Noshing review: Boston Tea Party - The Birmingham Press

Our Tammy has been out sampling the fare in Birmingham once more. She brings news of an independent in the heart of the city.

By Tammy Facey.

There?s a newbie in town, at the top of Corporation Street, that?s been creating a buzz amongst the other Brum caf??s. When you walk in the smiling staff are mostly young but don?t let that put you off; they know their stuff.? Boston Tea Party (BTP), are South Western folk; Bristol, Exeter, Cirencester, and purveyors of a fine caf? experience. Though they hail from the West Country they are slowly but surely growing their organic brand to bring a fresh approach to breakfast, brunch and lunch to other regions of the UK that have yet to experience the delights of a West Country caf?.

Now, before you shake your head and look dubiously about you, BTP are not farmers with straw in their mouths, but they do have a (adorable) Cornish twang that is terribly twee in the Midlands. Unaccustomed to such charm I met the rather darling MD Sam and head of marketing Ben Hibbard who gave me the low down on BTP and why they?re sticking around.

They like to invest in buildings with character; the venue is fundamental to the BTP vibe, the environment is a chilled and interesting space and they want to keep it as an informal place to relax.

Note ? they are a chain, they?re definitely independents, but they?re not so small that they have yet to branch out into other sites. BTP are doing pretty damn well.? Sam points out, however, they?re not a ?conveyor belt? of a caf? where customers enter, you serve them and shout ?next? to the person waiting; it?s not like that. The service is informal and the staff establish relationships with their customers.

BTP have twelve caf??s in total; most of which don?t feel like they?re in a chain, possibly because they?re all different. Each cafe is slightly different (in terms of d?cor and art work), but they?re recognisable because of their running theme of simplicity, superb quality food and lovely members of staff.

The chalkboard menu on the back wall above the bar is where you?ll find the extensive breakfast list. I have no qualms about breakfast being served all day, especially if it?s done well. Needless to say I ordered, my favourite, Eggs Benedict. Simple, classic, and delicious. It might seem an easy breakfast option, but getting that hollandaise sauce just right is a toughie, many make it too runny, too thick, or under-seasoned. This was a little on the rich side, but still tasty and the sauce made the eggs sing.

They change the menu every six months (like any good restaurant), and their current menu has had a recent shake up. The Chorizo new potato, warm salad has been tweaked in response to customer requests. The Super duper salad is a summer newbie of sweet potato salad and feta.

Drinks-wise they?ll whip you up a smoothie or you can find fresh juices in the fridge. If you?re in the mood for a hot beverage, however, they serve loose leaf tea because it ?makes sense?. Sam stressed that BTP is about people educating customer?s palettes. Canton tea provide them with seasonally fresh tea leaves and they serve coffee which is a mix of three blends; Brazilian, Columbian, with an acidic chocolate terra topnote.

All dietary requirements are catered for too. Try the gluten free and vegan cakes, which are just as delicious as the non-GF and non-vegan bakes.

If you?re broke and you only have a bit of change on you here?s what ?2.50 will buy: Flat sandwiches, any cake, filled croissants or their infamous bacon and egg tarts. And if money isn?t a problem they recommend the bacon pulled pork wrap or the West-Country breakfast.

Considering the city location BTP is the good value for money in relation to the quality of goods on offer. The eggs are free range, everything is made from scratch on-site and you really can?t get the quality and service cheaper. The MD also quipped they have an ?emotional viewpoint? about their customers and welcome an eclectic mix of people.

What really stuck with me though is that BTP listen to their customers: if a significant amount of people make a suggestion about the menu, the recipe will be changed within days. The caf? itself has a cool, bohemian vibe and is spacious enough for a large group of mates, yummy mummies with prams, and a bunch of office folk who flock there in that pre-work scramble when they?re desperate for a coffee at 8am.

As their marketing manager, Ben, puts it BTP is ?like going to a friend?s house; it?s about the people, good food and drink?

Boston Tea Party
190 Corporation Street,
Birmingham. B4 6QD
Email: birmingham@bostonteaparty.co.uk
Tel: 0121 236 2972

Source: http://www.thebirminghampress.com/2013/05/15/noshing-review-boston-tea-party/

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Human disease leptospirosis identified in new species, the banded mongoose, in Africa

Human disease leptospirosis identified in new species, the banded mongoose, in Africa

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The newest public health threat in Africa, scientists have found, is coming from a previously unknown source: the banded mongoose.

Leptospirosis, the disease is called. And the banded mongoose carries it.

Leptospirosis is the world's most common illness transmitted to humans by animals. It's a two-phase disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. If untreated, it can cause meningitis, liver damage, pulmonary hemorrhage, renal failure and death.

"The problem in Botswana and much of Africa is that leptospirosis may remain unidentified in animal populations but contribute to human disease, possibly misdiagnosed as other diseases such as malaria," said disease ecologist Kathleen Alexander of Virginia Tech.

With a grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program, Alexander and colleagues found that the banded mongoose in Botswana is infected with Leptospira interrogans, the pathogen that causes leptospirosis.

Coupled Natural and Human Systems is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability investment and is supported by NSF's Directorates for Biological Sciences; Geosciences; and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.

"The transmission of infectious diseases from wildlife to humans represents a serious and growing public health risk due to increasing contact between humans and animals," said Alan Tessier, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. "This study identified an important new avenue for the spread of leptospirosis."

The results are published today in a paper in the journal Zoonoses and Public Health. The paper was co-authored by Alexander, Sarah Jobbins and Claire Sanderson of Virginia Tech.

The banded mongoose, although wild, lives in close proximity to humans, sharing scarce water resources and scavenging in human waste.

The disease-causing pathogen it carries can pass to humans through soil or water contaminated with infected urine.

Mongoose and other species are consumed as bushmeat, which may also contribute to leptospirosis exposure and infection in humans.

"I was convinced that we were going to find Leptospira interrogans in some species in the ecosystem," said Alexander.

"The pathogen had not been reported previously in Botswana, with the exception of one cow more than a quarter of a century ago.

"We looked at public health records dating back to 1974 and there were no records of any human cases of leptospirosis. Doctors said they were not expecting to see the disease in patients. They were not aware that the pathogen occurred in the country."

Alexander conducted a long-term study of human, wildlife and environmental health in the Chobe District of Northern Botswana, an area that includes the Chobe National Park, forest reserves and surrounding villages.

"This pathogen can infect many animals, both wild and domestic, including dogs," said Jobbins. "Banded mongoose is likely not the only species infected."

The researchers worked to understand how people, animals and the environment are connected, including the potential for diseases to move between humans and wildlife.

"Diseases such as leptospirosis that have been around for a very long time are often overlooked amid the hunt for the next newly emerging disease," Alexander said.

Leptospirosis was first described in 1886, said Jobbins, "but we still know little about its occurrence in Africa."

With the new identification of leptospirosis in Botswana, Alexander is concerned about the public health threat it may pose to the immunocompromised population there. Some 25 percent of 15- to 49-year-olds are HIV positive.

"In much of Africa, people die without a cause being determined," she said.

"Leptospirosis is likely affecting human populations in this region. But without knowledge that the organism is present in the environment, overburdened public health officials are unlikely to identify clinical cases in humans, particularly if the supporting diagnostics are not easily accessible."

The researchers looked for Leptospira interrogans in archived kidneys collected from banded mongoose that had been found dead from a variety of causes. Of the sampled mongoose, 43 percent tested positive for the pathogen.

"Given this high prevalence in the mongoose, we believe that Botswana possesses an as-yet-unidentified burden of human leptospirosis," said Jobbins.

"There is an urgent need to look for this disease in people who have clinical signs consistent with infection."

Because banded mongoose have an extended range across sub-Saharan Africa, the results have important implications for public health beyond Botswana.

"Investigating exposure in other wildlife, and assessing what species act as carriers, is essential for improving our understanding of human, wildlife, and domestic animal risk of leptospirosis in this ecosystem," the scientists write in their paper.

The paper also cites predictions that the region will become more arid, concentrating humans and animals around limited water supplies and increasing the potential for disease transmission.

"Infectious diseases, particularly those that can be transmitted from animals, often occur where people are more vulnerable to environmental change and have less access to public health services," said Alexander.

"That's particularly true in Africa. While we're concerned about emerging diseases that might threaten public health--the next new pandemic--we need to be careful that we don't drop the ball and stop pursuing important diseases like leptospirosis."

Alexander is working to identify immediate research and management actions--in particular, alerting frontline medical practitioners and public health officials to the potential for leptospirosis in humans.

###

National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov

Thanks to National Science Foundation for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128271/Human_disease_leptospirosis_identified_in_new_species__the_banded_mongoose__in_Africa

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Cambodia Building Collapse: Shoe Factory Accident Kills 2, Injures 6 In Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia ? The ceiling of a Cambodian factory that makes Asics sneakers collapsed on workers early Thursday, killing two people and injuring seven, in the latest accident to spotlight lax safety conditions in the global garment industry.

About 50 workers were inside the factory south of Phnom Penh, the capital, when the ceiling caved in, said police officer Khem Pannara. He said heavy iron equipment stored on the floor above appeared to have caused the collapse.

Two bodies were pulled from the wreckage and seven people were injured, he said. Rescuers combed through rubble for several hours and after clearing the site said that nobody else was trapped inside.

At a clinic where she was being treated for her injuries, worker Kong Thary cried on the telephone as she recounted the collapse.

"We were working normally and suddenly several pieces of brick and iron started falling on us," the 25-year-old said.

An initial investigation showed the ceiling that collapsed was poorly built and lacked the proper building materials to support heavy weight, said Ou Sam Oun, governor of Kampong Speu province, where the factory was located.

Chea Muny, chief of a trade union for factory workers, identified the factory as a Taiwanese-owned operation called Wing Star that produces sneakers for Asics, a Japanese sportswear label. He said shoes made at the factory were imported to the United States and Europe.

An Asics spokeswoman in Tokyo confirmed the factory was in contract to make Asics running shoes. She said Asics was trying to determine what happened.

"We understand that some people have died, so first we offer our condolences," said spokeswoman Masayo Hasegawa in Tokyo. She said she did not have information on the last time the building structure had been inspected but added, "We want the highest priority to be placed on saving lives."

The factory complex, which opened about a year ago, consists of several buildings and employs about 7,000 people, said Pannara, the police officer. The structure where the collapse occurred was mainly used as a storage warehouse for shoe-production equipment but had a small work area for about two dozen people, Chea Muny said.

The garment industry is Cambodia's biggest export earner, employing about 500,000 people in more than 500 garment and shoe factories. In 2012, the southeast Asian country shipped more than $4 billion worth of products to the United States and Europe.

The accident comes about three weeks after a building collapse in Bangladesh killed 1,127 people in the global garment industry's deadliest disaster.

"This shows that the problem is not only isolated to Bangladesh, and that companies (elsewhere) are trying to drive prices down by taking shortcuts on workers' safety," said Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch.

Last month, the U.N.'s labor office released a report that called for "urgent attention" to worker safety violations in the Cambodian garment and footwear industry.

The report by the International Labor Organization found "a worrying increase in fire safety violations," including that only 57 percent of factories kept paths free of obstructions. It reported "unacceptable" heat levels, abuse of overtime hours and a lack of worker access to drinking water.

___

AP writers Jocelyn Gecker in Bangkok and Malcolm J. Foster in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/cambodia-building-collapse_n_3283555.html

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Jurors in Arias case weigh death penalty option

Jodi Arias looks at the family of Travis Alexander as the jury arrives on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Jodi Arias looks at the family of Travis Alexander as the jury arrives on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Jodi Arias listens to prosecutor Juan Martinez address the jury on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

FILE - In this May 8, 2013 file photo, Jodi Arias reacts at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix after she was found of guilty of first-degree murder in the gruesome killing of her one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in their suburban Phoenix home. Arias returns to an Arizona courtroom Wednesday, May 15, 2013 for the "aggravation" phase of her trial, during which jurors will determine whether the death penalty should be an option for sentencing her. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool, File)

PHOENIX (AP) ? Prosecutors on Wednesday tried to convince jurors that Jodi Arias should be eligible for the death penalty, saying Travis Alexander suffered tremendous pain as he fought for his life while Arias stabbed and slashed him nearly 30 times.

The trial resumed with a new phase to decide whether Arias should be eligible for the death penalty.

After about two hours of arguments and testimony, the same jurors who convicted Arias a week ago began deliberations to decide whether Alexander died an especially cruel, depraved and heinous death. If they agree that standard has been met, the penalty portion of the trial will begin to decide whether the 32-year-old Arias should get a life sentence or death.

Alexander's family sobbed in the front row as prosecutor Juan Martinez took the jury through the killing one more time. He described how blood gushed from Alexander's chest, hands and throat as he stood at the sink in his master bathroom and looked into the mirror with Arias behind him.

"The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness ... was that blade coming to his throat," Martinez said. "And the last thing he felt before he left this earth was pain."

The "aggravation phase" of the trial played out in quick fashion, with only one prosecution witness and none for the defense. The most dramatic moments occurred when Martinez displayed photos of the bloody crime scene for the jury and paused in silence for two minutes to describe how long he said it took for Alexander to die at Arias' hands on June 4, 2008.

Arias, wearing a silky, cream-colored blouse, appeared to fight back tears most of the morning. She spent the weekend on suicide watch before being transferred back to an all-female jail where she will remain until sentencing.

"She made sure she killed him by stabbing him over and over and over again," Martinez said.

The defense didn't have much of a case given how many times Alexander was stabbed, the defensive wounds on his hands, the length of the attack, and the sheer amount of blood found at the scene. Defense lawyers said Alexander would have had so much adrenaline rushing through his body that he might not have felt much pain.

The only witness was the medical examiner who performed the autopsy and explained to jurors how Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body.

Minutes after her first-degree murder conviction last Wednesday, Arias granted an interview to Fox affiliate KSAZ, only adding to the circus-like environment surrounding the trial that has become a cable TV sensation with its graphic tales of sex, lies and violence.

"Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place," a tearful Arias said. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it."

However, Arias cannot choose the death penalty. It's up to the jury to recommend a sentence.

If jurors find Arias' crime deserves consideration of the death penalty, the trial will move into the final phase. Prosecutors will call witnesses, including members of Alexander's family, aimed at convincing the panel she should face the ultimate punishment. Arias' attorneys will also call witnesses, likely members of her family, in an attempt to gain sympathy from jurors so they give her life in prison.

If the panel finds no aggravating factors exist, jurors will be dismissed and the judge will determine whether Arias should spend the rest of her life in prison or be sentenced to 25 years with the possibility of release.

Arias acknowledged killing Alexander at his suburban Phoenix home. She initially denied any involvement then later blamed masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said it was self-defense when the victim attacked her after a day of sex.

She stabbed and slashed Alexander nearly 30 times, shot him in the forehead and slit his throat from ear to ear, leaving the motivational speaker and businessman nearly decapitated before she dragged his mutilated body into his shower where friends found him about five days later.

Prosecutors said Arias planned the killing in a jealous rage, as Alexander wanted to end their affair and planned to take a trip to Mexico with another woman.

Testimony in her trial began in early January. The jury reached its verdict after about 15 hours of deliberations over four days. All 12 jurors, eight men and four women, unanimously agreed the killing was premeditated.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-15-US-Boyfriend-Slaying/id-618db1e84f2249eab1544f48e739c879

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Bollywood star Bachchan hopes for Hollywood roles

NEW DELHI (AP) ? Bollywood's biggest star, Amitabh Bachchan, is willing to explore more Hollywood movies now that he's done his first.

Bachchan says he has never been offered Hollywood films before the 3-D extravaganza "The Great Gatsby," which opens the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.

The 71-year-old said that at his age, it is difficult to expect that certain roles will come his way. "But yes, if there are people who want to cast me, I don't mind if something is offered," the Hindustan Times newspaper quoted him as saying in an interview published Tuesday.

The Indian screen legend has acted in more than 180 Indian films in a career spanning four decades.

Bachchan portrays Meyer Wolfsheim in director Baz Luhrmann's take on the classic American novel.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Mcguire and Carey Mulligan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bollywood-star-bachchan-hopes-hollywood-roles-080413117.html

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Bluetooth 4.0 support comes to the Nexus 4, might be headed to stock Android too

The five month old LG Nexus 4 just showed up on the Bluetooth SIG for a second inspection. The SIG's site appears to be down right now, but TechTastic took a screen grab which lists the revised handset as supporting Bluetooth 4.0. This is interesting, because up until now the Android Open Source Project hasn't supported the lower power Bluetooth spec, meaning that the original Nexus 4 couldn't use it despite having the necessary hardware. Judging by the appearance of this SIG listing, Bluetooth 4.0 support for stock Android could be announced at I/O later today. Coincidentally (or not), HTC is due to give to give a talk at a local Android User Group tomorrow about Bluetooth Low Energy. Oh, and while we're on the subject of a potentially updated Nexus 4, there have been more sightings of a white version in Dubai (shown above). Ripe for another I/O giveaway?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

Comments

Source: TechTastic, TechView, The San Francisco Android User Group

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/lg-nexus-4-bluetooth-4-0/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Monster radiation burst from Sun

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