There is thousands of organ system which makes into various organ systems. One of it is immunity system. Immunity is a very important element in our body. Immunity is the strength that can help our body to fight against any sort of disease virus, bacteria and germs. If our body doesn?t have a strong immunity then it will fall sick on a frequent basis, will invite all sorts of ailments and problem in body. Hence it is very important to have proper immunity because without it our body will always remain weak. To have a proper immunity it is very much important to have a proper diet because with out having proper or should say a healthy diet it is next to impossible. Some children who don?t get proper nutrition have zero amount of immunity hence there growth is affected as well as there health is weak in there entire life.
Not only does immunity makes you weak and lessen your strength it even creates other ailments like you will become allergic.
Yes, you will become allergic to many substances near you; it will always affect you up. You may have problem such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing, rashes, itchiness or even severe attack of asthma. The main problem will allergy is that if it is not treated in right time then it will convert into asthma or some other serious case of allergy.
Allergy can trouble you to all the extents, the causes are environment and genetic disorders. You can suddenly start sneezing by coming in contact with does, or you can have a serious breathing problem when you try to clean your house reason is house mites, or you can start sneezing or have a running nose by smelling vinegar, or can have rashes and itchy eyes after bathing from warm water.
All this can turn severe if any serious step is not taken for it?s diagnose and treatment.
?In gigantic cities like the metropolis where there is so much of population and pollution it becomes quite a trouble to take care of your health. People are so busy in there work that they hardly get time to think about there immunity system leave alone there visit to doctor to stop the trigger of allergy or asthma. But actually there is nothing to worry about because there are numbers of good doctors available to help you out such as immunologists in Delhi. There are allergists in Delhi also, who can help you by diagnoses and treatment to your allergy. The asthma specialists in Delhi help out people suffering from asthma.
President Barack Obama speaks at the James Lee Community Center in Falls Church, Virginia, Feb. 1, 2012.
Newt Gingrich ended his campaign against Mitt Romney in Florida with the same message strategy that Romney?s senior advisers had used in another Republican primary two years earlier: Attack Goldman Sachs. There was a good reason.
Amid the orange groves and senior centers, the successful investment bank served as Gingrich?s red meat for the right. ?You look at Goldman Sachs, which was the number one funder of Obama; now they?re the number one funder of Romney,? he told CBS News, just a day before the polls closed. ?I think it?s pretty easy to make the case Romney is the guy who will manage the decay.?
The echoes were unmistakable. In 2010, Romney?s current pollster, Neil Newhouse, and top ad man, Stuart Stevens, had employed a nearly identical strategy when attacking a Republican frontrunner, Meg Whitman, in the California gubernatorial primary. ?Goldman executives donated over $100,000 to Whitman,? ran one of the ads, for Steve Poizner, called ?Vulture.? ?Meg Whitman: Bad judgment. Wrong values.?
The reasons for the matching strategies speak to a central shift that has occurred in the national electorate, and the Republican Party, since the 2008 economic collapse. Economic populism?the idea that the many have been fleeced by the rich few?is no longer just a Democratic argument, which can be used to attract blue collar independents in the Midwest. It now works deep in the Republican ranks, having been first adopted by the no-bailout, Washington corruption message of the Tea Party in 2009.
(MORE:?Fickle Florida: What Romney?s Victory Says About the Bellwether State?s Mood ? and the Nation?s)
Shortly before the New Hampshire primary took place, leaders of Priorities USA, the pro-Obama super PAC, tested messages among Republicans in South Carolina to explore the best way to attack Romney. What they found surprised them. Among Republicans with only a high school diploma, 67% admitted to greater doubts about Romney when read a statement about layoffs at Romney?s former firm, Bain Capital. When read a statement about Romney paying lower taxes because of his investment income, 62% of high school graduates said they had greater doubts about Romney. College graduates, by contrast, were less impressed, saying they were swayed by the messages by 42% and 41%, respectively.
Those same trends have been seen nationally. In a December NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, voters were asked to respond to a statement that read, ?The current economic structure of the country is out of balance and favors a very small proportion of the rich. America needs to reduce the power of major banks and corporations and demand greater accountability and transparency. The government should not provide financial aid to corporations and should not provide tax breaks to the rich.? Among Republican primary voters, 60% agreed, and 40% agreed strongly. The same proportions agreed among self-described Tea Party supporters. Among Independents, 79% agreed, and 62% agreed strongly.
A more recent Pew Poll found that 66% of Americans see a ?very strong? or ?strong? conflict in this country between the rich and poor. When asked by Pew if the wealthy pay their ?fair share? in taxes, 38% of Republicans and 57% of independents say the answer is no.
(MORE: Occupy Mitt: Protesters Come Face-to-Face with the 1% in Florida)
It is in this context that the Obama campaign has debuted a master campaign message that plays right into this class-based sense of injustice now roiling all sides of the ideological spectrum. This is the reason Obama has focused on the so-called Buffett Rule, which would raise taxes on some millionaires while having a minimum impact on the poor. It is why the President can hardly pass a microphone these days without calling on the rich to ?pay their fair share.? It is why Obama has refurbished an old Bill Clinton line from 1992. ?Let?s never forget,? he said in the State of the Union address. ?Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same.?
Just how the Romney campaign responds, beyond decrying such comments as ?class warfare? and ?attacks on free enterprise,? is still an open question. But some Republican strategists and pollsters doubt that simply blaming Obama will be enough. Henry Olson, a conservative scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, argues that Republicans face a real challenge, that goes beyond the perceptions of Romney?s wealth and past. Working class white voters, he argues, have become increasingly alienated from the conservative policy agenda of spending cuts and continuing low taxes, just as they have been turned off by President Obama?s performance. ?You are gambling that they will dislike Obama more than they disagree with you,? Olson said of the current Republican playbook.
But that is a question for another day. First the Republican primary will have to be resolved, and the early signs are that the economic populist attacks, from both Gingrich and Obama?s allies, are already taking its toll. A recent Washington Post poll found Romney dropping to 23% favorability rating among independents, from levels in the mid-40s last fall. Romney still has time to respond, but there is no doubt that he will have to forcefully.
The initial thing one should check out STDs is exactly who gets them. Don?t delay any time you believe you are already uncovered- be sure you routine an appointment take an HIV check in recent times. Many people will be not aware with the ways to steer clear of or treat them while other companies are too embarrassed to share their doctors to fix it. Rest assured that testing place might be inexpensive, established and reliable. Men are generally the kinds just who endure this check considering ladies who undergo urinalysis avoid getting as exact effects as people on cervical swab.
You could possibly uncover some or the tips which you could come across through this write-up beneficial good enough to convince your companion to get advantage from a new dependable STD diagnostic tests: Miranda is right and therefore many people focus on Chlamydia as ?The Tranquil Disease?. The fact that this testing and consultation is totally confidential signifies you could loosen up in addition to inquire the questions that you require answered without embarrassment. There is also some sort of STD that can be the explanation of genital warts and can trigger cervical cancer. The process found in getting an STD test will not be very different from std testing omaha encountering a test for various health problems. Infection among males is reportedly rising having a 45% increase amongst 2004 and 08.
Once you get a middle, they could make anything from non-public cellphone counseling so that you can STD testing or maybe screening at cost-free of expenses as well as at lower charge. As early as you?re in the AN STD clinic, a clinic employees will accompany you through the entire whole test you?ll endure. This equates for you to practically 3. 2 million woman teenagers. Therefore, your first worry has to be a location that is definitely trustworthy and respected. In fact, not that many individuals know exactly exactly what conditions actually is present.
Maternal-fetal sign, which causes significant birth defects. ?The Blue Banner ad, ? the University of New york ? Asheville, online news form recently reported in which its Student Health and fitness Center had initiated offering STD testing 100 % free. The simplest way for you to acquire some treatment is usually to visit your individual medical practitioner. If you enjoy the nagging feeling connected with anxiety, get yourself on the most adjacent AN STD clinic.
Cost of procedures in connection with care for your health really should not be a big package. Completely different wellness clinics and hospitals can be giving STD testing proper who desires this. It is essential that you get screened involving each partner. There are a number of other disorders that you could be tested for at the time of your STD controlling, these use virtually the similar procedures since the two mentioned here. Remember no evaluation can certify that her person hasn?t got HPV. There are not any worries since the procedures are really easy and the outcomes of the lab tests can be used swiftly.
There are just lots of questions being asked like: In what ways would you like to catch an AN STD? As such, symptoms like oral itching and burning are unlikely to raise some sort of red flag over the STD front and is sometimes put off along with diagnosis. Bacterial infections might be like an STD but usually are not considered an A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE. Beware of lubricants in which use silicone, petroleum-based glycol, parabens, glycerin or various harsh chemicals.
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico ? Every one of the 2,500 police officers in this Mexican border city has been ordered to leave home and stay in a hotel after the killing of five officers by a local drug cartel.
The gang threatened a week ago to kill one policeman a day unless Police Chief Julian Leyzaola resigns.
Juarez Mayor Hector Murguia said Wednesday that the attacks carried out since the warning are a response to toughening police action against drug cartels in the city across from El Paso, Texas.
The mayor said there is no way Leyzaola is stepping down. He said most of the officers are "angry because of the attacks," but are deeply committed to fighting crime.
Police spokesman Adrian Sanchez said officers were ordered to stay away from their houses after Monday's shootout between assailants and policemen. That assault and previous attacks happened as officers were going to or from home.
The city's government said it has secured 26 million pesos ($2 million) to house officers in hotels but did not specify how long that would last.
A policewoman who moved to a hotel in downtown Juarez said Wednesday that officers feel "more like soldiers, living in barracks than police officers." Still, she said, "I don't want my family to become collateral damage if I become a target."
The officer, a single mother of two, agreed to discuss the matter only if not quoted by name because she was violating department rules that bar her from talking to journalists.
Sanchez said the police department will assess the results of the measure after a month and then decide whether to continue.
"So far it's been successful," Murguia said.
At least 10 banners bearing threats to Juarez's police chief appeared around the city last week. The messages were signed by the New Juarez Cartel, an offshoot of the La Linea or Juarez Cartel, a major target of law enforcement actions in recent months.
Some of the banners accused Leyzaola, a former Mexican army lieutenant colonel, of favoring a rival cartel, while other messages called for his resignation.
"We pay no attention to the banners. If we did, we wouldn't even get out of bed," the mayor said.
The five slain officers were killed in three different attacks, bringing the number of officers slain in January to eight.
The latest attack happened Monday, when several officers were ambushed at a gas station. Three assailants were killed and three other policemen were wounded.
Murguia said moving the entire police force to hotels was not a setback in the city's fight against crime. Nearly 8,900 people have been killed in drug-related violence in the city since 2008.
In 2009, a police chief quit after being threatened.
Last year, after hiring Leyzaola, the city saw a decline in reported crimes. More than 1,900 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez last year, compared to more than 3,000 in 2010.
New investment aims to establish the UK as a global graphene research hubPublic release date: 2-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: EPSRC Press Office pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk 01-793-444-404 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Today sees the announcement of full details of how an additional 50 million will be spent to keep the UK at the forefront of research into 'wonder material' graphene. Also below are details of further investment strands for graphene engineering and research technology.
200 times stronger than steel yet less than an atom thick, graphene is the strongest and thinnest material ever measured, and also the world's most conductive material. It has a wide range of potential uses, including electronics, flexible touch screens, sensors and in composite materials.
The investment will help establish the UK as a graphene research and technology 'hub', funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), that will lead to the rapid commercialisation of graphene technologies in the UK. There will be four investment strands, building on the strong, and rapidly-expanding, UK research in this field.
Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, said:
"This significant investment in graphene will drive growth and innovation, create high-tech jobs and keep the UK at the very forefront of this rapidly evolving area of science. With a Nobel Prize and hundreds of published papers under their belts, scientists in the UK have already demonstrated that we have real strengths in this area. The graphene hub will build on this by taking this research through to commercial success."
A key element of the graphene hub will be a national institute of graphene research and commercialisation activities. The University of Manchester has been confirmed as the single supplier invited to submit a proposal for funding a new 45 million national institute, 38 million of which will be provided by the UK Government. This world-class shared facility for graphene research and commercialisation activities will be accessible by both researchers and business.
The national institute, funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and The University of Manchester, will offer access to specialist facilities and equipment which enable the simulation of manufacturing processes. The University of Manchester is an acknowledged research leader in graphene research with tens of thousands of citations for graphene papers, and is the academic home Nobel Laureates, and now Knights Batchelors, Professor Sir Andre Geim and Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for demonstrating the remarkable properties of graphene.
Professor Andre Geim said:
"Creating a National Graphene institute here at The University of Manchester would allow our world-class scientists and researchers to further explore the limitless potential of graphene.
"To have such a facility here is a testament to the expertise at the University and will offer fantastic opportunities for Manchester researchers to work closely with industry and business."
EPSRC Chief Executive, Professor David Delpy, said:
"From the first grant of just over 500,000 in August 2001 which led to the demonstration of graphene, to a grant of more than 5 million awarded in October 2009 to investigate the potential of the material, EPSRC directly funded the research which led to the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics being awarded to Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov. This new investment will help accelerate commercialisation and open up new opportunities for growth."
"The applications for commercial use of graphene are vast including the creation of new materials and the manufacture of innovative electronics. The 50 million in additional funding is an important step in ensuring we can reap the benefits of those applications."
"The race to be the first country to produce commercial products is well and truly on. "
Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said:
"Technology innovation and, in particular, the commercialisation and exploitation of innovation is absolutely vital for the UK's economic future, and to improve our quality of life. Establishing this Institute of Graphene Research will help to ensure that we capitalise on the UK's great strength in graphene research by supporting the development of applications for the technology. This will drive economic growth and create high-tech jobs."
Secondly, 12 million is available from the UK Government to invest in research equipment related to graphene. EPSRC will seek to fund equipment that can be used across a variety of disciplines and research groups and which will be accessible to business.
Thirdly, additional 10 million of investment is available from EPSRC's research budget to support graphene engineering research, and accelerate the generation of novel devices, technologies and systems. It will also strengthen the UK position in relation to European initiatives with potential for further financial leverage.
Fourthly, an innovation centre to focus on the market development and exploitation of emerging graphene technologies will be established, with around 10 million of investment from the EPSRC and the Technology Strategy Board. Separate from the institute of graphene research and supported by business, the centre will help to accelerate the development, application and exploitation of new graphene technologies, in order for them to realise their full commercial and economic potential.
Professor Sir Peter Knight, President of the Institute of Physics, said:
"We welcome the Government's commitment to additional investment in the science base. Graphene is a great success story for British science and an outstanding example of the value achievable from the application of physics."
###
Notes to editors
The 50 million is subject to a submission requesting BIS Ministerial approval of the full business case and authorisation to proceed on this basis.
On 3 October 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer pledged a 50m investment to create a graphene global research and technology hub and build a national capability to support the commercialisation of applications for graphene and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of graphene work. The details were explained by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts.
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=421451&NewsAreaID=2
The national institute, although based at Manchester, will be a resource for research groups and businesses across the UK.
The invitation to bid for equipment funding and engineering research grants will be available from early February.
The business focused innovation centre will aim to support the early stages of technology development and application and is expected to be launched in late 2012/ early 2013.
EPSRC Case study:
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/casestudies/2010/Pages/graphene.aspx
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and physical sciences. EPSRC invests around 800m a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.
The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via research Councils UK.
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led government body which works to create economic growth by ensuring that the UK is a global leader in innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit http://www.innovateuk.org
Daniel Cochlin
Media Relations Officer
The University of Manchester
0161-275-8387
daniel.cochlin@manchester.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
New investment aims to establish the UK as a global graphene research hubPublic release date: 2-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: EPSRC Press Office pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk 01-793-444-404 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Today sees the announcement of full details of how an additional 50 million will be spent to keep the UK at the forefront of research into 'wonder material' graphene. Also below are details of further investment strands for graphene engineering and research technology.
200 times stronger than steel yet less than an atom thick, graphene is the strongest and thinnest material ever measured, and also the world's most conductive material. It has a wide range of potential uses, including electronics, flexible touch screens, sensors and in composite materials.
The investment will help establish the UK as a graphene research and technology 'hub', funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), that will lead to the rapid commercialisation of graphene technologies in the UK. There will be four investment strands, building on the strong, and rapidly-expanding, UK research in this field.
Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, said:
"This significant investment in graphene will drive growth and innovation, create high-tech jobs and keep the UK at the very forefront of this rapidly evolving area of science. With a Nobel Prize and hundreds of published papers under their belts, scientists in the UK have already demonstrated that we have real strengths in this area. The graphene hub will build on this by taking this research through to commercial success."
A key element of the graphene hub will be a national institute of graphene research and commercialisation activities. The University of Manchester has been confirmed as the single supplier invited to submit a proposal for funding a new 45 million national institute, 38 million of which will be provided by the UK Government. This world-class shared facility for graphene research and commercialisation activities will be accessible by both researchers and business.
The national institute, funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and The University of Manchester, will offer access to specialist facilities and equipment which enable the simulation of manufacturing processes. The University of Manchester is an acknowledged research leader in graphene research with tens of thousands of citations for graphene papers, and is the academic home Nobel Laureates, and now Knights Batchelors, Professor Sir Andre Geim and Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for demonstrating the remarkable properties of graphene.
Professor Andre Geim said:
"Creating a National Graphene institute here at The University of Manchester would allow our world-class scientists and researchers to further explore the limitless potential of graphene.
"To have such a facility here is a testament to the expertise at the University and will offer fantastic opportunities for Manchester researchers to work closely with industry and business."
EPSRC Chief Executive, Professor David Delpy, said:
"From the first grant of just over 500,000 in August 2001 which led to the demonstration of graphene, to a grant of more than 5 million awarded in October 2009 to investigate the potential of the material, EPSRC directly funded the research which led to the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics being awarded to Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov. This new investment will help accelerate commercialisation and open up new opportunities for growth."
"The applications for commercial use of graphene are vast including the creation of new materials and the manufacture of innovative electronics. The 50 million in additional funding is an important step in ensuring we can reap the benefits of those applications."
"The race to be the first country to produce commercial products is well and truly on. "
Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said:
"Technology innovation and, in particular, the commercialisation and exploitation of innovation is absolutely vital for the UK's economic future, and to improve our quality of life. Establishing this Institute of Graphene Research will help to ensure that we capitalise on the UK's great strength in graphene research by supporting the development of applications for the technology. This will drive economic growth and create high-tech jobs."
Secondly, 12 million is available from the UK Government to invest in research equipment related to graphene. EPSRC will seek to fund equipment that can be used across a variety of disciplines and research groups and which will be accessible to business.
Thirdly, additional 10 million of investment is available from EPSRC's research budget to support graphene engineering research, and accelerate the generation of novel devices, technologies and systems. It will also strengthen the UK position in relation to European initiatives with potential for further financial leverage.
Fourthly, an innovation centre to focus on the market development and exploitation of emerging graphene technologies will be established, with around 10 million of investment from the EPSRC and the Technology Strategy Board. Separate from the institute of graphene research and supported by business, the centre will help to accelerate the development, application and exploitation of new graphene technologies, in order for them to realise their full commercial and economic potential.
Professor Sir Peter Knight, President of the Institute of Physics, said:
"We welcome the Government's commitment to additional investment in the science base. Graphene is a great success story for British science and an outstanding example of the value achievable from the application of physics."
###
Notes to editors
The 50 million is subject to a submission requesting BIS Ministerial approval of the full business case and authorisation to proceed on this basis.
On 3 October 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer pledged a 50m investment to create a graphene global research and technology hub and build a national capability to support the commercialisation of applications for graphene and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of graphene work. The details were explained by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts.
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=421451&NewsAreaID=2
The national institute, although based at Manchester, will be a resource for research groups and businesses across the UK.
The invitation to bid for equipment funding and engineering research grants will be available from early February.
The business focused innovation centre will aim to support the early stages of technology development and application and is expected to be launched in late 2012/ early 2013.
EPSRC Case study:
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/casestudies/2010/Pages/graphene.aspx
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and physical sciences. EPSRC invests around 800m a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.
The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via research Councils UK.
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led government body which works to create economic growth by ensuring that the UK is a global leader in innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit http://www.innovateuk.org
Daniel Cochlin
Media Relations Officer
The University of Manchester
0161-275-8387
daniel.cochlin@manchester.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Iran is feeling the bite from economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear program, which is capable of producing a weapon although Iranian leaders have not yet decided to do so, top intelligence chiefs told Congress on Tuesday.
"The sanctions have been biting much, much more literally in recent weeks than they have until this time," CIA Director David Petraeus said at a Senate intelligence committee hearing.
"What we have to see now is how does that play out, what is the level of popular discontent inside Iran, does that influence the strategic decision-making of the Supreme Leader and the regime, keeping in mind that the regime's paramount goal in all that they do is their regime survival," he said.
Iran's currency, the rial, has lost "considerable value" and there have been "runs on the bank" as Iranians try to dump domestic currency and acquire assets that will hold value better as inflation "takes off," Petraeus said.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper acknowledged that sanctions so far had not caused Iran's leaders to change their pursuit of nuclear capabilities.
But he said some Iranian officials appear more willing to conduct an attack in the United States if they feel threatened, citing last year's alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
"The 2011 plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States shows that some Iranian officials - probably including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - have changed their calculus and are now more willing to conduct an attack in the United States in response to real or perceived U.S. actions that threaten the regime," Clapper said in his Senate testimony.
"We are also concerned about Iranian plotting against U.S. or allied interests overseas," he said.
Senators at the hearing asked about Israel's concerns about Iran's nuclear program, amid speculation that Israel might launch a pre-emptive strike at the country's known nuclear sites.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, the panel's chairwoman, and Petraeus said they met recently with the director of Mossad, Israel's intelligence service.
"We're doing a lot with the Israelis, working together with them. And of course for them, this is, as they have characterized, is an existential threat," Clapper said.
Petraeus, appearing with other intelligence community leaders at an annual open hearing on global threats to U.S. security, said that China has reduced imports of Iranian oil but "it remains to be seen whether that continues."
"It appears that Saudi Arabian production is ramping up and can fill some of the demand that might have been met by Iranian exports now that there are the sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran," he said.
The United States imposed the harshest sanctions so far on Iran when President Barack Obama on December 31 signed into law new sanctions on transactions involving Iran's central bank.
The European Union last week imposed a ban on the import, purchase or transport of Iranian oil. Existing contracts can be honored up to July 1.
The West has imposed sanctions over the years due to concerns that Iran's nuclear development program is aimed at building a weapon. Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes.
The latest U.S. sanctions will have a deeper impact because the Central Bank of Iran handles a large volume of foreign bank transactions and receives the revenue for the roughly 70 percent of oil sold by the National Iranian Oil Company, Clapper said.
'CRITICAL YEAR'
"According to most timelines I've heard, 2012 will be a critical year for convincing or preventing Iran's development of a nuclear weapon," Feinstein, a Democrat, said.
Iran is keeping open the option to develop a nuclear bomb but U.S. intelligence agencies do not know whether its leaders ultimately will decide to build one, Clapper said in his written statement to the panel.
New U.S. sanctions were likely to have a greater impact than previous ones, but were not expected to lead to the downfall of Iran's leadership, Clapper said.
"We assess Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons, in part by developing various nuclear capabilities that better position it to produce such weapons, should it choose to do so," he said in written testimony. "We do not know, however, if Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons."
Iran's advances, particularly in uranium enrichment, strengthen the assessment that "Iran is well capable of producing enough highly-enriched uranium for a weapon if its political leaders, specifically the Supreme Leader himself, choose to do so," Clapper said.
"Iran's economic difficulties probably will not jeopardize the regime, absent a sudden and sustained fall in oil prices or a sudden domestic crisis that disrupts oil exports," Clapper's written testimony said.
Iran has sought to "exploit the Arab Spring but has reaped limited benefits, thus far," the testimony said. Tehran's biggest regional concern is ally Syria, where a change in leadership would be a major strategic loss for Iran.
Nearly a year into the unrest, conflict in Syria is unlikely to be resolved quickly, and it is a matter of time before Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad falls, Clapper said.
"I personally believe it's a question of time before Assad falls, but that's the issue, it could be a long time," Clapper said. "Protraction of these demonstrations, the opposition continues to be fragmented, but I do not see how he can sustain his rule of Syria."
CHINA CONCERNED
Arab Spring uprisings fueled concern among Chinese leaders that similar unrest could undermine their rule, prompting Beijing to launch its harshest crackdown on dissent in at least a decade, Clapper said in his written testimony.
At the same time, worries about the global economy helped heighten Beijing's resistance to external pressure and suspicion of U.S. intentions, it said.
China continued a policy of permitting modest appreciation of the renminbi, "although it remains substantially undervalued," the testimony said.
Espionage by China, Russia, and Iran will pose significant security threats to the United States in coming years, the written statement said.
Russia and China are aggressive and successful in economic espionage against the United States, and "Iran's intelligence operations against the United States, including cyber capabilities, have dramatically increased in recent years in depth and complexity," the statement said.
Foreign intelligence services have targeted the unclassified and classified computer networks of U.S. government agencies, businesses and universities. "We assess that many intrusions into U.S. networks are not being detected," the statement said.
(Reporting By Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Eric Walsh and Eric Beech)
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) -Three CSKA Sofia players have been given minimum three-month bans after testing positive for banned stimulants.
The Bulgarian Olympic Committee disciplinary commission announced the decisions on Tuesday against Kostadin Stoyanov, Rumen Trifonov and Todor Yanchev.
The players tested positive for methylhexanamine after domestic league matches last season.
CSKA has already fired the team doctor, accusing him of prescribing the banned stimulant to the players.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
advertisement
More news
Man U wipes out City's lead
Manchester United wiped out Manchester City's lead at the top of the Premier League on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over Stoke as its neighbor went down 1-0 at Everton to a goal by a former United player.
No big signings
European football's transfer window is set to close with clubs looking unlikely to outlay any late lavish sums.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vqNPNBZpwq3WSN01OP79zfedorx0pQd1duGccmm2dtJ5nxoPva_jf6gTT3PvtO_K2-1C2qIMNqEb6Sf_jajxK6M-GsQs-WQakW9esTYYc=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 2-Feb-2012
Share ]