Having come under fire over its relaxed attitude towards saved passwords in Chrome earlier in the year, Google is finally looking to do something about it. In a post to his Google+ page, Chrome tinkerer Franois Beaufort notes that the company will now ask users to authenticate themselves using a ...Lighted pylons at the Century Boulevard entrance to Los Angeles International Airport, which normally flash in a multicolored sequence, shine a steady blue Saturday evening, Nov. 2, 2013, in honor of Gerardo Hernandez, the Transportation Security Administration officer slain at an LAX terminal Friday. He is the first TSA officer to die in the line of duty in the history of the 12-year-old agency, created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A police entry checkpoint, part of an increased visible police presence, is seen in the foreground. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Lighted pylons at the Century Boulevard entrance to Los Angeles International Airport, which normally flash in a multicolored sequence, shine a steady blue Saturday evening, Nov. 2, 2013, in honor of Gerardo Hernandez, the Transportation Security Administration officer slain at an LAX terminal Friday. He is the first TSA officer to die in the line of duty in the history of the 12-year-old agency, created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A police entry checkpoint, part of an increased visible police presence, is seen in the foreground. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
This photo provided by the FBI shows Paul Ciancia, 23. Accused of opening fire inside the Los Angeles airport, Ciancia was determined to lash out at the Transportation Security Administration, saying in a note that he wanted to kill at least one TSA officer and didn’t care which one, authorities said Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/FBI)
ALTERNATE HORIZONTAL CROP - This June, 2013 photo released by the Hernandez family Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, shows Transportation Security Administration officer Gerardo Hernandez. Hernandez, 39, was shot to death and several others wounded by a gunman who went on a shooting rampage in Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport Friday. (AP Photo/Courtesy Hernandez Family)
This photo provided by the Calabasas Courier, a student publication of Calabasas, Calif., High School, shows teacher Brian Ludmer in September, 2012. Ludmer, 29, was the lone civilian wounded by gunfire in the shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport Friday, Nov. 1, 2013. Ludmer remained in fair condition at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the leg. Two other people suffered injuries trying to evade the gunman, but weren't shot. (AP Photo/Calabasas Courier)
John S. Pistole, left, Administrator of Transportation Security Administration and Ana Fernandez, center, wife of TSA agent Gerardo Fernandez, victim at LAX shooting, before a press conference in Porter Ranch, Calif. on Saturday Nov. 2, 2013. A gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, killing a Transportation Security Administration employee and wounding two other people in an attack that frightened passengers and disrupted flights nationwide. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man accused of opening fire at Los Angeles International Airport, shooting employees and terrorizing travelers, accomplished two of his goals, according to authorities: kill a Transportation Security Administration officer and show how easy it is to get a gun into an airport.
The deadly rampage left investigators to piece together what motivated Paul Ciancia's hatred toward the agency formed to make air travel safer after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, but could ultimately lead to changes in the way airports are patrolled.
Ciancia was shot four times by airport police, including in the mouth, and remains heavily sedated and under 24-hour armed guard at the hospital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official was not authorized to speak publicly on the case and requested anonymity.
The FBI said he had a handwritten letter, stating that he made the conscious decision to try to kill multiple TSA officers and "instill fear in your traitorous minds."
The unemployed motorcycle mechanic who recently moved to Los Angeles from the small, blue-collar town of Pennsville, N.J., had a friend drop him at LAX on Friday just moments before he pulled a .223-caliber assault rifle from his duffel bag and opened fire, killing one TSA officer and wounding three other people, including two more TSA workers.
Officials do not believe that the friend knew of the shooter's plans. Ciancia arrived at the airport in a black Hyundai and was not a ticketed passenger.
Ciancia is facing charges of murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport. The charges could qualify him for the death penalty. It was not immediately clear when he would make a first court appearance given his medical condition.
In court documents and interviews, authorities spelled out a chilling chain of events, saying Ciancia walked into the airport's Terminal 3, pulled the assault rifle from his duffel bag and fired repeatedly at 39-year-old TSA officer Gerardo I. Hernandez. He went up an escalator, turned back to see Hernandez move and returned to shoot him again, according to surveillance video reviewed by investigators.
He then fired on two other uniformed TSA employees and an airline passenger, who all were wounded, as he moved methodically through the security checkpoint to the passenger gate area before airport police shot him as panicked travelers hid in stores and restaurants.
It wasn't clear why Ciancia targeted TSA officers, but what he left behind indicated he was willing to kill any of them that crossed his path, authorities revealed.
The letter in his duffel bag refers to how Ciancia believed his constitutional rights were being violated by TSA searches and that he's a "pissed-off patriot" upset at former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
"Black, white, yellow, brown, I don't discriminate," the note read, according to a paraphrase by a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
The screed also mentioned "fiat currency" and "NWO," possible references to the New World Order, a conspiracy theory that foresees a totalitarian one-world government.
The letter also talked about "how easy it is to get a gun into the airport," the law enforcement official said.
When searched, the suspect had five 30-round magazines, and his bag contained hundreds more rounds in boxes.
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday that Ciancia's actions show how difficult it is to protect travelers at a massive airport such as LAX.
The terminals are open and easily accessible to thousands of people who arrive at large sliding glass doors via a broad ring road that fronts the facility and is designed to move people along quickly.
"It's like a shopping mall outside the perimeter, it's almost like an open shopping mall," McCaul said.
TSA Administrator John Pistole said the agency will need to work with each airport's police agency "to see how we'll go about in providing the best possible security."
The shooting temporarily halted traffic at the nation's third-busiest airport, stranding thousands of passengers and causing dozens of flights to be diverted to other airports. More than 1,500 flights and 167,000 passengers were affected nationwide, according to the Los Angeles Times.
On Sunday, flights at the airport were back on schedule and regular operations had resumed, LAX spokesman Marshall Lowe told the newspaper.
The FBI has served a search warrant on a Sun Valley residence where Ciancia lived, Ari Dekofsky, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said Sunday. Agents are still interviewing people, she said.
Authorities believe the rifle used in the shooting was purchased in Los Angeles. Ciancia also had two additional handguns that he purchased in Los Angeles, but which weren't at the crime scene, a law enforcement official said. The official, who has been briefed on the investigation, was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
The purchases themselves appeared legal, although authorities were still tracing them, and it's unclear if the shooter used his own identification or someone else's, the official said.
"He didn't buy them on the street. He didn't buy them on the Internet," the official said. "He bought them from a licensed gun dealer — the rifle and the two handguns."
Hernandez, a three-year veteran of the TSA, moved to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 15, married his sweetheart, Ana, on Valentine's Day in 1998 and had two children.
The TSA said the other two officers wounded in the attack — James Speer, 54, and Tony Grigsby, 36 — were released from the hospital.
Brian Ludmer, a Calabasas High School teacher, remained in fair condition at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and will need surgery for a gunshot wound to the leg. Two other people suffered injuries trying to evade the gunman, but weren't shot.
The FBI was still looking into Ciancia's past, but investigators said they had not found evidence of previous crimes or any run-ins with the TSA. They said he had never applied for a job with the agency.
___
Associated Press writers Alicia Chang and Gillian Flaccus in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-11-04-LAX%20Shooting/id-29804a3e12624362ac16dc523f6bff59CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said there were indications Egypt's generals would restore democracy, after the military overthrew Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July following mass protests against his rule.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, Kerry said:
"Thus far there are indications that this is what they are intending to do," Kerry said about his recent remarks in Pakistan that Egypt's generals were "restoring democracy" when they deposed Mursi.
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Shaimaa Fayed; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Susan Fenton)
People exit Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday.
People exit Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday.
As the FBI combs through the crime scene at Los Angeles International Airport, where a gunman opened fire on Friday, killing a TSA agent and hurting others, Terminal 3 remains closed.
The airport tweeted that 826 scheduled flights and 99,200 passengers were affected by the incident. Flights scheduled to leave from Terminal 3 are leaving from other terminals.
Meanwhile, we are learning a little more about the gunman and his victims. Here's an overview:
The Suspect:
— Friends told The Los Angeles Times that Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, was a quiet teenager who kept to himself.
"I really don't remember any one person who was close to him.... In four years, I never heard a word out of his mouth," David Hamilton, who graduated from a Delaware high school with Ciancia, told the paper.
— Quoting two federal law enforcement officials, USA Today reports that investigators discovered a note in the alleged shooter's bag that detailed "an intent to 'kill' TSA officers."
The note, the paper reports, hinted at some kind of suicide mission.
— The Los Angeles Times described the note as containing "anti-government" text.
— The AP quotes Pennsville Township, N.J., Police Chief Allen Cummings as saying that Ciancia's father called police Friday because he was worried that his son intended to take his own life.
Ciancia's father, Cummings said, had received a text message that worried him.
The Victims:
— Gerardo I. Hernandez, 39, is the first TSA agent to lose his life on the job.
"No words can explain the horror that we experienced today when a shooter took the life of a member of our family and injured two TSA officers at Los Angeles International Airport," TSA administrator John S. Pistole said in a statement.
NBC Los Angeles spoke to Kevin Maxwell, a friend of Hernandez. He said Hernandez always talked about his family:
"The victim was 'very proud' of his son and 'spoke profoundly' of his daughter, his friend and former colleague said.
"Maxwell said he worked with Hernandez in TSA's logistics department until last year, when Maxwell resigned from his position to care for his grandmother."
— The New York Times reports two other people and at least four others were injured during the incident.
The Witnesses:
— CNN reports that witness reports could give us a clue as to motive:
"Some said the gunmen asked people, 'Hey, are you TSA?' — the acronym for the Transportation Security Administration. If they said 'no,' he would move on.
"One of those questioned travelers was Leon Saryan. He told CNN's Anderson Cooper that the same man he'd just seen shoot a TSA officer 'calmly' walked toward him and asked, 'TSA?'
"'I just shook my head,' Saryan said. 'And he kept going.'"
— The New York Times spoke to Rich Garry, 68, of Fullerton, Calif., who said he had just cleared security when he heard two pops and saw a TSA agent on the floor.
The paper adds:
"As the gunman moved through the terminal, Mr. Garry said, 'he was very calm. When he got to the top of the stairs where the security checkpoints are, he looked around. If he would have come up the ramp, he would have had a field day with all the people lying on the ground, like me.'
"Mr. Garry said he and several others crawled to a nearby elevator and went to the ground floor. Once there, he saw police officers for the first time, and told them to go to the second floor."
"It seems no matter what device you decide on, there's always something you wished was better," suggested blogger Mike Stone. "This concept makes that whole problem moot. With Ara, you can choose each component, so you never have to settle for second rate. This could literally redefine the mobile market, and I don't mean like Apple claims it does."
Ever since Burger King hit the proverbial nail on the head with its famed "Have It Your Way" slogan back in 1974, everyone has known that people like to -- well, have it their own way.
Customization has been a growing trend in products large and small over the years, but until recently, smartphones were a glaring exception. Indeed, Linux Girl can no longer even count the number of times she's asked for a big "L" and an image of Tux emblazoned on her device, but no! Not even for a superhero, she's been told.
Pffft. So much for the perks of fame.
Luckily, hope is finally at hand thanks to none other than Motorola and Project Ara.
'The Power to Decide'
"Our goal is to drive a more thoughtful, expressive and open relationship between users, developers and their phones, Motorola explained in its blog post announcing the new effort. "To give you the power to decide what your phone does, how it looks, where and what it's made of, how much it costs, and how long you'll keep it."
Translation: it's the design-your-own phone project so many of us have dreamed of -- made possible, of course, through open hardware.
Linux Girl has been busy drawing up plans for her next superhero communicator ever since. As for those in the rest of the Linux blogosphere, well, there's been more than a little excitement.
'You Never Have to Settle'
"In a word, awesome," enthused Linux Rants blogger Mike Stone, for example. "I love it. It takes away the need to settle.
"It seems no matter what device you decide on, there's always something you wished was better," Stone explained. "A faster processor or a better camera. This concept makes that whole problem moot. With Ara, you can choose each component, so you never have to settle for second rate."
In fact, "this could literally redefine the mobile market, and I don't mean like Apple claims it does," he added. "I mean REALLY redefine it. It's very exciting."
Google+ blogger Kevin O'Brien saw it similarly.
"This is really exciting," O'Brien agreed. "I would buy one of these when they come out. I am one of the people who still builds computers for my own use, and this extends that into the mobile space. Changing carriers? Just swap out the radio and you are good to go."
Currently O'Brien is "just hanging on with a failing Galaxy Nexus and 6 weeks to go on my contract before I can jump to T-Mobile," he noted. "If I had this phone I could just swap out the bad part and not be as stressed."
Indeed, "I love the idea of being able to have all of the options I want since I tend to prefer a nice foldout keyboard," chimed in consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack.
And again: "It's the Phonebloks made for real," suggested Google+ blogger Alessandro Ebersol. "Let's hope the Ara phone will see the light of day."
Modularity in smartphones could "go a long way to overcoming whatever inflexibility is left in the system of small, cheap computers," blogger Robert Pogson suggested. "Rather than just tweaking software, the end user or retailer can mix and match bits of the hardware, too.
"This could be akin to the PCI slots in the old desktop PC," he pointed out. "That became little used as the PC matured, but for something that fits in the hand, it might be the ultimate creation."
So, "rather than the OEMs trying to push a hundred models of smartphone, they can push one framework and the components and let the market decide, Pogson added. "Everyone wins."
As a technologist, Pogson does have some doubts, he admitted. For example, "will a bunch of 'extra' connectors increase the number of points of failure? Will an endoskeleton be tougher than the current exoskeletons?"
Still, "in my heart I know it is the right thing to do and I hope a vibrant ecosystem of small businesses spring forth developing components for this system," he added. "That's the right way to do IT, and Linux can handle anything."
Looking ahead, "one possible future is that everyone will adopt the standard, and an Apple or Samsung smartphone will be a thing of the past," Pogson suggested. "Everyone will buy some framework and add components from a hundred companies to make the smartphone or small, cheap computer that the consumer wants.
"This system could be the ultimate insurance that small, cheap computers are never monopolized," he offered.
"That would be good for consumers, manufacturers, OEMs, and big and little software firms," he pointed out. "Heck, there may yet be ways individuals with good ideas could start up making some module for the system with a very small investment. I could see businesses arising whose role is to assist smaller operations producing some new feature of some now unimagined smartphone."
Bottom line? "It's all good," Pogson concluded. "I hope this project succeeds and is adopted widely."
Not everyone was convinced, however.
"Ara is the opposite of the direction that phones should be going," opined Hyperlogos blogger Martin Espinoza.
"If they want to standardize something, though, it should be the battery," Espinoza suggested. "What people really need is a more durable phone more resistant to the elements that lasts longer, especially since so many of today's phones are worth holding onto -- not a Rubik's Cube of disparate bits."
Moreover, "I honestly don't see how anybody is gonna compete with Google at this point unless Google does something REALLY dumb like not hand the latest Android to the OEMs, and so far Google has shown no signs of being suicidally stupid," offered Slashdot blogger hairyfeet.
"The network effect on Android is just insane -- everyone from local banks to the big chains have Android apps, all the major email providers support Android, the network effect is just too strong at this point," he said.
"Heck, even my 71-year-old dad ended up with an Android tablet as it was the one that supported all the apps he wanted to run and offered the best hardware for the best price," hairyfeet pointed out. "If MSFT can throw away a couple of billion and not make a dent, I honestly don't see how Motorola saying 'We're open!' is really gonna do squat at this point as Android is open too and has the apps."
Last but not least, "I like it" was Slashdot blogger yagu's first reaction. "I think it's a cool idea and it would be fun to 'roll your own' in smartphone goodness."
Yagu's one concern: "I do wonder how this goes over with the general users," he told Linux Girl. "Geeks LOVE to tinker, create, re-configure, and never stop tweaking their gadgets. Can the same be expected or true from people just looking for a new phone?
"A friend and colleague made an observation (brilliant) 20 years ago that stayed with me, served me well: 'Nobody wants a 100-setting microwave, they just want low, medium and high,'" yagu recounted. "So, Ara may be a '100-setting microwave' of the smartphones. There are so many things you can do with options, but nobody outside the techno-geek may care. I love the concept, I'm not sure it's what people want." 
HOUSTON (AP) — As the Houston Texans trickled into the locker room at halftime and learned that coach Gary Kubiak had collapsed leaving the field, their excitement over a big first half quickly disintegrated into dread.
They were soon informed that he was in stable condition, but the rattled team unraveled in the second half as Indianapolis rallied for a 27-24 victory Sunday night.
"There was a lot of unknown," said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who coached the team after halftime. "Everything was unknown as to what was going on and what happened to Kube."
Kubiak hunched over and dropped to his knees at the 24 yard line and was immediately surrounded by medical personnel. He was lifted off the field on a stretcher and taken by cart to the ambulance.
"We were all very worried," quarterback Case Keenum said. "When we went back out they told us he was ... stable. We were all upset about that but trying to stay focused at the same time."
The Texans didn't say what was wrong with Kubiak, but did say he didn't have a heart attack. The team said the 52-year-old coach, a former NFL quarterback who calls the team's plays, was conscious and was with his family as he was taken to the hospital.
"He had an episode; he was light-headed and dizzy," Houston general manager Rick Smith said in an interview on NBC. "He was evaluated by a number of specialists ... he is awake and coherent.
We have to assess ... obviously, there's a lot of info. Hopefully, Gary will be back with us tomorrow."
Up 21-3 when Kubiak collapsed, the Texans struggled after halftime for their sixth straight loss after opening the season 2-0 with Super Bowl hopes.
Veteran safety Ed Reed didn't want to blame the loss what happened to Kubiak.
"I thought we dealt with it well," Reed said. "We've just got to finish."
Kubiak's collapse came a day after Denver Broncos coach John Fox was hospitalized in North Carolina as he awaits aortic value replacement surgery. The 58-year-old Fox will have surgery in a few days and will miss several weeks while recuperating.
Fox had been told earlier about his heart condition and was hoping to put off the operation until February. As part of his trip to North Carolina on a bye week, he met with his cardiologist in Raleigh and was told to seek medical attention immediately if he felt any discomfort.
On Saturday, Fox became dizzy playing golf near his offseason home in Charlotte and was taken to a hospital, where tests revealed he couldn't wait any longer to have the surgery.
In college, Minnesota coach Jerry Kill took a leave of absence last month so he could better manage and treat his epilepsy. He has had five seizures on game day in his two-plus seasons with the Golden Gophers.
Kubiak has long been known as a top offensive coach, mentoring quarterbacks in Denver under Mike Shanahan and now Matt Schaub — and Case Keenum — in Houston. Kubiak has had no known public health problems.
Kubiak was hired in 2006, along with general manager Rick Smith, after the Texans finished a franchise-worst 2-14. Smith spent 10 years with Kubiak while the coach was offensive coordinator of the Broncos. Smith was Denver's defensive assistant for four seasons before moving into the front office for his last six years with the Broncos.
The pair has helped transform the Texans, which began play in 2002, from league laughingstock to contender. The team went 6-10 in their first year and 8-8 in each of the next two seasons. Expectations were high in 2010 after Houston finished at 9-7 for its first winning record in 2009. But the Texans instead fell to 6-10, which led to many fans calling for Kubiak's firing.
His original contract was due to expire after the 2010 season, but owner Bob McNair has stepped up to keep Kubiak and defended him several times amid the bumps. Among recent departures were assistant head coach Alex Gibbs (for Seattle) and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan went to join his father, Mike, in Washington.
Last year, the Texans announced contract extensions for both Smith and Kubiak, rewarding them for taking the team to the playoffs last year for the first time. Kubiak's three-year agreement has him under contract through 2014.
McNair said at the time he offered Kubiak a four-year deal, but the coach preferred to make it for three.
Kubiak made his mark as Denver's offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan, winning two Super Bowls. An eighth-round pick out of Texas A&M, he spent nine years as John Elway's backup. He finished his career 4-1 as a starter, all in emergency relief of Elway.
___
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 4-Nov-2013
ShareContact: Elizabeth Lynch
elynch@marchofdimes.com
914-997-4286
March of Dimes Foundation
Boston, MA, Nov. 4, 2013 - A researcher who showed that what a woman consumes during pregnancy may increase her baby's risk of developing a birth defect will receive the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award for outstanding achievements in the field of maternal-fetal nutrition.
Gary M. Shaw, DrPH, is professor and associate chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is also co-principal investigator of the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center at Stanford University.
Dr. Shaw's research has helped prevent a variety birth defects and identified many risk factors, including medication use, occupational exposures, alcohol use, nutritional factors, medical conditions, and genetic variants. Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President of the March of Dimes, presented the award to Dr. Shaw during the 141st annual meeting of the American Public Health Association held here.
"Dr. Shaw's research on human birth defects shows that the consumption of alcohol and poor nutrition can increase the risks of birth defects for babies. Through his research, he has influenced how healthcare providers counsel their pregnant patients on what to eat and what they should avoid," said Dr. Howse. "The March of Dimes is honored to recognize Dr. Shaw's efforts toward our goal of giving more babies a healthy start in life."
Dr. Shaw received his doctorate in epidemiology in 1986 from University of California at Berkeley. He has conducted epidemiologic research for 25 years. He has collaborated with many key researchers in the field of birth defects and has published more than 300 scientific papers. Prior to joining Stanford, Dr. Shaw was the Research Director/Epidemiologist of the March of Dimes California Research Division for 20 years.
Dr. Shaw's research focuses on the epidemiology of birth defects, the interaction between genes and the environment on newborn health outcomes, and nutrition and reproductive outcomes. During the last 20 years, he has led eight major population-based epidemiologic studies involving thousands of maternal interviews and DNA sample collections.
Dr. Shaw is associate editor of the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Birth Defects Research: Clinical and Molecular Teratology and the American Journal of Epidemiology. He is an active member of the Teratology Society, the Society for Epidemiologic Research, the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research and a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. He is an elected member of the American Epidemiological Society and was awarded the Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr. Award by the National Birth Defects Prevention Network in 2007 for his significant contributions to the field of birth defects. Dr. Shaw's devotion to preventing birth defects through improved maternal nutrition, and his distinguished research, teaching and service, make him highly deserving of the Agnes Higgins Award.
The March of Dimes established the Agnes Higgins Award in 1980 to recognize her role in improving maternal health during pregnancy, and the health of babies. Agnes Higgins, CM, BSc, PDt., FRSH, LLD, was a nutritionist and executive director of the Montreal Diet Dispensary from 1948 until her retirement in 1981. The March of Dimes first presented the award as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canada's Montreal Diet Dispensary.
Mrs. Higgins helped pregnant women have healthy babies by focusing on the mother's nutritional needs. Services provided at the Dispensary were the precursor of government nutrition programs for pregnant women in the United States, such as WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Since 1980, the Agnes Higgins Award has been presented at the American Public Health Association annual meeting to leaders in the field of maternal-fetal medicine in recognition of their achievement in research, education or clinical services in the field of maternal-fetal nutrition.
In 2013, the March of Dimes celebrates its 75th Anniversary and its ongoing work to help babies get a healthy start in life. Early research led to the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines that all babies still receive. Other breakthroughs include new treatments for premature infants and children with birth defects.
About 4 million babies are born each year in the United States, and all have benefitted from March of Dimes lifesaving research and education.
###
The March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premiere event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Todd P. Dezen
(914) 997-4608
tdezen@marchofdimes.com
Elizabeth Lynch
(914) 997-4286
elynch@marchofdimes.com
###
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 4-Nov-2013
ShareContact: Elizabeth Lynch
elynch@marchofdimes.com
914-997-4286
March of Dimes Foundation
Boston, MA, Nov. 4, 2013 - A researcher who showed that what a woman consumes during pregnancy may increase her baby's risk of developing a birth defect will receive the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award for outstanding achievements in the field of maternal-fetal nutrition.
Gary M. Shaw, DrPH, is professor and associate chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is also co-principal investigator of the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center at Stanford University.
Dr. Shaw's research has helped prevent a variety birth defects and identified many risk factors, including medication use, occupational exposures, alcohol use, nutritional factors, medical conditions, and genetic variants. Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President of the March of Dimes, presented the award to Dr. Shaw during the 141st annual meeting of the American Public Health Association held here.
"Dr. Shaw's research on human birth defects shows that the consumption of alcohol and poor nutrition can increase the risks of birth defects for babies. Through his research, he has influenced how healthcare providers counsel their pregnant patients on what to eat and what they should avoid," said Dr. Howse. "The March of Dimes is honored to recognize Dr. Shaw's efforts toward our goal of giving more babies a healthy start in life."
Dr. Shaw received his doctorate in epidemiology in 1986 from University of California at Berkeley. He has conducted epidemiologic research for 25 years. He has collaborated with many key researchers in the field of birth defects and has published more than 300 scientific papers. Prior to joining Stanford, Dr. Shaw was the Research Director/Epidemiologist of the March of Dimes California Research Division for 20 years.
Dr. Shaw's research focuses on the epidemiology of birth defects, the interaction between genes and the environment on newborn health outcomes, and nutrition and reproductive outcomes. During the last 20 years, he has led eight major population-based epidemiologic studies involving thousands of maternal interviews and DNA sample collections.
Dr. Shaw is associate editor of the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Birth Defects Research: Clinical and Molecular Teratology and the American Journal of Epidemiology. He is an active member of the Teratology Society, the Society for Epidemiologic Research, the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research and a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. He is an elected member of the American Epidemiological Society and was awarded the Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr. Award by the National Birth Defects Prevention Network in 2007 for his significant contributions to the field of birth defects. Dr. Shaw's devotion to preventing birth defects through improved maternal nutrition, and his distinguished research, teaching and service, make him highly deserving of the Agnes Higgins Award.
The March of Dimes established the Agnes Higgins Award in 1980 to recognize her role in improving maternal health during pregnancy, and the health of babies. Agnes Higgins, CM, BSc, PDt., FRSH, LLD, was a nutritionist and executive director of the Montreal Diet Dispensary from 1948 until her retirement in 1981. The March of Dimes first presented the award as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canada's Montreal Diet Dispensary.
Mrs. Higgins helped pregnant women have healthy babies by focusing on the mother's nutritional needs. Services provided at the Dispensary were the precursor of government nutrition programs for pregnant women in the United States, such as WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Since 1980, the Agnes Higgins Award has been presented at the American Public Health Association annual meeting to leaders in the field of maternal-fetal medicine in recognition of their achievement in research, education or clinical services in the field of maternal-fetal nutrition.
In 2013, the March of Dimes celebrates its 75th Anniversary and its ongoing work to help babies get a healthy start in life. Early research led to the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines that all babies still receive. Other breakthroughs include new treatments for premature infants and children with birth defects.
About 4 million babies are born each year in the United States, and all have benefitted from March of Dimes lifesaving research and education.
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The March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premiere event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Todd P. Dezen
(914) 997-4608
tdezen@marchofdimes.com
Elizabeth Lynch
(914) 997-4286
elynch@marchofdimes.com
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