Threat to UK access to venture capital | Nicosia Business Review ...

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European rules on state aid have jeopardised small UK companies? access to venture capital funding worth hundreds of millions of pounds each year, placing further strain on a sector already starved of credit.

Under a measure included in the Finance Bill, venture capital trusts that invest in small growth companies could lose generous tax benefits as a result of a new cap on state-backed investment sources.

At present, VCTs offer 30 per cent upfront tax relief on investments of up to ?200,000 a year, as well as tax-free dividends and capital gains. VCTs were first introduced in 1995 and channelled ?350m to small and medium-sized enterprises in the 2010-11 tax year.

VCTs have been one of the cornerstones of the government?s policy to stimulate UK enterprise through alternative sources of funding. Although banks had agreed to increase their small business lending under the ?Project Merlin? deal with the coalition last year, a Bank of England report in February found they had fallen ?1bn short of the agreed target.

But in an effort to comply with European rules, investors will lose these tax advantages if the companies they are funding receive more than ?2m from VCTs and other forms of ?state aided, risk capital investment?. As a result, managers of VCT schemes will have to check all the sources of funding used by companies they plan to finance ? and potentially have to delay their investments until a higher level can be negotiated.

In response to the draft bill, the Association of Investment Companies, which represents VCT managers, warned that a ?2m investment limit ?will severely disrupt VCT deal flows?.

Patrick Reeve, managing partner of Albion Ventures, told the Financial Times that the imposition of the ?2m limit was ?unnecessary and annoying and disrupts some immediate investment plans?. Albion Ventures has raised VCT finance for more than 90 small companies in the technology, healthcare and environmental sectors.

Shore Capital, an operator of seven VCTs with ?1.3bn under management, suggested the limit would potentially affect any company receiving VCT or other state funding. ?We did look at one prospective investment which was also hoping to receive money from a regional development board,? said Graham Shore, managing director. ?In the end, we did not make this investment, but had we done so, this new limit would have had an effect.? He added that companies in UK regions already benefiting from government assistance would be among the hardest hit.

The ?2m limit was originally scheduled to be introduced on Friday, at the start of the new tax year, without any consultation period. After an emergency meeting on Wednesday between AIC members and David Gauke, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, the government agreed to delay enforcement until the bill receives royal assent in the summer.

However, a Treasury spokesperson warned that VCTs breaching the limit were still at risk: ?Any company receiving aid through VCT schemes, or any other Government State aid scheme, on or after 6 April 2012 ? in excess of ?2m, will need to consider the risk of the European Commission deeming the aid to be illegal.?

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Vennes Info: Attorney for Palm Beach Finance Bankruptcy Trustee ...

Statement by attorney Michael Budwick, representing Barry Mukamal Trustee of the bankrupt Palm Beach Finance hedge funds:

We believe it is unfair and inequitable to the victims of the Petters fraud to modify retroactively an existing statutory cause of action, particularly after we have invested substantial resources preparing and filing scores of lawsuits. In the coming weeks we intend to review the appropriateness of retroactive application.

According to the Strib, Doug Kelly is considering challenging the constitutionality of the law.

Developing...

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PHOTOS: Nicole Richie Sings a Duet with Her Dad!

Nicole Richie joins dad Lionel Richie on stage! Plus, see more of your favorite celebs on the scene!

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The Curvy Kate Spring Collection Review! - The Lingerie Addict

By: Holly

Image via Curvy Kate

Samples for this review were provided by BareNecessities.com, the UK Curvy Kate team, and the US Curvy Kate team. All opinions are my own.

I?ve always been a fan of Curvy Kate?s Star in A Bra Model Competition, but I hadn?t tried their bras until recently. Most of this was due to proximity, or lack thereof. If you?re a full busted woman, bra shopping can be hell.

After a large period of shipping bras that didn?t fit back and forth to Poland, the UK, and lands beyond I was a little sick of international shipping. This is one of the reasons I?m really excited that BareNecessities.com has picked up Curvy Kate! No international shipping, no waiting two weeks to a month for my bras to show up, and no problems returning them if they don?t fit.

I was lucky enough to be able to put together a review of lots of the new offerings, most of which are already up on Bare Necessities. I tried to go for a mix of basics, but had to give into my need for more brightly colored bras in the end. Before I get started on the individual bras, here are some general observations about Curvy Kate lingerie and how it fits.

1) The bras are well constructed, and built to last. I had one for about two weeks when I had no others that fit, and it held up during every day wear and washing beautifully. Curvy Kate?s designs are also trendy and young, which is great if you?re tired of feeling like you?re wearing your grandmother?s bra that comes up to your neck.

2) The sizing within the line is a little idiosyncratic, but it?s worth figuring out what works for you to be able to wear this line. If you?re US based, you?ll now be able to return things easily, so this shouldn?t be as big a deal as it once was.

3) Panties run almost a size smaller than many brands, so size up for comfort and muffin-top avoidance.

Image via Curvy Kate

The Portia:
This bra was a lifesaver for me. I changed sizes fairly recently and this was the first bra I found that fit me perfectly in my new 32J size. I loved it so much that I wore it every day for two weeks until I found some more options that fitted perfectly. If you?re new to Curvy Kate, the Portia in white or black is a great place to start.

Image via Curvy Kate

The Lottie:
The Lottie bra comes in white and black as continuity colors, but I couldn?t resist the clashing lavender and coral colorway. This was the set I was most nervous about, as I felt like it had the potential to make me look like a giant Easter egg. I was relieved to discover that the lavender and coral colors are actually really flattering, at least on my pale skin. Pictures don?t really do it justice. This bra doesn?t give you as rounded or as uplifted a shape as some of the others, but it?s incredibly comfortable and very supportive. The boy shorts that go with it are cute and practical, and the sheer panel in the back gives them more sex appeal without sacrificing coverage.

Image via Curvy Kate

The Angel:
The Angel set this year comes in a Bluebell color way, which has white trimming and pink bows. This is one of the few sets that has two styles of underwear that go with it, as well as a matching suspender belt. I love this set, but it was one of the trickiest in terms of sizing. If I hadn?t had help from the lovely Cheryl and the UK Curvy Kate team, I?m pretty sure I wouldn?t have figured it out. I ended up with the bra in 32JJ, so size up a cup if you?re planning on buying it. I went up a size in the panties, but the suspender belt worked in my regular size.

The suspender belt surprised me by pulling me in like light shape wear, which was a delightful discovery. I love both the thong and the boy shorts, although I?m obviously likely to wear them for different occasions. The bra fit just as well as the others, although it did take more wiggling and strap adjusting to get it to that point.

Image via Curvy Kate

The Romance:
The Curvy Kate Romance bra is the most vintage looking of all their offerings this season, and I love the purple swirl design that they?ve used. This bra also fit well in a 32J, and was very easy to mix and match with things in my lingerie drawer. The fit and feel was very similar to the Portia.

I?m looking forward to the rest of the line coming out in the US so I can pick up some newer silhouettes like the Daily Boost! Until then, I?ll happily wear my current collection on a regular basis.

Image via Curvy Kate

If you?re interested in learning more about Curvy Kate, their offerings, or the US version of Star In A Bra, BareNecessities.com has lots of information. Even more details can be found on the Curvy Kate site. I?d love to see tons of entries for Star In A Bra this year, so start taking your pictures! The modeling competition begins in the US on April 5th.

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Community called to help with Habitat's Broomfield ReStore revamp

What: Flatirons Habitat for Humanity Community Work Days

When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 9 and June 11

Where: Flatirons Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 6900 W. 117th Ave.

Information: ReStore General Manager Adam Baksa at 303-404-2008 or abaksa@flatironshabitat.org. You also can visit flatironshabitat.org.

One of the lesser-known aspects of Flatirons Habitat for Humanity's faith-based efforts to provide adequate housing and other support for underprivileged families in Broomfield, Boulder and the surrounding area is its ReStore. As General Manager Adam Baksa explains, the 10,000-square-foot space is a thrift store offering a variety of items with sale proceeds benefiting the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate and its projects.

"Where we expand on the thrift store concept is we try to focus on furniture, appliances, and home improvement items that people may not think they can reuse," said Baksa, manager of the Broomfield ReStore since October. "All of the money generated by the ReStore gets recycled back to (Flatirons Habitat), which is part of how we build our homes."

While Habitat regularly enlists volunteers to help with build days on housing projects, Baksa this week is looking for volunteers to help him make some improvements around the ReStore itself. Friday is the first of three Community Work Days, during which volunteers can stop by the Broomfield ReStore, tucked away just off of Main Street on West 117th Avenue, to help with reorganization efforts designed to make the store a more enjoyable place to shop. Friday's work day, which will be followed by similar days in April and June, will focus on cleaning up the store's donation center, where Flatirons Habitat's numerous community partners and supporters bring items to be sold at the store.

"We have some major projects we're trying to chip away at incrementally," Baksa said. "What we've been talking about is redesigning the sorting area. We're going to try and streamline (the space) to make it more efficient so the volunteers can get more product out."

Westminster resident Roberta Spindler has been volunteering at the Broomfield ReStore twice a week for about four years. She said she is intrigued to see how a remodel of the store's sorting room will help.

"I'm comfortable (with it the way it is)," Spindler said Tuesday. "But change is not always a bad thing."

Lisa Gills, development director for Flatirons Habitat for Humanity, said the organization's local staff identified a need for some changes at the Broomfield ReStore, and she feels Baksa is a great manager to oversee those changes.

"He has really done a great job of consolidating some of the products, making stuff more accessible and putting everything on the same floor," Gills said. "That was really important for us."

Broomfield and surrounding communities have been great supporters of Habitat for Humanity, Gills said, as evidenced by the $7,000 raised at the organization's Bowl-n-Build fundraiser Sunday at Chipper's Lanes in Broomfield. The work days at the ReStore, which include lunch and snacks for volunteers, are being made possible by grant funding from the Broomfield Community Foundation, Gills said, which speaks to the store's importance to the community.

"With the Flatirons ReStore, we view it as a community resource where local residents can shop, donate and/or volunteer," Gills said.

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Slash says Axl Rose 'hates my guts'

Roadrunner Records via AP

Slash says his relationship with Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose will keep the band from playing together when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month.

By Andy Greene, Rolling Stone

When Guns N' Roses get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, nobody knows exactly what else will happen?-- including Slash. "This is a subject I'm dead sick of talking about," the guitarist says. "Everyone has been asking me what's going to happen, and they know as much as I do. I feel you're totally obligated to be present and I would love to [expletive] play, but it's just something that's not gonna happen for whatever reason."

Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler are all committed to going to the Cleveland ceremony, but it's unclear whether guitarist Izzy Stradlin or Axl Rose will be present. One sticking point for Axl may be the presence of Slash, whom he called a "cancer" in 2009.

"He hates my guts," says Slash. "It's over a lot of different stuff; I don't even know. There's just no communication between us. I talk to Duff and Steven, but when it comes to old Guns N' Roses, there really isn't anybody that makes decisions."

Slash recently patched up his troubles with former Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland, to the point where the group was able to reform for a four-song set at a Los Angeles charity concert in January. "It was great to see Scott," says Slash. "I hadn't seen him in a while. He sang great, and afterwards we all shook hands and took off."

Besides that one-off show, Velvet Revolver have been completely inactive since Scott Weiland quit in 2008. "We've been looking for singers and we talk on a regular basis," says Slash. "Every so often, Duff and I get together behind the scenes, reconvene and audition people and so on. So it's still active."

The rehearsals have been conducted largely in secret, though the fact that they considered Slipsknot's Corey Taylor did leak to the press. "There was a rehearsal with Corey," says Slash. "It was a songwriting session and nothing really came of it. It's more my fault than anybody's because I was like, 'I don't know if this is the right thing.' Corey is obviously a [expletive] awesome frontman and he's a great singer, but it's just a different style than what I had in mind for Velvet. I was the odd man out on that one."

In the meantime, Slash is focused on his new solo album "Apocalyptic Love," which hits shelves on May 22. Unlike his 2010 debut "Slash," which was recorded with a rotating cast of all-star singers, Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy sings on every track on the LP. They first met just a few years ago, when Kennedy was recruited to sing a track on "Slash." The guitarist called him up when he learned that Kennedy had auditioned to sing on Led Zeppelin's planned (but ultimately aborted) 2008 tour. "I was like, 'This guy's gotta be [expletive] good,'" says Slash. "Jimmy Page was calling him up!"

In 2010, Slash went on a grueling world tour with Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz. "I didn't know any of them at the time," says Slash. "It turned out to be this one in a million thing. They were one of the most bitching rock and roll bands and groups of musicians that I'd ever worked with. So I thought, '[expletive], if I'm gonna make another record, I'll just do it with these guys.' And that's what happened." The group wrote the songs for "Apocalyptic Love" during downtime from the tour. "If I had any ideas, I would record them in the middle of the night in my hotel room or bus," says Slash. "I would e-mail them to Myles, and either in sound check or in the dressing room or whatever, we'd start honing in on some of these ideas. By the end of the tour we'd have, like, 20 songs." They recorded the album in late 2011 and early this year, after Kennedy finished up a tour with Alter Bridge. "He's got a great work ethic," says Slash. "He doesn't know what to do with himself when he's not busy."

The group kicks off an American tour this May, and if their March 23 warm-up show in Toronto was any indication, expect a lot of Guns N' Roses classics mixed in with solo material and cuts from Velvet Revolver and Slash's Snakepit. "There's a lot of Guns stuff that has so many lyrics per measure that it's not worth getting into," says Slash. "Some stuff is very signature Guns, to the point where I don't want to go there. We know 'Welcome To The Jungle,' we played it before, but I don't feel comfortable doing it. But there's other Guns standards that I really feel at ease playing every night. It's the same with Velvet Revolver."

After going through extremely tumultuous breakups with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, Slash is thrilled to be in a group that functions peacefully. "I didn't know it could be as easy as this, because it just really hadn't ever been like that for me," says Slash. "The inspiration for me to play and go out and kick ass every night is very strong with these guys. That's all anybody wants to do. So the hassles of the road are totally tolerable when there's not a lot of unnecessary baggage that we have to navigate every [expletive] day."

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Dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that make them hungrier

Friday, March 30, 2012

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have, for the first time, shown that infection with dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that makes them hungrier and better feeders, and therefore possibly more likely to spread the disease to humans. Specifically, they found that dengue virus infection of the mosquito's salivary gland triggered a response that involved genes of the insect's immune system, feeding behavior and the mosquito's ability to sense odors. The researchers findings are published in the March 29 edition of PLoS Pathogens.

Dengue virus is primarily spread to people by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Over 2.5 billion people live in areas where dengue fever is endemic. The World Health Organization estimates that there are between 50 million and 100 million dengue infections each year.

"Our study shows that the dengue virus infects mosquito organs, the salivary glands and antennae that are essential for finding and feeding on a human host. This infection induces odorant-binding protein genes, which enable the mosquito to sense odors. The virus may, therefore, facilitate the mosquito's host-seeking ability, and could?at least theoretically?increase transmission efficiency, although we don't fully understand the relationships between feeding efficiency and virus transmission," said George Dimopoulus, PhD, senior author of the study and professor with the Bloomberg School's Malaria Research Institute. "In other words, a hungrier mosquito with a better ability to sense food is more likely to spread dengue virus."

For the study, researchers performed a genome-wide microarray gene expression analysis of dengue-infected mosquitoes. Infection regulated 147 genes with predicted functions in various processes including virus transmission, immunity, blood-feeding and host-seeking. Further analysis of infected mosquitoes showed that silencing, or "switching off," two odorant-binding protein genes resulted in an overall reduction in the mosquito's blood-acquisition capacity from a single host by increasing the time it took the for mosquito to probe for a meal.

"We have, for the first time shown, that a human pathogen can modulate feeding-related genes and behavior of its vector mosquito, and the impact of this on transmission of disease could be significant," said Dimopoulos.

"Dengue virus infection of the Aedes aegypti salivary gland and chemosensory apparatus induces genes that modulate infection and blood-feeding behavior" was written by Shuzhen Sim, Jose L. Ramirez and George Dimopoulos.

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Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health: http://www.jhsph.edu

Thanks to Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health for this article.

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