Putin says he wants clean presidential vote

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the March presidential election, in which he'll compete, should be transparent and fair, but rejected demands from swelling numbers of protesters for a rerun of the fraud-tainted parliamentary election.

Putin's United Russia party barely retained its majority in the Dec. 4 election despite alleged vote-rigging in its favor. Tens of thousands have protested since, urging an end to Putin's rule, including a Moscow rally last weekend that was the largest show of discontent since the Soviet collapse 20 years ago.

Putin, who served as president in 2000-2008 and remained the country's most powerful figure after …

Today in History

Today is Sunday, May 8, the 128th day of 2011. There are 237 days left in the year. This is Mother's Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 8, 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germany's forces had surrendered, and that "the flags of freedom fly all over Europe."

On this date:

In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.

In 1794, Antoine Lavoisier (lah-vwahz-YAY'), the father of modern chemistry, was executed on the guillotine during France's Reign of Terror.

In 1884, the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, was born in Lamar, Mo.

In 1886, Atlanta pharmacist John …

Measurement of urine total sialic acid: Comparison of an automated ultraviolet enzymatic method with a colorimetric assay

ABSTRACT

An automated ultraviolet (UV) enzymatic assay for urine total sialic acid (SA), performed on a Cobas Fara analyser, is described and compared with the colorimetric Warren method, which is used widely to determine urine SA. Intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) for urine total SA determination was 0.83% for the UV assay and 3.5% for the Warren method. Inter-assay CVs were 1.8% and 5.6%, respectively. Recovery of urine total SA ranged from 89% for the UV assay to 61 % for the Warren method. Both were linear over a range of urine SA from 20 to 240 mg/L The UV assay was automated, took approximately 20 min to produce a result and avoided the need for solvent extraction; …

Iranian women's rights activist barred from travelling to Sweden to accept prize

An Iranian women's rights activist was barred from traveling to Sweden to receive a prize from her work, but she vowed Monday she would continue pushing for equality despite restrictions imposed on women activists.

Parvin Ardalan was to receive the 2007 Olof Palme award in Stockholm this week but she said she was told just before her flight to Stockholm on Sunday that she was not allowed to leave the country.

Ardalan said that when she received her passport recently, she had not been told of any ban, but "it happened in the last moments before departure."

The 36-year-old Ardalan is one of a number of activists leading a campaign …

Teens sue Pa. prosecutor over racy cell-phone pics

Three Pennsylvania teenagers are suing a prosecutor who wants to charge them with child pornography over racy cell-phone pictures of themselves.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued Wednesday to block Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick (skoo-MAN'-ik) Jr. from filing charges.

Two of the girls are 13-year-olds who were shown in their bras and …

Roadwork to start on N. Sheridan

Resurfacing projects on North Sheridan Road and North Lake ShoreDrive will result in lane and ramp closings this week, the city saidTuesday.

A project on North Sheridan from Hollywood to Devon and Broadwaywill begin tomorrow at 10 a.m., the city said.

Sheridan will become one-way northbound after the morning rushperiod Thursday and Friday, with two lanes open. Southbound trafficwill be detoured onto Broadway, the city …

Partial Tunisia results: Islamist party has 44 pct

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Authorities say the latest results from Tunisia's landmark elections indicate the moderate Islamist party is holding onto its lead, taking at least 44 percent of seats counted so far for an assembly tasked with writing a new constitution.

The results of Sunday's vote are being closely watched since Tunisia's popular uprising early this year set off a wave of revolts across …