rein said of the module. "The whole Rein family will be getting new monitors this year," he said with a laugh. A quick demo we were shown of a V-Sync'd monitor versus one with G-Sync did what NVIDIA promised: screen tearing was eliminated and lag was imperceptible. We'll have a video of NVIDIA's new G-Sync module coming up shortly -- stay tuned!

NVIDIA G-SYNC

See all photos

13 Photos

Update: We've added a hands-on demo with G-Sync. It looked fantastic in person, but due to the limitations of our camera equipment, some of the improvements may not be apparent in our video. Find that demo just after the break.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/18/nvidia-g-sync/
Tags: patriots   usc football   us open   kobe bryant   oprah winfrey  

Read More

Study strengthens link between low dietary fiber intake and increased cardiovascular risk

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

18-Oct-2013

[


| E-mail



| Share

]

Contact: Jane Grochowski
ajmmedia@elsevier.com
215-239-3712
Elsevier Health Sciences

Results reported in The American Journal of Medicine

Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2013 A new study published in the December issue of The American Journal of Medicine shows a significant association between low dietary fiber intake and cardiometabolic risks including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular inflammation, and obesity. Surveillance data from 23,168 subjects in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2010 was used to examine the role dietary fiber plays in heart health.

In the current study investigators have taken a closer look at possible sex, age, racial/ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in dietary fiber consumption, as well as examined the association between dietary fiber intake and various cardiometabolic risk factors.

Dietary fiber, which previous studies have shown may assist in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation, is thought to play an important role in reducing cardiovascular risk. Despite this knowledge, investigators found that dietary fiber intake was consistently below recommended intake levels for NHANES participants.

The Institute of Medicine defines recommended intake levels according to age and sex: 38g per day for men aged 19-50 years, 30g per day for men 50 and over, 25g for women aged 19-50 years, and 21g per day for women over 50. Using data from NHANES 1999-2010, the study reveals that the mean dietary fiber intake was only 16.2g per day across all demographics during that time period.

"Our findings indicate that, among a nationally representative sample of nonpregnant US adults in NHANES 1999-2010, the consumption of dietary fiber was consistently below the recommended total adequate intake levels across survey years," says senior investigator Cheryl R. Clark, MD, ScD, Center for Community Health and Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston. "Our study also confirms persistent differences in dietary fiber intake among socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic subpopulations over time."

The research team found variations according to race and ethnicity, with Mexican-Americans consuming higher amounts of dietary fiber and non-Hispanic blacks consuming lower amounts of dietary fiber compared with non-Hispanic whites.

The study highlights the importance of increasing dietary fiber intake for US adults by showing a correlation between low dietary fiber and an increased risk for cardiovascular risk. Participants with the highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity were in the lowest quintile of dietary fiber intake.

"Overall, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity each decreased with increasing quintiles of dietary fiber intake," comments Clark. "Compared with participants in the lowest quintile of dietary fiber intake, participants in the highest quintile of dietary fiber intake had a statistically significant lower risk of having the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity."

This new data analysis emphasizes the importance of getting adults across diverse ethnicities to increase their dietary fiber intake in order to try and mitigate the risk for cardiovascular damage.

"Low dietary fiber intake from 1999-2010 in the US and associations between higher dietary fiber and a lower prevalence of cardiometabolic risks suggest the need to develop new strategies and policies to increase dietary fiber intake," adds Clark. "Additional research is needed to determine effective clinical and population-based strategies for improving fiber intake trends in diverse groups."

###

---

[


| E-mail



| Share

]

 

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

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

18-Oct-2013

[


| E-mail



| Share

]

Contact: Jane Grochowski
ajmmedia@elsevier.com
215-239-3712
Elsevier Health Sciences

Results reported in The American Journal of Medicine

Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2013 A new study published in the December issue of The American Journal of Medicine shows a significant association between low dietary fiber intake and cardiometabolic risks including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular inflammation, and obesity. Surveillance data from 23,168 subjects in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2010 was used to examine the role dietary fiber plays in heart health.

In the current study investigators have taken a closer look at possible sex, age, racial/ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in dietary fiber consumption, as well as examined the association between dietary fiber intake and various cardiometabolic risk factors.

Dietary fiber, which previous studies have shown may assist in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation, is thought to play an important role in reducing cardiovascular risk. Despite this knowledge, investigators found that dietary fiber intake was consistently below recommended intake levels for NHANES participants.

The Institute of Medicine defines recommended intake levels according to age and sex: 38g per day for men aged 19-50 years, 30g per day for men 50 and over, 25g for women aged 19-50 years, and 21g per day for women over 50. Using data from NHANES 1999-2010, the study reveals that the mean dietary fiber intake was only 16.2g per day across all demographics during that time period.

"Our findings indicate that, among a nationally representative sample of nonpregnant US adults in NHANES 1999-2010, the consumption of dietary fiber was consistently below the recommended total adequate intake levels across survey years," says senior investigator Cheryl R. Clark, MD, ScD, Center for Community Health and Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston. "Our study also confirms persistent differences in dietary fiber intake among socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic subpopulations over time."

The research team found variations according to race and ethnicity, with Mexican-Americans consuming higher amounts of dietary fiber and non-Hispanic blacks consuming lower amounts of dietary fiber compared with non-Hispanic whites.

The study highlights the importance of increasing dietary fiber intake for US adults by showing a correlation between low dietary fiber and an increased risk for cardiovascular risk. Participants with the highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity were in the lowest quintile of dietary fiber intake.

"Overall, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity each decreased with increasing quintiles of dietary fiber intake," comments Clark. "Compared with participants in the lowest quintile of dietary fiber intake, participants in the highest quintile of dietary fiber intake had a statistically significant lower risk of having the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity."

This new data analysis emphasizes the importance of getting adults across diverse ethnicities to increase their dietary fiber intake in order to try and mitigate the risk for cardiovascular damage.

"Low dietary fiber intake from 1999-2010 in the US and associations between higher dietary fiber and a lower prevalence of cardiometabolic risks suggest the need to develop new strategies and policies to increase dietary fiber intake," adds Clark. "Additional research is needed to determine effective clinical and population-based strategies for improving fiber intake trends in diverse groups."

###

---

[


| E-mail



| Share

]

 

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/ehs-ssl101813.php
Tags: bob costas   Wojciech Braszczok   tesla model s   mumford and sons   Ultron  

Read More

The Fix: The Houston Chronicle un-endorses Ted Cruz -- a year later (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/334497787?client_source=feed&format=rss
Category: kris jenner   parenthood   dancing with the stars   Liam Payne   Disney Infinity  

Read More

OK! Next Big Deal: Meet Danielle Curiel, the Teenage Girl Who Directed Prince’s New Video

Prince is a unique musician. This we know. For his most recent video, he did something really strange: He chose an unknown teenager to direct it. Danielle Curiel, 18, is a fledgling dancer, model, and actress who got an email from Prince recently that changed her life. We talked to her about her crazy experience with the Purple One!

OK!: How in the world did you get connected to Prince?

Danielle Curiel: I got an email one day from Nandy and Maya, the Twinz. The email said, “Prince is requesting Danielle Curiel to submit a video for his new song,” and to pick my favorite choreographer, who is Nicole Kirkland. We did the submission, and he loved it. He asked me to write a treatment for it, to direct it, and he gave me a budget. I’m like, What! Me?! I’m only 18. He said he wanted it to be very big in the dance world, so I made it very dance-influenced. I had auditions, and there were like 1,000 people. That’s how it started.

OK! News: See Rihanna’s wild new cover art for her next single!

OK!: Did you get a sense of why you? Had he seen your work?

DC: I asked him, and he won’t really tell me specifically how he found me. I feel that it’s through the internet, I’m sure he saw something of me dancing. That’s what Maya and Nandy say, that he just emailed them, and said, “This Danielle Curiel dancer, have her submit a video to me.” And that’s really it.

OK!: How did you get this idea for this look for the video?

DC: The song is very literal. It’s about breakfast. I was thinking, if he wants it to be big in the dance world, let’s make this song make sense with dance. I thought, I would add breakfast, which is why that whole comedic beginning is there, and it’s like, No, I don’t want breakfast, I want you. Instead of making it super sexual, I thought “Breakfast can wait—for dance.” Instead of staying in one place, we entered into this imagination world, in their heads. They’re in the kitchen, and this is in their heads.

Photos: See celebs who have bared (almost) all in pasties!

OK!: And you’re in the video, right? You’re the main girl?

DC: Yes, I’m the red, curly haired girl.

Instagram

OK!: Were you nervous about all this?
DC: For sure. [laughs] There was a moment when I was like, Oh my God, what am I going to do? I’m so young! But I feel, because I moved [to LA] when I was 16, I’m pretty mature for my age. So I’m like, I can handle it. I’m not a big crybaby or anything. I’m very strong, my mom raised me to be very strong. My mom was by my side the whole time.

OK! News: Listen to new music from TLC!

OK!: I know he has a quiet personality and sticks to himself. Did you get to speak or interact with Prince at all in the process?

DC: We would communicate through email, so there wasn’t much speaking. He would always say his full-on ideas of what he wanted. It was good communicating with him—he was very, very open to all of my ideas. He really didn’t disagree with anything that I said. He just let me go, which was so awesome.

OK!: The video is pretty sexy. What did your family and friends think?

DC: They were fine with it. It wasn’t like I was being sexy to be sexy. Me being sexy is through my dance. They’re open. They didn’t say anything about it. They all loved it.

Instagram

OK!: What’s next for you?

DC: I want to continue to direct. I loved the experience. I do love being on camera, though. I’m not going to do any more videos, but I’d love to do shows, I want to do movies. I sing, as well, with my sister. She was in the video, with the curly hair. She raps, and I sing, so we have a little duo thing, which Prince may be interested in. He’s helping us, developing us. We might get that going.

OK!: Whose career would you love to have one day?

DC: I think J.Lo, and Beyonce are amazing. I think they’re very, very strong, hard-working women, and they kind of do everything I want to do. They both act, they both sing, and they both dance, so that’s the model I want to go to.

Can you believe this wild story? What would you do if Prince emailed you? Do you like the video? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @OKMagazine.

Source: http://okmagazine.com/meet-the-stars/ok-next-big-deal-meet-danielle-curiel-the-teenage-girl-who-directed-princes-new-video/
Related Topics: egypt   Lavabit  

Read More

Wilted Reputations Left By Shutdown And Default Threat

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, in New York City.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, in New York City.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

President Obama said Thursday that the government shutdown and threat of default did unnecessary damage to both the U.S. economy and the country's reputation abroad.

Standard & Poor's concluded that the disruption subtracted about $24 billion from the economy and is likely to trim more than half a percentage point off growth in the final three months of the year.

Some of the businesses that lost money during the shutdown will gain it back, as federal workers and the government make up for spending that was deferred. But there are likely to be longer-term repercussions, according to Beth Ann Bovino, S&P's chief U.S. economist.

She says the fact that the agreement only keeps the government funded until mid-December is a worry and leaves hundreds of thousands of federal workers with lots of uncertainty.

"Will you get your paycheck, or will we go back on furlough without pay again? Concerns of a repeat, I am sure, are on people's minds and that's coming in to the holiday season," she says.

Bovino says that could make the most important shopping season of the year pretty ho-hum. And it's not just federal workers who will hold back because of that uncertainty. Other workers will, too, as well as businesses that might decide to put off hiring and investment.

Some of the long-term effects are global, says Adam Posen, who heads the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He says the U.S. suffered reputational damage as, once again, the world watched its chaotic political process produce self-inflicted damage to the economy. Posen says that hurts U.S. leverage in negotiations with other countries.

"If you try to make a deal and it has to go to Congress, the people on the other side will say, 'Why the hell should we adhere to this deal, since Congress is clearly a random mad dog?' " Posen says.

And, he says, U.S. advice in international forums and crises will be discounted.

"They're going to turn around and say, 'Who the hell are you to lecture me, U.S., since you can't even keep your own budget in order?' "

Posen says the credibility of U.S. securities has been eroded in the financial markets as investors decide they're no longer risk-free. That gives the U.S. a lower credit score, and just as a lower credit score means higher interest rates for a household, it will mean higher interest rates for the U.S. government.

That's been obvious in the financial markets in the past couple of weeks, says Jens Nordvig, head of currency strategy at Nomura Securities. He says the interest rate on very short-term U.S. Treasurys went from near zero to almost half a percent — a huge spike — as investors feared they were no longer risk-free.

"That was a very dramatic situation, and the more we have of those examples, the more the risk premium is going to be permanent, the more you'll see a situation where the U.S. government will have to pay higher interest rates than would otherwise be the case," Nordvig says.

And for every tenth of a percentage point increase in interest rates, U.S. borrowing costs rise $2 billion year.

Posen says that as U.S. securities are viewed as less safe, it will erode their elevated status and the position of the U.S. dollar as well.

"This will accelerate the rate at which the Chinese renminbi becomes accepted — at least throughout Asia — as an alternative to the dollar, or Chinese government bonds become accepted as an alternative" to U.S. Treasurys, Posen says.

That could raise the cost of doing business for U.S. firms. And finally, Posen says, chaos is scaring off investment in the U.S.

"Investors, who we need to get the economy out of the sort of slow-growth, high-unemployment state we're in, will feel much more uncertain, and will be less likely to make investments," he says. "And foreigners will be less likely to make investments in the U.S., because you just don't know what the environment's going to be."

Posen says that if Congress repeats its recent performance in mid-January, when government funding runs out again, it will continue to erode confidence in the U.S.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/17/236380981/wilted-reputations-left-by-shutdown-and-default-threat?ft=1&f=1004
Tags: NASA   Ios 7 Release Date   Brant Daugherty   What Is Labor Day   Flossie  

Read More

Secretly-filmed movie plumbs Disney's dark side

Movies

Randee Dawn
TODAY contributor

16 hours ago

Is Disney World the happiest place on Earth? Not to director Randy Moore, whose new horror film "Escape from Tomorrow" shows the dark side behind the hugely-popular theme park's smiles.

Moore filmed his low-budget, black-and-white movie guerrilla-style, with hand-held personal cameras (and no permission from Disney) on the grounds of Disney World. But as he told TODAY's David Gregory, he holds no personal grudge against Mickey Mouse.

"I went there religiously as a kid," he said, adding he'd visit his father in Orlando each summer, and "we had a great time." But when he took his wife (who is not from the U.S.) and children to Disney World, she "had an awful, awful experience." 

After seeing it through her eyes, Moore began to see the "cracks in the veneer," and came up with his story, which focuses on a recently-fired father losing his grip on reality as he tries to keep things normal with his family while on vacation at Disney World.

But obtaining official permission to film on the grounds of Disney World was not likely to be forthcoming, so Moore decided to let his film set arise organically from a regular day at the park. After rehearsals in his hotel room, his small cast and crew would infiltrate the crowds and just film away. "Cameras are pretty ubiquitous at Disney," he said. "We went in there like tourists and shot every day."

Disney declined to comment on the film to NBC News, and has made no moves to sue the filmmakers. That may be a wise decision, said The Hollywood Reporter's Matt Belloni.

"They don't want to let this movie have the benefit of a fight with a big company like Disney," he said.

Stay tuned: The film's website has a counter of how many days they can go without being sued. 

"Escape from Tomorrow" is currently in theaters.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/escape-tomorrow-movie-digs-disney-worlds-dark-side-8C11381620
Category: Why Did The Government Shut Down   Seaside Heights   monday night football   aaron hernandez   Olivia Nuzzi  

Read More

Americans want to dump Congress members: It's not us, it's you (Los Angeles Times)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/335009907?client_source=feed&format=rss
Tags: penn state football   Boulder Flooding   Delbert Belton   Erbie Bowser   jeff bezos  

Read More

Labelle, Latifah honorees of Black Girls Rock!

ATLANTA (AP) — Patti Labelle is a known diva and Queen Latifah does not consider herself one, but both will be among those honored as part of the Black Girls Rock! awards show on BET.

Black Girls Rock! founder Beverly Bond announced the show's honorees in a statement Monday. Other honorees include tennis champion Venus Williams, screenwriter-producer Mara Brock Akil, ballet dancer Misty Copeland, community organizer Ameena Matthews and children's rights advocate Marian Wright Edelman.

Actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King return as hosts of the ceremony, which will air Nov. 3. It will be taped later this month at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J.

Black Girls Rock! is a nonprofit organization that mentors young black girls and works to fight negative images of black women in the media.

___

http://www.blackgirlsrock.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/labelle-latifah-honorees-black-girls-rock-185937722.html
Related Topics: zac efron   Washington Navy Yard   Colin Kaepernick   Madden 25   Anastasia Ashley  

Read More

St. Louis Cardinals Advance To World Series

The St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-0 at Busch Stadium on Friday in St Louis.

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Carlos Beltran and the Cardinals stunned Clayton Kershaw with a four-run third inning, rookie Michael Wacha was again magnificent on the mound and St. Louis advanced to its second World Series in three seasons by roughing up the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-0 in Game 6 of the National League championship series Friday night.

Matt Carpenter sparked St. Louis' big inning with a one-out double on the 11th pitch of his at-bat. Beltran singled him home and the Cardinals quickly removed all the suspense surrounding a team that squandered a 3-1 series lead in the NLCS last fall against San Francisco.

Game 1 of the World Series is Wednesday at the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.

After losing Game 5 in Los Angeles, the Cardinals turned to Wacha once again. The right-hander was even better in outpitching Kershaw for the second time this series. Wacha was selected MVP of the series after giving up two hits in seven innings Friday.

It was 52 degrees at game time, a 23-degree drop from the Kershaw-Wacha matchup in Game 2 six days earlier, and Kershaw never warmed up.

The top NL CY Young Award candidate was knocked out of a start for the first time this season without finishing the fifth.

Beltran had three hits and drove in two runs while facing Kershaw and made a spectacular catch in right field, helping him advance to the World Series for the first time in his 16-year career.

Perhaps showing the Cardinals weren't stressed by the possibility of a second straight postseason meltdown, Games 1 and 5 starter Joe Kelly had a post-national anthem staredown against Dodgers reserve outfielder Scott Van Slyke that was broken up by a fed-up home plate umpire Greg Gibson after several minutes.

Kelly blinked first, all in good fun but, when it counted, St. Louis wouldn't budge.

The Cardinals jumped on Kershaw in the third, batting around. After Wacha grounded out, Carpenter doubled in a gritty at-bat. Beltran singled him home for the game's first run. With two outs, Yadier Molina added an RBI single, Shane Robinson drove in two runs with a single in his first career postseason start after replacing slumping Jon Jay — and advanced to second base on Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig's first of two errors.

The Cuban defector also struck out twice and was booed heartily.

Kershaw needed 48 pitches, the most pitches of his career in one inning, in the third. He took exception one pitch in particular, complaining to plate umpire Greg Gibson after Matt Adams' full-count walk loaded the bases.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/18/237334547/st-louis-cardinals-advance-to-world-series?ft=1&f=1003
Related Topics: liberace   emmy winners   Arsenal   Rafael Caro Quintero   ryan braun  

Read More

Man Survives Botched Hanging; Iran Vows To Try Again

Iranians watch the hanging of a convicted man at the city of Qazvin, northwest of the capital Tehran, in May 2011.

Hamideh Shafieeha/AP

Iranians watch the hanging of a convicted man at the city of Qazvin, northwest of the capital Tehran, in May 2011.

Hamideh Shafieeha/AP

Amnesty International is urging Iranian authorities not to go ahead with the execution of convicted drug smuggler after the man survived a botched hanging last week.

The 37-year-old man, identified as "Alireza M", was found alive in a morgue after he was hanged at a jail in Iran's northeastern city of Bojnord.

A news release from Amnesty International says:

"According to official state media, a doctor declared him dead after the 12 minute-hanging, but when the prisoner's family went to collect his body the following day he was found to still be breathing.

He is currently in hospital, but a judge reportedly said he would be executed again 'once medical staff confirm his health condition is good enough'."

The BBC quotes an Iranian official as saying: "The verdict was the death sentence, and it will be carried out once the man gets well again."

Philip Luther, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Program, said: "The horrific prospect of this man facing a second hanging, after having gone through the whole ordeal already once, merely underlines the cruelty and inhumanity of the death penalty."

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/17/236179798/man-survives-botched-hanging-iran-vows-to-try-again?ft=1&f=1004
Similar Articles: Cricinfo   hocus pocus   furlough   eagles   gucci mane  

Read More

General Electric's CEO Discusses Q3 2013 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

General Electric Company (GE) Q3 2013 Earnings Conference Call October 18, 2013 8:30 AM ET

Executives

Trevor Schauenberg - Vice President, Corporate Investor Communications

Jeff Immelt - Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Bornstein - Chief Financial Officer

Analysts

John Inch - Deutsche Bank

Scott Davis - Barclays

Nigel Coe - Morgan Stanley

Julian Mitchell - Credit Suisse

Joe Ritchie - Goldman Sachs

Steven Winoker - Sanford Bernstein

Deane Dray - Citi Research

Stephen Tusa - JPMorgan

Shannon O'Callaghan Nomura

Christopher Glynn - Oppenheimer

Operator

Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the General Electric third quarter 2013 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. My name is Shaquana, and I will be your conference coordinator today. (Operator Instructions). As a reminder, this conference is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the program over to your host for today's conference, Trevor Schauenberg, Vice President of Investor Communications. Please proceed sir?

Trevor Schauenberg

Thank you, Shaquana. Good morning and welcome, everyone. We are pleased to host today's third quarter webcast. Regarding the materials for this webcast, we issued the press release as well as the presentation slides at 6:30 this morning, which is something new for us. Slides are also available for download and printing on our website at www.ge.com/investor.

As always, elements of this presentation are forward-looking and are based on our best view of the world and our businesses as we see them today. Those elements can change as the world changes. Please interpret them in that light. For today's webcast, we have our Chairman and CEO, Jeff Immelt and our Senior Vice Chairman and CFO, Jeff Bornstein.

Now, I would like to turn it over to our Chairman and CEO, Jeff Immelt.

Jeff Immelt

Great, Trevor. Thanks and good morning, everyone. You know what? GE had a good third quarter in an improving environment. Our orders grew 19% with great balance. Our growth markets were up 22%, the U.S. was up 18% and Europe up 17%.

Earnings per share was up 18% ex-unusual items, industrial earnings growth 11% with six or seven segments growing all by double digits. Capital continues to execute on our strategic objectives. Earnings were up 13%, while our financial position continued to strengthen and we had $0.04 of uncover charges in the quarter and no industrial gains.

Operations were very strong. Our margins grew by 120 basis points behind strong value gap performance in simplification. Our industrial cost out reached to $1 billion through the third quarter and we are significantly ahead of our plan and CFOA is up 5% operationally. This includes a $3.9 billion dividend from GE Capital year-to-date.

We have returned about $14 billion to investors year-to-date, well on our way to our $18 billion goal. At that the same time, we continue to invest in strategic acquisitions like, Avio and Lufkin, so overall this was a good quarter for GE team.

Our orders were highlight for the quarter. Overall growth was up 19% with strength in equipment and services. Every business grew and backlog reached $229 billion, equipment orders grew 32% with strength across the board and orders price was flat.

The orders profile is very encouraging. Services was up 5%, with real strength in power gen services and aviation commercial spares. Total orders in the U.S. and Europe were both robust and seven growth regions had double-digit orders growth.

These include Australia, Canada, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, up 17%. Africa up 18%, Russia up 51%, China up 18% and ASEAN up 100%. Power & Water had a solid orders performance with growth 19%, and though this number did not include any orders from Algeria. Those will be booked into fourth quarter in 2014. Orders growth in backlog supports business expansion fourth quarter through 2014.

While we are making progress on our strategic growth initiatives, growth market revenues were up 13% with six of nine regions up double digits. This remains a key strength for the company due to our geographic diversity and strong share position. Services grew by 7% with margins up 60 basis points and aviation spares shipments grew by 25%.

Last week, we had our second Minds and Machines summit, where we announced 40 new service offerings in analytics and software. Our industrial Internet order should exceed $500 million for the year and we continue to drive our technical advantage. We announced 8-gigawatt, heavy duty, gas turbine wind in Algeria.

We will launched 50 healthcare NPIs for the year and we are gaining share. The LEAP engine is ahead of schedule and the GE9x recorded its first order and is well positioned for the Boeing 777 launch. We have the only locomotive to meet the Tier-4 standard and we continue to launch new appliance products with strong acceptance in retail and contract channels. With a strong backlog and good growth initiatives, I think we are well positioned for solid organic growth in the fourth quarter in 2014.

On margins, look, we are encouraged about our progress. GE's margins grew by 120 basis points in the quarter and were up 40 basis points year-to-date. Five of seven businesses grew margins in the quarter and all are flat or up for the year, excluding the impact of acquisitions.

Our results are [problematic] and sustainable. Our value gap is positive $660 million year-to-date and will continue to grow. We have achieved our $1 billion simplification goal in only three quarters and will drive substantial upside for the year and there will be no industrial gains in this quarter.

Our Power & Water had a solid quarter with improved mix, strong value gap and good simplification efforts and they should sustain this momentum into the fourth quarter. So on track to achieve our 70 basis points goal. Our results and service margins, value gap and simplification are accelerating and all businesses should have positive margin growth in fourth quarter and we still have a slight hedge in out plan.

On cash, we had a solid quarter. For cash, our industrial CFOA has grown by 5% year-to-date ex the NBCU deal related taxes which show in CFOA. We are still targeting to receive up to $6.5 billion of GE Capital dividends paid to the parent. We remain on track to achieve our $14 billion to $17 billion CFOA goal for the year. We have significantly higher revenues in fourth quarter than third quarter driving higher CFOA by year-end and our balance sheet remains extremely strong with $87 billion of consolidated cash.

Our capital allocation remains disciplined and balanced. Year-to-date, we have $13.9 billion to investors in dividends and buyback. We have invested $8.6 billion in acquisitions that will improve our long-term growth rate. We are on track to return $18 billion to investors in 2013.

Now over to Jeff to review operations.

Jeff Bornstein

Thanks, Jeff. I will start with third quarter total results. Revenue from containing operations of $35.7 billion was down 1% from last year. Industrial sales of $25.3 billion were up 2% driven principally by oil and gas and aviation, partly offset by Power & Water, as you can see on the right side of the page. GE Capital revenues were down 5% to $10.7 billion on much lower investment. Operating earnings of $3.7 billion were down 3% and operating earnings per share was flat at $0.36. That includes $0.02 for the Avio acquisition charges and $0.02 of restructuring in the quarter. We also no longer have earnings from the NBCU JV which was $0.02 in the third quarter 2012. I will cover these items on the next page.

Continuing EPS of $0.32 includes the impact of non-operating pension and net earnings per share includes discontinued operations which I will also cover on the next page. Adjusted CFOA, year-to-date, was $7.8 billion with solid industrial performance and $2 billion GE Capital dividends were paid in the quarter. The GE tax rate in the quarter was 20% and the GE Capital tax rate was zero. GE Capital continued the benefits associated with loss recapture in real-estate and tax efficient asset reductions.

In the second quarter, we said that we expect the GE capital tax rate to be in the mid single-digits for the year but that could be lower depending upon higher IRS solutions that could happen in the fourth quarter as well as expected dispositions in the fourth quarter which could impact tax rates.

On the right side of the page, segment results were positive. Industrial segment profit was up 11% with six of seven industrial segments improving. GE Capital also had a positive quarter growing earnings 13% versus 2012.

I will cover all the segments in more details on the following pages. So for one time items, in total we had $0.04 of charges in the quarter, $0.02 related to Avio as we discussed in September. Avio had a number of preexisting contractual arrangements with GE Aviation and U.S. GAAP requires us to record the fair value impact of effectively settling those preexisting contracts.

We also had an inventory fair value adjustment in the quarter. These resulted in $0.02 charge. Going forward, we will benefit from the efficiencies that Avio has achieved over time. We also had $0.02 of restructuring and other charges as we continue to take actions to reduce our cost structure. This was $0.01 higher than we had originally planned for the third quarter as we continued to identify track the projects that will lower structural cost and rationalize our footprint.

On the right side of the page, we included a walk from reported to adjusted operating results. In the third quarter of 2012, we earned $0.36 which included $0.02 of income related to NBC. In the third quarter of this year, we earned $0.36 that, as discussed that included $0.02 of the Avio related charges and $0.02 of restructuring. If you adjust for those items, operating EPS is $0.40 in third quarter of '13 versus $0.34 in third quarter of '12 up 18%.

For discontinued operations, we had an $82 million after tax impact in the quarter, driven by GE Money Japan. We booked $79 million of additional reserves to reflect ongoing claims related to gray zone. We ended the quarter with $527 million in total reserves. There were really no material change in WMC in the quarter, with a very slight reserve adjustment.

On the bottom of the page is a summary of our operating EPS and the industrial NBC gains and restructuring, with $0.02 of restructuring charges in the third quarter, that brings our year-to-date to a net zero impact between the first quarter gains and year-to-date restructuring.

With that I begin covering our business results and we will start with Power & Water. Orders of $5.9 billion were up 19%, European orders were up 9%, led by renewables and water. However PGS was down 18%.

Equipment orders were 37% higher at 3 billion. Thermal orders were 886 million, down 15%. The business had orders for 27 heavy duty gas turbines in the quarter versus 29 a year ago.

Renewable orders were strong, up over a 100% to $1.2 billion with continuing strength in the U.S. Distributed power was also strong with orders of $700 million, up 62% driven by aero demand.

Service orders were up 4% to $2.9 billion, up 7% excluding Europe. Despite continuing European softness, PGS orders were up 8% to $1.8 billion and we booked 15 advanced gas path upgrades versus four year ago.

Overall, orders pricing was down 80 basis points driven by equipment, down 2.9%, partially offset by services, up 1.4%. [Thermal] was down 1.4% and wind was down 1.2%. Revenue of $6.5 billion was down 10% driven by lower volume. Equipment revenue was down 13% on lower gas and wind volume.

We shipped 22 gas turbines versus 35 in the third quarter of 2012, and we shipped 407 fewer wind turbines, down 40%. This was partially offset by distributed power strength, up 44% with 76 unit deliveries versus 48 a year ago.

Service revenue of $2.8 billion was down 5% driven by PGS down 6%. Higher AGP volume was offset by lower new unit spares. Segment profit of a $1, 289 billion was up 9% in the quarter. The improvement was driven by positive value gap and distributed power strength and better cost performance.

SG&A was down 10% in the quarter and margins improved 330 basis points. Oil and gas orders were $4.4 billion, up 4%. Equipment orders were $2.3 billion, up 3%. We saw a strong turbomachinery orders growth of 17% led by a large midstream LNG order in Russia. The Lufkin orders of $243 million, partially offset by subsea down 41%. Subsea orders tend to be very lumpy and are up 17% over the last 12 months.

Service orders grew 6% in the quarter, drilling and surface was up, 21%, subsea up 27%, partially offset by measurement and control, down 8%. Total backlog was up 35% versus prior year and orders pricing was down 20 basis points with year-to-date remaining positive and up 70 basis points.

Revenue of $4.3 billion was up 18%, up 9% ex-acquisitions, equipment was up 19% driven by subsea, up 16%, the drilling and surface up 13% offset by measurement and control down 3% in the quarter.

Measurement and control was a disappointment in the quarter as we saw continued softness in the market. Service revenues grew 18% with strength in Global Services, up 13%, subsea up 43% and drilling and surface up 23%.

Segment profit of $519 million was up 11%. That's up 7% ex-acquisitions, primarily driven by higher volume and a strong value gap. Margins were down 90 basis points on a reported basis, down 30 basis points excluding the impact of the Lufkin in the quarter. This was lower than expected primarily driven by a software measurement and control market and there were some project delays.

With that we will talk about the aviation and healthcare. First aviation. Aviation had another really strong quarter orders of $7.8 billion were up 51% with equipment orders up 92%.

Commercial engine orders were $3.8 billion, up four times led by $1.6 billion of CFM orders, up nine times including $1.4 billion of LEAP orders. GE90 orders were $1.2 billion also up four times. Military orders continued their expected weakness, down 30%.

Service orders of $2.7 billion were up 9%, commercial service orders were up 15%. The average daily order rate for commercial spares was $24 million, up 9% in the quarter. Our fleet utilization year-to-date is up 3.1% and overhauls in the quarter were up 23%.

Military service orders fell 6% and flight hours continue to and de-stocking continues across the military. Orders pricing in the quarter was up 1.9% with improvements in both equipment and service. Revenue of $5.4 billion was up 12%, up 10% excluding Avio. Equipment revenue was 10% higher. We shipped 273 military engines, up 12%. We also shipped 559 commercial engines in the quarter, up 8% including 26 GenEx engines. Service revenues were 14% higher driven by strong spare part sales of $25.9 million a day which was up 25%. Military service revenue was down 17%.

Segment profit of $1.1 billion was up 18% driven by strong volume and value gap, with sales price up 3%. Margin rates improved a 100 basis points versus last year and we are up 70 basis points excluding Avio. Just as a note, Avio helped margins and Lufkin was a hurt on margins in the quarter. So overall acquisitions were about a 10 basis points drag in the quarter on segment margins.

Next is healthcare. Orders in healthcare of $4.7 billion were up 2%. Equipment orders were up 6% to $2.7 billion. Developed markets were up 1% driven by strong U.S. equipment orders up 8%. Europe was flat, Japan was down 24%, down 6% excluding the effect of FX. Emerging markets were up 14% driven by China, who are up 33%, Latin America up 28%, partially offset by Asia-Pacific down 16%.

Just a little bit on modality. HCS was up 5%, MR was up 13%, CT down 8% and ultrasound was very strong, up 14%. Life Sciences was up 10%, diagnostic guidance up 5%. So pretty good strength across the modalities.

Service orders of $1.9 billion were down 4%. Revenue of $4.3 billion was flat driven by growth markets up 5% led by China who are up 13%, offset by developed markets down 2%. Both the U.S. and Europe were up 2% offset by Japan. Segment profit of $665 million was higher by 7% as cost productivity from our restructuring efforts more than offset lower price. Margin rates expanded in the quarter 110 basis points.

Then moving onto transportation. Orders of $1.6 billion were up 34%. Equipment orders were up 65% driven by a large North American locomotive order for 275 units deliverable in 2014 and mining really continues to be soft. Services orders were 8% higher driven by solid growth in locomotive services probably offset by very week demand for mining parts. Revenues of $1.4 billion were flat, year-over-year and strong service growth of 17% was offset by equipment revenue down 14%.

Locomotive shipments were approximately flat, with the third quarter deliveries of 147 compared to 146 a year ago. Operating profit of $306 million was up 15% with margins better by 300 basis points. The improvement was principally driven by positive value gap in services growth.

Energy management. Orders of $2 billion were up 16% with strengthened power conversion up 19%, digital energy up 23% and intelligent platforms up 16%. Backlog of $4.6 billion is up 29% versus prior year. Despite the order strength, operations were disappointing in the third quarter, revenues were down 3% driven by digital energy down 27%, on weak media demand and some project execution. As a result, our profit was down 57% to $18 million. Positive value gap was more than offset by the negative volume leverage.

Home and business solutions had a very strong quarter driven by appliances. Housing starts were up 19% with single family better by 16%, multi-family up 27%. Revenues of $2.1 billion were higher by 7% led by an 11% increase in appliances partly offset with 1% decrease in lighting. Segment profit of $77 million was up 28%. Appliances, our profit up was up 73% driven by positive value gap and productivity, partly offset by lighting. Margins improved 60 basis points in the quarter.

Next I will cover GE Capital. GE Capital revenue was $10.7 billion, down 5% driven by lower assets. Assets were down 7% or $40 billion year-over-year. Net income of $1.9 billion was up 13% from prior year, primarily driven by lower losses, better portfolio performance and higher tax benefits, which more than offset assets and gains. We ended the quarter with $385 billion of ending net investments, down $39 billion from last year and down $7 billion, sequentially.

Our net interest margin increased 22 basis points versus third quarter of '12 to 5% and was flat in the second quarter. Volume was up 6% in the quarter with new business ROI over 2%, and our Tier 1 common on a Basel 1 basis improved to 11.3% driven by reduction in assets and that's after paying $2 billion of dividends in the quarter.

On the right side of the page, asset quality trends continue to be strong with delinquency rates stable to improving across the portfolio. In addition, non-earning assets totaled $6.4 billion, down $1.9 billion versus third quarter of 2012.

We have substantially completed all of our debt issuance for 2013 at $32 billion and we have reduced our CP balance at $33 billion, ahead of the plans bring down

CP by $35 billion by year end. Liquidity was very strong ending the quarter at $76 billion, up $7 billion from the second quarter.

Now to walk through our segment performance, CLL, the Commercial Lending and Leasing business ended the third quarter with a $170 billion of assets, down 5% from last year driven by a reduction of non-core assets of $5 billion as well as $4 billion in our core book, primarily from asset sales, including the fleet Canada, our franchise real estate transactions we spoke about.

On book core volume in Americas was up, was 2% higher in the third quarter of 2012 and new business returns remain attractive at about 2% returns on investment, despite continued excess liquidity in the market. Earnings of $479 million were down 50% driven by lower assets and impairments in our corporate aircraft portfolio in the Americas business. Asset quality was stable.

Consumer segment ended the quarter with $136 billion of assets, flat with last year. Net income of $889 million, was up 19%, primarily driven by lower losses as a result of not repeating the reserve modeling changes that we implemented last year in this quarter and in the first quarter of this year.

Lower losses were partially offset by no repeat of the $80 million gain on the partial sale of our interest in Thai bank in the third quarter of 2012. The U.S. Retail business earned $665 million in the third quarter, up 50% from last year, again, largely driven by not repeating the reserving change and on strong asset growth of 11% in the quarter. Our core European business earned a $111 million in the quarter.

The real estate team had another very solid quarter. Assets ended the quarter at $40 billion, down 28% to down $2 billion, sequentially. The equity book is down 27% from a year ago to $60 billion.

Net income of $464 million was up more than two times versus 2012, and that was driven by lower losses and marks as well as impairments, as well as higher tax benefits.

The business saw 77 properties with the book value of $2.1 billion for about a $100 million of gains in the quarter. That's down slightly year-over-year. The business originated $1.8 billion of debt volume in the quarter with an average ROI of 2.3% and asset quality continues to improve with 30 day delinquencies at a 141 basis points, 68 basis points lower, sequentially.

The verticals GECAS earned $173 million. That's down 31% driven by higher impairments as part of our annual impairment review. Impairments were $55 million higher in 2013 at a $190 million. The impairments were principally driven by valuations on cargo aircrafts, specifically MD-11s.

Overall, the portfolio is in great shape with only 10 MD-11 freighters remaining in our fleet, with the value of about $150 million and we ended the quarter with zero delinquency and no aircraft on the ground. EFS earnings were up 14% or $150 million driven by higher operating income.

Overall GE Capital continues to perform well. It's results were in line with our strategy. As we look ahead to the fourth quarter in terms of run rate, I expect the business to earn around 2 billion plus or [minus] the third quarter and adjusting from impairments of GECAS which not repeat and some tax benefits. We are currently working on a number of transactions in the fourth quarter, most notably the sale of our remaining interest in Bay, the Thai bank and the IPO of our Swiss consumer business.

At this point, we expect that any benefits from these transactions will largely offset with continued portfolio repositioning, but they could impact the tax rate, quarter and the year.

With that, let me turn it back to Jeff.

Jeff Immelt

Jeff, thanks. We really have no material changes in the 2013 operating objective framework. Our industrial earnings will expand by double-digits in the second half and we are on track for solid growth in the year. We have no change for expectations in GE Capital. We continue to originate business at high returns while repositioning our capital portfolio and earnings growth remain solid in GE Capital. Our corporate cost reflects our Avio adjustment, as Jeff described earlier, and we continue to see good opportunity for restructuring and our positioning offers to continue. Our cash and revenues remain on track.

We should see earnings growth accelerated in the fourth quarter with more volume and lower costs and with a large backlog in improving margins we feel good about 2014. We have several of our communications sessions with investors in the fourth quarter. In November Keith and Jeff will update our portfolio and business strategy of GE Capital and give you a sense for our long-term goals and simplification across the company. And in December, I will give you a strategic update for GE and our outlook for 2014. So we look forward to those sessions.

So in summary, we are making progress on our investor objectives for the year. Our industrial earnings grew by double digits in third quarter and we expect a stronger fourth quarter. Strength is broad based and we expect Power & Water to be a key contributor going forward in the fourth quarter and into 2014. We grew margins by 120 basis points in the quarter and we expect to hit 70 basis points for the year. In the event we have any gains on the in the fourth quarter, we expect them to be applied to restructuring.

GE Capital continues to strengthen and we are on track for up to $6.5 billion of cash to be returned to the parent. We expect organic growth of at least 5% in the fourth quarter for the industrial segments and we have solid momentum in growth markets, services and NPI and we have more favorable comparisons in Power & Water. So we are on track and we are on track to return substantial cash for investors this year. So the team executed well in the quarter and with a strong backlog and expanding margins investors should be confidence in GE's future.

So Trevor, with that, let's turn it over to you and take some questions.

Trevor Schauenberg

Great. Thanks, Jeff. I know there is other earnings call coming up. So Shaquana, let's open the phone lines.

Earnings Call Part 2:

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/general-electrics-ceo-discusses-q3-153805708.html
Tags: Henry Blackaby   Hannah Anderson   What Did Riley Cooper Say   von miller   Dennis Farina  

Read More