Rebuilding blood vessels through gene therapy

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease, a group of patients too ill for or not responding to other treatment options decided to take part in a clinical trial testing angiogenic gene therapy to help rebuild their damaged blood vessels. More than 10 years later, in a follow-up review of these patients, doctors at Baylor College of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College (where the clinical trial and review took place) and Stony Brook University Medical Center report the outcomes are promising and open the door for larger trials to begin.

The study, which appears online in the journal Human Gene Therapy, followed 31 Weill Cornell patients who were diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease and were given a direct injection into their heart muscle of gene therapy called adenovirus encoding angiogenic growth factor, or AdVEGF121. Study results show the five- and 10-year survival rate of those patients were just as good and, in some cases better, than what is seen in other groups with similar heart issues treated with traditional medical therapy.

"The results of this 10-year gene therapy study are important," said co-senior author Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "After long-term follow-up, the patients who received angiogenic gene therapy appear to have improved outcomes. The study results give us greater insight into the safety and effectiveness of gene therapy to rebuild blood vessels in patients living with coronary artery disease."

"At the time when the trial began, there were no comparisons available to tell us what to expect, which is why we are so pleased with the results," said co-senior author Dr. Todd Rosengart, professor and chair of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, formerly of Stony Brook University Medical Center. "We only had an idea of what the outcome might be based on promising studies in the lab, so there was concern, but those who received this treatment really had no other treatment options."

The common treatment for severe coronary artery disease is coronary artery bypass surgery, which works by redirecting blood flow around the diseased or blocked area of the heart. However, for those involved in this trial, the blood vessels that normally would be used to redirect the flow of blood were not healthy enough to do so.

In the study, patients were divided into two groups. Group A received both conventional coronary artery bypass grafting and gene therapy, while group B received only gene therapy. There was no control group. The gene therapy helped rebuild weak and damaged blood vessels in these patients. Medical records, follow-up interviews and questionnaires were used to determine patient outcomes. For Group A, the survival rate was 40 percent and Group B was 31 percent at the 10-year follow-up mark. Of the 18 patients who died, causes of death ranged from cancer to cardiac related issues.

"While there were health issues that needed additional treatments, such as cardiac revascularization and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators among both groups, overall this group of individuals had an outcome greater than what we believe they would have if they had not received the gene therapy," Rosengart said.

"We found no evidence of safety issues that resulted from the gene therapy," Crystal said. "Given the concerns about gene therapies during the time when this trial originated, this is one of the very few long-term gene therapy studies that is very encouraging from a patient safety basis."

According to researchers, the next step is further research to study larger groups of patients and to create a placebo control study to compare outcome results. Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar and Baylor College of Medicine are collaborating on a new clinical trial currently in the planning stages.

###

New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College: http://www.med.cornell.edu

Thanks to New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126068/Rebuilding_blood_vessels_through_gene_therapy

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Cliff battle's winners and losers

The bill to avoid the "fiscal cliff" is finally passed and signed by President Barack Obama, and the culmination of intense negotiations between Republicans and Democrats seems to have left nearly everyone unhappy?or, at least, begrudgingly grateful that some kind of deal was reached.

Unlike elections, the legislative process doesn't always offer a clear winner and loser, and the battle over how to avoid nearly $600 billion in painful spending cuts and tax increases was no exception. But some escaped with fewer cuts and bruises than others. Here are the "winners" and "losers"?terms we use loosely.

'Winners'

President Barack Obama: The president took a beating from his own party two years ago when he cut a deal with Republicans that temporarily extended income tax rates for all income earners set by former President George W. Bush. This time, Obama refused to budge on one of his principle campaign promises to increase taxes on wealthy taxpayers. As part of this deal, the income tax rate for individual earners above $400,000 and families earning above $450,000 will increase.

The president, however, failed to hold together a "grand bargain" with Republicans in what could have been a major opportunity to address ballooning entitlement spending and tax reform. But in the grand scheme of things, Democrats seemed to have come out on top.

Former President George W. Bush: The final language of the bill left many of Bush's tax rates in place. The passage suggests that there is bipartisan agreement that income tax rates on the middle-income earners should not increase. Also, taxes on capital gains and dividends will remain at 15 percent for income earners below the $400,000 threshold.

While the bill that Bush championed during his presidency had an expiration date, the tax rates set under the fiscal cliff deal are permanent.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden: While Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid found it difficult to play nice during the negotiations, Biden and McConnell may have saved the day with their long working relationship. (Before joining the Obama administration, Biden served with McConnell in the upper chamber from 1985-2009.) Known as "the McConnell whisperer" because of his ability to work with the minority leader, Biden was able to communicate the president's message in a way Obama could not.

Indeed, it was not until Biden stepped in during the final days of negotiations that it looked as though an agreement would be reached.

Unemployed Americans reliant on federal programs: Federal benefits for Americans who have been without work for more than 26 weeks will be extended for one year, although the provision is not offset by spending decreases elsewhere.

Hollywood: The bill extended a tax break to the film and television entertainment industry for one more year. The tax incentive is meant to encourage production companies to film in the U.S. The provision costs federal coffers $430 million in potential revenue?which is something to remember when you spend $15 on a movie ticket.

'Losers'

House Speaker John Boehner: Although Boehner's efforts helped avoid the potential disaster of going over the fiscal cliff, much was conceded. Obama was able to increase federal spending and raise taxes, outcomes that many Republicans worked tirelessly to avoid. The process showed that Boehner still lacks control over his caucus, which largely rejected his own proposal. This includes his own deputies, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and House Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, who voted against the final deal that Boehner helped negotiate.

The federal deficit: Compared with what would have happened had the federal government gone completely over the fiscal cliff?including the millions in tax increases and spending cuts that would have reduced the deficit but possibly plunged the nation into another recession?the new deal increases the deficit about $4.6 trillion over 10 years. "Washington missed this magic moment to do something big to reduce the deficit, reform our tax code and fix our entitlement programs," said Campaign to Fix the Debt co-founders Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson in a joint statement.

Grover Norquist: The founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform says the fiscal cliff deal is not a violation of his group's anti-tax pledge. (Almost every Republican member of Congress signed a pledge never to raise tax rates.) But compared with tax rates in 2012, the final deal increases federal revenue by about $600 billion over 10 years and most Americans will receive less take-home pay in the new year.

While Norquist isn't technically calling the vote for the deal a vote for a tax increase, it is the first time since the George H.W. Bush administration that so many Republicans have approved such a broad tax hike.

Workers who will pay more into the payroll tax: The deal does not extend the payroll tax holiday, which means the federal government will take 6.2 percent from paychecks, as opposed to the? 4.2 percent rate in 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/fiscal-cliff-deal-leaves-everyone-bruised-more-others-180142256--politics.html

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Religious Holidays 2013: An Interfaith Calendar (Christian, Hindu ...

Jan 1 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Catholic)

This feast is a celebration of Mary's motherhood of Jesus. Photo: Pope Benedict XVI during the celebration of the solemnity of Mary, during the 42nd World Day for Peace in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on January 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ Tiziana Fabi

Jan 1 - Feast of St. Basil (Orthodox Christian)

St. Basil died on 1st January and the Orthodox Church celebrates his feast and with the Feast of Circumcision of Christ on this day. The Anglican Church celebrates the Feast of St. Basil on January 2 while the Episcopal church celebrates it on January 14. On this day, the Eastern Orthodox church, Lutheran church and some Anglican churches also celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ.

Jan 1 - Gantan-Sai (Shinto)

Gantan Sai is the Shinto New Year's festival.

Jan 5 - Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti (Sikh)

This is the birthday of the 10th and last Sikh guru, also the founder of Sikhism. Photo: Indian Sikh devotees carry the Palki Sahib, with the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy scriptures of Sikhism, during a procession from the Sri Akal Takhat at The Golden Temple in Amritsar January 10, 2011 as part of the ongoing 345th Prakash Utsav birthday celebrations for Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. AFP PHOTO/NARINDER NANU

Jan 6 - Epiphany (Western Christianity)

This day celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles.

Jan 6 - Feast of Theophany (Eastern Christianity)

On this day, Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. Greek Orthodox swimmers hold a wooden cross in the Bosphorus river's Golden Horn after a mass as part of celebrations of the Epiphany day at the Church of Fener Orthodox Patriarchiate in Istanbul, on January 6, 2011. The Orthodox faith uses the old Julian calendar in which Christmas falls 13 days after its more widespread Gregorian calendar counterpart on December 25. AFP PHOTO / MUSTAFA OZER Many Catholics and Episcopalians celebrate the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist on Jan. 8.

Jan 6 - Nativity of Jesus (Armenian Orthodox Christianity)

On this day, Armenian Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, in connection with Epiphany. Photo: Greek Orthodox priests take part in a Christmas procession at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on January 6, 2011. The Orthodox faith uses the old Julian calendar in which Christmas falls 13 days after more widespread Gregorian calendar. AFP PHOTO/MENAHEM KAHANA

Jan 7 - Christmas Day (Orthodox Christian)

A Greek Orthodox priest celebrates Christmas mass at a church in Gaza city on January 7, 2011, as Orthodox Christians use the old Julian calendar in which Christmas falls 13 days after the date in the more widespread Gregorian calendar. AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD HAMS

Jan 13 - Lohri (Sikh)

Indian girls dressed as Punjabi folk dancers smile as they fly kites, at the Jagat Jyoti High School in Amritsar prior to the Lohri festival. The Lohri festival is an annual thanks giving day and an extremely popular harvest festival in India, especially Northern India. AFP PHOTO / NARINDER NANU

Jan 14 - Makar Sankranti (Hindu)

A decorated cow is led by an Indian Hindu handler as it walks through fire as part of the Makar Sankranti celebrations in Bangalore. The Makar Sakranti harvest festival signals the end of the traditional farming season in the region, with many farmers observing prayers to crops and farm animals that toil their land. AFP PHOTO/Dibyangshu SARKAR

Jan 19 - Timkat (Ethiopian Orthodox Christian)

Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Paolos Abuna watches 19 January 2006 while supervising the beginning of the Timqat celebrations in Addis Ababa. Timqat (Timkat) or Epiphany is celebrated on Tir 11th according to the Ithiopian (Ethiopian) calendar or 19th January (western calendar) which is 12 days after Orthodox Christmas. It is the greatest of the Christian Festivals and celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI

Jan 20 - World Religion Day (Bahai)

World Religion Day was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i faith in the United States. The purpose was to call attention to the harmony of the world's religions and emphasize that the aims of religion are to create unity among people, to ease suffering, and to bring about peace. The day is observed with gatherings in homes, public meetings and panel discussions, and proclamations by government officials.

Jan. 24 - Mawlid al-Nabi (Muslim)

Pakistani Muslims participate in a religious procession to celebrate Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Mohammed, in Lahore. Eid-E-Milad-un Nabi or Maulid (Mawlid), is the Islamic festival which marks the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed, who was born in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca on the 12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal 571 A.D. AFP PHOTO/ ARIF ALI Shia Muslims celebrate this 5 days later. Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as an innovation.

Jan. 26 - Tu B'Shevat (Jewish)

The ultra-Orthodox rabbi of the Belz Hasidim washes his hands before the start of the celebration of the Jewish feast of 'Tu Bishvat' or Tree New Year in Jerusalem. Among the most learned Jewish scholars were the Belz, a Hasidic dynasty named after a small town in Western Ukraine. AFP PHOTO/MENAHEM KAHANA

Jan 25 - Conversion of St. Paul (Christian)

The Conversion of Paul the Apostle, as depicted in the Christian Bible, refers to an event reported to have taken place in the life of Paul of Tarsus which led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to himself become a follower of Jesus; it is normally dated by researchers to AD 33-36. Photo: Pope Benedict XVI (C) leads the celebration of the second vespers of the solemnity of the conversion of Saint Paul on January 25, 2011 in St Paul's basilica outside the walls in Rome. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

Jan 27-30 Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)

In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January.

Feb 2 - Candlemas (Christian)

A boy holds a statue of the baby Jesus during a celebration of the Dia de Candelaria, or Day of Candlemas, in the working-class neighborhood of Candelaria, Mexico City, Monday, Feb. 2, 2009. Mexicans flocked to area churches Monday carrying depictions of baby Jesus, to mark the day in the Bible when Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Feb 2 - Imbolc (Pagan)

Also called Oimelc and Candlemas, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the land and the growing power of the Sun.

Feb 3 - Setsubun (Shinto)

A parent of kindergarten children wearing a demon-like mask to scare pupils takes part in a bean-throwing ceremony to drive away evil and bring good luck at the annual Setsubun Festival at Tokyo's Sensoji Temple on February 3, 2011. Some 400 children attended the festival to greet the coming of spring. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO

Feb 11 - Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic)

This marks the day in 1858 when St. Bernadette had her first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Feb 13 - Ash Wednesday (Catholic)

A worshiper receives ashes during Ash Wednesday services at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and involves the placing ashes on the foreheads of Christian believers as a sign of repentance which occurs 40 days, excluding Sundays, before Easter. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Feb 14 - Nirvana Day (Buddhist)

This is a Mahayana Buddhist festival marking the anniversary of the Buddha's death.

Feb 15 - Saraswati Puja (Hindu)

Indian artist Sakharam Raj Vohra paints a statue of Hindu goddess Mata Saraswati at a roadside in Amritsar ahead of Saraswati Puja. The festival, which is dominated by the colour yellow, is celebrated by appeasing Goddess Saraswati as she symbolises the constant flow of wisdom and also represents the blossoming of nature. AFP PHOTO / NARINDER NANU

Feb 15 - Vasant Panchami (Sikh)

Indian Sikh devotees pay their respects at the Sikh Shrine Gurdwara Chheharta Sahib, some 7kms west of Amritsar on the occasion of Basant Panchami. Basant Panchami is celebrated during February-March, at the end of winter to welcome spring. AFP PHOTO/NARINDER NANU

Feb. 24 - Purim (Judaism)

Israeli settlers and their children dressed in costumes hold balloons as they celebrate the annual Purim parade in the divided West Bank city of Hebron on March 20, 2011. Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jews from the ancient Persians as described in the book of Esther. AFP PHOTO/MENAHEM KAHANA

Mar 2-20: Baha'i Fast (Baha'i)

The Nineteen-Day Fast (2 March-20 March) is a nineteen-day period of the year, during which members of the Bah?'? Faith adhere to a sunrise-to-sunset fast. Along with obligatory prayer, it is one of the greatest obligations of a Bah?'?, and its chief purpose is spiritual; to reinvigorate the soul and bring the person closer to God. The fast was instituted by the B?b, and accepted by Bah?'u'll?h, the founder of the Bah?'? Faith, who stated its rules in his book of laws, the Kit?b-i-Aqdas.

Mar 10 - Shivratri (Hindu)

Indian Hindu devotees pour milk over a Shiva Lingam, a stone deity sculpture representing the creative energy of the Universe and the infinite nature of Shiva. AFP PHOTO/ NARINDER NANU

Mar 17 - St. Patrick's Day (Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran)

Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387-461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early 17th century, and has gradually become a secular celebration of Irish culture in general.

Mar 18 - Clean Monday (Christian Orthodox)

Carnival revellers dance as they parade in the streets of Strumica late on March 8, 2011. The carnival, which marks the beginning of the Christian Orthodox lent, attracted hundreds of participants and tens of thousands visitors to Strumica. AFP PHOTO / ROBERT ATANASOVSKI

Mar 20 - Nowruz (Baha'i, Zoroastrian, Iranian New Year)

Afghan devotees walk at the Hazrat Ali Shrine in Mazar-i-Sharif on March 20, 2009. Tens of thousands of Afghans from all over the war-scarred country have poured into the northern Afghan town ahead of the Afghan New Year, called Naw Ruz which is due on March 21. Afghans come to the city because of the presence of the Hazrat Ali shrine where special religious ceremonies are taking place to mark New Year's Day. AFP PHOTO/SHAH Marai

Mar 20 - Spring Equinox (Pagan)

Spring Equinox celebrates the renewed life of the Earth that comes with the Spring.

Mar 24 - Palm Sunday (Christian)

Chrisitian pilgrims carry palm branches during the Palm Sunday procession from Mt. Olives into Jerusalem's old city, marking the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem when a cheering crowd greeted him waving palm leaves the week before his death. AFP PHOTO/GALI TIBBON

Mar 26 - Apr 2 - Passover (Jewish)

Jewish men wrapped with prayer shawls attend the Annual Cohanim prayer, or Priest's blessing, for the Pesach (Passover) holiday at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's old city. Thousands of Jews make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem during Pesach, which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt some 3,500 years ago. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Mar 27 - Holi (Hindu)

Hindu devotees play with coloured powders during Holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, India. Holi, the spring festival of colours, is celebrated by Hindus around the world in an explosion of colour to mark the end of the winter. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Mar 28 - Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

Indian Sikh devotees spray perfume on the Palki Sahib which carries The Guru Garnth Sahib (Holy Book of Sikhs) in a procession from the Golden Temple to Sri Akal Takhat Sahib in Amritsar on the occasion of Hola Mohalla. Hola Mohalla or Hola Mahalla or simply Hola is a Sikh festival which originated in the time of Guru Gobind Singh who held the first mock fighting event at Anandpur in February 1701, which on the first of the lunar month of Chet which usually falls in March following the Hindu festival of Holi. During the three day festival, mock battles, exhibitions, display of weapons are held followed by kirtan, music and poetry competitions. Nihang Sikh 'warriors' perform Gatka (mock encounters with real weapons), and other feats including tent pegging and bareback horse-riding. AFP PHOTO/NARINDER NANU

Mar 28 - Maundy Thursday (Christian)

Indian Catholic Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad Reverend M. Joji (C) offers The Holy Eucharist during the evening mass of the Lord Supper celebrated as Maundy Thursday service at St. Anthony's Church in Hyderabad. The ceremony commemorates the symbolic example of Jesus Christ washing the feet of his apostles at the Lord's Supper on the eve of his crucifixion. AFP PHOTO/Noah SEELAM

Mar 29 - Good Friday (Christian)

French bishop Andre Vingt-Trois carries a wooden cross to the Montmartre Basilica during a Good Friday procession to commemorate the death of Christ. AFP PHOTO PIERRE VERDY

Mar 30 - Holy Saturday (Christian)

It is the day before Easter and the last day of Holy Week in which Christians prepare for Easter. It commemorates the day that Jesus Christ's body laid in the tomb. Photo: Pope Benedict XVI waves to worshippers following a Papal mass on Holy Saturday at St Peter's basilica at The Vatican. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

Mar 31 - Easter (Western Churches)

Pakistani Christians pray during an Easter Sunday Mass at a church in Lahore. Christian believers around the world mark the Holy Week of Easter in celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. AFP PHOTO/Arif ALI (Photo credit should read Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)

Apr 6 - Theravada New Year (Buddhist)

A Sri Lankan Buddhist devotee offers prayers at a temple in the Bellanvila suburb of Colombo as part of the traditional new year rituals. The timing of Sri Lanka's Sinhala New Year coincides with the new year celebrations of many traditional calendars of South and Southeast Asia. AFP PHOTO / Lakruwan WANNIARACHCHI

April 8 - Annunciation (Christian)

The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God.

Apr 11 -- Akshaya Tritiya (Hindu, Jain)

Akshaya Tritiya is a holy day observed by Hindus and Jains around the world. More <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/akshaya-tritiya-2012-hindus-jains-photos_n_1447869.html">here</a>. An Indian sales person arranges bangles made of gold and other precious metals on the eve of the Hindu festival, Akshaya Tritiya in Ahmedabad on April 23, 2012. Akshaya Tritiya is a day on which to avail infinite benefits, both cosmic and monetary, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. (Photo credit: SAM PANTHAKY/AFP/Getty Images)

Apr 14 - Vaisakhi (Sikh)

This day marks an ancient harvest festival, celebrated with great zeal across North India, and particularly in Punjab. Photo: Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, (C) pose for pictures as they met surviving veterans of the Sikh Brigade of the British Army at an event to mark the Sikh religious and cultural festival of Vaisakhi at St James Palace, London. The Prince of Wales today praised the courage of Sikh soldiers who fought in the Second World War. The Prince said the country owed an 'immense debt of gratitude' to the Sikhs who fought in both the First and Second World Wars. The veterans were among prominent members of the Anglo-Sikh community invited to the palace to celebrate Sikh New Year, or Vaisakhi. AFP PHOTO/Lewis Whyld/WPA POOL

April 20 - Ram Navami (Hindu)

Hindu priest wash statuettes of the Hindu deities Hanuman (L), Laxman (2L), Lord Rama (2R) and Goddess Sita (R) at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Ahmedabad, on the occasion of Rama Navami. Ram Navami commemorates the birth of Hindu God Lord Rama who is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign, which has become synonymous with a period of peace and prosperity. AFP PHOTO/ Sam PANTHAKY

Apr 21-May 2 - Ridvan (Baha'i)

The start of a festival when Baha'is celebrate the day when Baha'u'llah said that he was the prophet predicted by the Bab.

Apr 23 -- Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)

Indian women perform a traditional dance as they take part in a procession for Mahavir Jayanti, in New Delhi, India,Thursday, April 5, 2012. The holiday celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, who created the defining rules of Jainism. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Apr 25 - Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)

Indian Hindu devotees travel with a portrait of Hindu God Hanuman during a procession on a street on the occassion of Hanuman Jayanti - Hanuman's birthday. Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the monkey God. Hanuman known for his strength is worshipped for his unyielding devotion to Rama and is remembered for his selfless dedication to the God. AFP PHOTO/Noah SEELAM

May 1 - Beltane (Pagan)

Morris Men dance at a May Day dawn celebration service in front of St. Michael's Tower on Glastonbury Tor on May 1, 2011 in Glastonbury, England. Although more synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, May Day or Beltane is celebrated by druids and pagans as the beginning of summer and the chance to celebrate the coming of the season of warmth and light. Other traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing and the crowning of a May Queen with celebrations involving a Maypole. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

May 5 - Easter (Orthodox Christian)

Women light candles during an Orthodox Easter service in the city of Chernobyl on April 24, 2011. AFP PHOTO/SERGEI SUPINSKY

May 9 - Ascension of Christ (Christian)

Ascension Day marks the last earthly appearance of Christ after his resurrection. Christians believe Christ ascended into heaven. It is celebrated 40 days after Easter.

May 15-16 - Shavuot (Jewish)

Members of the Black Hebrews community celebrate the Shavuot harvest festival in Dimona, Israel. The community, who call themselves the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, moved to Israel in 1969 from the United States and have since maintained a vibrant culture which includes a communal lifestyle and a vegan diet. They are not recognized as Jews by Israel despite their belief in the Torah, but were granted permanent resident status in 2003. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/01/religious-holidays-2013_n_2372650.html

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Gunmen kill 5 female teachers in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? Gunmen killed five female teachers and two other people on Tuesday in an ambush on a van carrying workers home from their jobs at a community center in northwest Pakistan, officials said.

The van was transporting teachers and aid workers from the center in conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Two health workers, one man and one woman, were also killed and the driver was wounded.

The attack was a reminder of the risks faced by educators and aid workers, especially women, in an area where Islamic militants often target women and girls trying to get an education. Many militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province oppose female education and have blown up schools and killed female educators as a way to discourage girls from getting an education.

In a case in the same province that gained international attention, a Taliban gunman shot 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai in the head last October for criticizing the militants and promoting girls' education. She is currently recovering in Britain.

The workers were on their way home from a community center in the town of Swabi where they were working at a primary school and adjoining medical center. Gunmen on motorcycles opened fire with automatic weapons, said Javed Akhtar, executive director of the non-governmental organization Support With Working Solutions.

The NGO conducts programs in the education and health sectors and runs a primary school and a medical clinic at the community center in Swabi, he said.

He provided the details on who was killed.

Swabi police chief Abdur Rasheed said most of the women killed were between the ages of 20 and 22. He said the four gunmen who used two motorcycles fled the scene and have not been apprehended.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-01-Pakistan/id-65d08fc9a1af44898875257bf79d6271

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State Department made "grievous mistake" over Benghazi: Senate report (reuters)

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