Breakthrough in neuroscience could help re-wire appetite control

Public release date: 5-Apr-2013
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Contact: Lisa Horton
l.horton@uea.ac.uk
44-016-035-92764
University of East Anglia

Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have made a discovery in neuroscience that could offer a long-lasting solution to eating disorders such as obesity.

It was previously thought that the nerve cells in the brain associated with appetite regulation were generated entirely during an embryo's development in the womb and therefore their numbers were fixed for life.

But research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience has identified a population of stem cells capable of generating new appetite-regulating neurons in the brains of young and adult rodents.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. More than 1.4 billion adults worldwide are overweight and more than half a billion are obese. Associated health problems include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer. And at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.

The economic burden on the NHS in the UK is estimated to be more than 5 billion annually. In the US, the healthcare cost tops $60 billion.

Scientists at UEA investigated the hypothalamus section of the brain which regulates sleep and wake cycles, energy expenditure, appetite, thirst, hormone release and many other critical biological functions. The study looked specifically at the nerve cells that regulate appetite.

The researchers used 'genetic fate mapping' techniques to make their discovery a method that tracks the development of stem cells and cells derived from them, at desired time points during the life of an animal.

They established that a population of brain cells called 'tanycytes' behave like stem cells and add new neurons to the appetite-regulating circuitry of the mouse brain after birth and into adulthood.

Lead researcher Dr Mohammad K. Hajihosseini, from UEA's school of Biological Sciences, said: "Unlike dieting, translation of this discovery could eventually offer a permanent solution for tackling obesity.

"Loss or malfunctioning of neurons in the hypothalamus is the prime cause of eating disorders such as obesity.

"Until recently we thought that all of these nerve cells were generated during the embryonic period and so the circuitry that controls appetite was fixed.

"But this study has shown that the neural circuitry that controls appetite is not fixed in number and could possibly be manipulated numerically to tackle eating disorders.

"The next step is to define the group of genes and cellular processes that regulate the behaviour and activity of tanycytes. This information will further our understanding of brain stem cells and could be exploited to develop drugs that can modulate the number or functioning of appetite-regulating neurons.

"Our long-term goal of course is to translate this work to humans, which could take up to five or 10 years. It could lead to a permanent intervention in infancy for those predisposed to obesity, or later in life as the disease becomes apparent."

###

The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

'Fgf10-expressing tanycytes add new neurons to the appetite/energy-balance regulating centres of the postnatal and adult hypothalamus' by Mohammad Hajihosseini, Niels Haan, Timothy Goodman, Alaleh Najdi-Samiei and Christina Stratford (all UEA), Ritva Rice (University of Helsinki), Elie El Agha and Saverio Bellusci (both University of Giessen) is published by the Journal of Neuroscience.

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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.

Public release date: 5-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Lisa Horton
l.horton@uea.ac.uk
44-016-035-92764
University of East Anglia

Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have made a discovery in neuroscience that could offer a long-lasting solution to eating disorders such as obesity.

It was previously thought that the nerve cells in the brain associated with appetite regulation were generated entirely during an embryo's development in the womb and therefore their numbers were fixed for life.

But research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience has identified a population of stem cells capable of generating new appetite-regulating neurons in the brains of young and adult rodents.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. More than 1.4 billion adults worldwide are overweight and more than half a billion are obese. Associated health problems include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer. And at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.

The economic burden on the NHS in the UK is estimated to be more than 5 billion annually. In the US, the healthcare cost tops $60 billion.

Scientists at UEA investigated the hypothalamus section of the brain which regulates sleep and wake cycles, energy expenditure, appetite, thirst, hormone release and many other critical biological functions. The study looked specifically at the nerve cells that regulate appetite.

The researchers used 'genetic fate mapping' techniques to make their discovery a method that tracks the development of stem cells and cells derived from them, at desired time points during the life of an animal.

They established that a population of brain cells called 'tanycytes' behave like stem cells and add new neurons to the appetite-regulating circuitry of the mouse brain after birth and into adulthood.

Lead researcher Dr Mohammad K. Hajihosseini, from UEA's school of Biological Sciences, said: "Unlike dieting, translation of this discovery could eventually offer a permanent solution for tackling obesity.

"Loss or malfunctioning of neurons in the hypothalamus is the prime cause of eating disorders such as obesity.

"Until recently we thought that all of these nerve cells were generated during the embryonic period and so the circuitry that controls appetite was fixed.

"But this study has shown that the neural circuitry that controls appetite is not fixed in number and could possibly be manipulated numerically to tackle eating disorders.

"The next step is to define the group of genes and cellular processes that regulate the behaviour and activity of tanycytes. This information will further our understanding of brain stem cells and could be exploited to develop drugs that can modulate the number or functioning of appetite-regulating neurons.

"Our long-term goal of course is to translate this work to humans, which could take up to five or 10 years. It could lead to a permanent intervention in infancy for those predisposed to obesity, or later in life as the disease becomes apparent."

###

The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

'Fgf10-expressing tanycytes add new neurons to the appetite/energy-balance regulating centres of the postnatal and adult hypothalamus' by Mohammad Hajihosseini, Niels Haan, Timothy Goodman, Alaleh Najdi-Samiei and Christina Stratford (all UEA), Ritva Rice (University of Helsinki), Elie El Agha and Saverio Bellusci (both University of Giessen) is published by the Journal of Neuroscience.

---

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?

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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uoea-bin040513.php

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Judge making morning-after pill available to all

This undated image made available by Teva Women's Health shows the packaging for their Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet, one of the brands known as the "morning-after pill." In a scathing rebuke of the Obama administration, a federal judge ruled Friday that age restrictions on over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill are "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable" and must end within 30 days. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York means consumers of any age could buy emergency contraception without a prescription _ instead of women first having to prove they're 17 or older, as they do today. And it could allow Plan B One-Step to move out from behind pharmacy counters to the store counters. (AP Photo/Teva Women's Health)

This undated image made available by Teva Women's Health shows the packaging for their Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet, one of the brands known as the "morning-after pill." In a scathing rebuke of the Obama administration, a federal judge ruled Friday that age restrictions on over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill are "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable" and must end within 30 days. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York means consumers of any age could buy emergency contraception without a prescription _ instead of women first having to prove they're 17 or older, as they do today. And it could allow Plan B One-Step to move out from behind pharmacy counters to the store counters. (AP Photo/Teva Women's Health)

This undated handout photo provided by Judge Edward Korman shows U.S. District Judge Korman of New York. In a scathing rebuke of the Obama administration, a federal judge ruled Friday that age restrictions on over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill are "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable" and must end within 30 days. The ruling by Korman means consumers of any age could buy emergency contraception without a prescription _ instead of women first having to prove they're 17 or older, as they do today. And it could allow Plan B One-Step to move out from behind pharmacy counters to the store counters. (AP Photo/Judge Korman's Office)

PREVIOUSLY OFFERED 021413; chart shows frequency of use of emergency contraception

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The morning-after pill might become as easy to buy as aspirin.

In a scathing rebuke accusing the Obama administration of letting election-year politics trump science, a federal judge ruled Friday that there should be no age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception without a doctor's prescription.

Today, buyers must prove at the pharmacy that they're 17 or older; everyone else must see a doctor first. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York blasted the government's decision on age limits as "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable," and ordered an end to the restrictions within 30 days.

The Justice Department was evaluating whether to appeal, and spokeswoman Allison Price said there would be a prompt decision.

President Barack Obama had supported the 2011 decision setting age limits, and White House spokesman Jay Carney said Friday the president hasn't changed his position. "He believes it was the right common-sense approach to this issue," Carney said.

If the court order stands, Plan B One-Step and its generic versions could move from behind pharmacy counters out to drugstore shelves ? ending a decade-plus struggle by women's groups for easier access to these pills, which can prevent pregnancy if taken soon enough after unprotected sex.

Saying the sales restrictions can make it hard for women of any age to buy the pills, Korman described the administration's decision, in the year before the 2012 presidential and congressional elections, as "politically motivated, scientifically unjustified and contrary to agency precedent."

Women's health specialists hailed the ruling.

"It has been clear for a long time that the medical and scientific community think this should be fully over the counter and is safe for women of all ages to use," said Dr. Susan Wood, who resigned as FDA's women's health chief in 2005 to protest Bush administration foot-dragging over Plan B.

Half the nation's pregnancies every year are unintended. Doctors' groups say more access to morning-after pills ? by putting them near the condoms and spermicides so people can learn about them and buy them quickly ? could cut those numbers. They see little risk in overuse, as the pills cost $40 to $50 apiece.

"The fact that it's over the counter does not make people have sex," said Dr. Angela Diaz, director of New York's Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. "Sixty percent of young people are sexually active by 12th grade, and the more tools we have to help them be responsible, the better."

Social conservatives criticized the ruling.

"There is a real danger that Plan B may be given to young girls, under coercion or without their consent," said Anna Higgins of the Family Research Council. "The involvement of parents and medical professionals acts as a safeguard for these young girls. However, today's ruling removes these common-sense protections."

Deirdre McQuade, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said: "Plan B does not prevent or treat any disease, but makes young adolescent girls more available to sexual predators. The court's action undermines parents' ability to protect their daughters from such exploitation and from the adverse effects of the drug itself."

Absent an appeal or a government request for more time to prepare one, the ruling would take effect in 30 days, meaning that over-the-counter sales could start then.

The Food and Drug Administration actually was preparing to allow over-the-counter sale of Plan B One-Step with no age limits in late 2011 when Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in an unprecedented move, overruled her own scientists. Sebelius said some girls as young as 11 are physically capable of bearing children but shouldn't be able to buy the pregnancy-preventing pill on their own.

The federal judge dismissed that argument.

"This case is not about the potential misuse of Plan B by 11-year-olds," said Korman, who called the pills safe for girls but said the number using them "is likely to be minuscule" as less than 3 percent of girls under age 13 are sexually active.

He cited the Administrative Procedure Act as granting a judge the authority to set aside an agency's rulings "if they are 'arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with law.'"

Korman said regulation requires that when the FDA allows nonprescription drug sales, "the standards are the same for aspirin and for contraceptives" ? and he ultimately determined that the government violated those standards in the case of Plan B.

"The decision that the agency was forced to make, contrary to its own policies and judgment, is not entitled to any deference," Korman concluded. "Indeed, it is hardly clear that the secretary had the power to issue the order, and if she did have that authority, her decision was arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable."

It was the judge's latest ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights and dating back to 2005 that pushed for unfettered over-the-counter access to Plan B.

Korman didn't spare the FDA from criticism, citing "a strong showing of bad faith and improper political influence" going back to the Bush administration, when the center filed a citizen's petition to try to get the agency to act. That was followed by the lawsuit.

"More than twelve years have passed since the citizen petition was filed and eight years since this lawsuit commenced," Korman wrote in a decision dated Thursday and released Friday. "The FDA has engaged in intolerable delays in processing the petition. Indeed, it could accurately be described as an administrative agency filibuster."

The judge said the FDA decided after 11 months, 47,000 public comments and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars spent, that it did not need rulemaking on the subject.

"The plaintiffs should not be forced to endure, nor should the agency's misconduct be rewarded by, an exercise that permits the FDA to engage in further delay and obstruction," he wrote.

Four years ago, Korman was highly critical of the Bush administration's initial handling of the issue when he ordered the FDA to let 17-year-olds obtain the medication, instead of setting the age at 18. At the time, he accused the government of letting "political considerations, delays and implausible justifications for decision-making" cloud the approval process.

The morning-after pill contains a higher dose of the female progestin hormone than is in regular birth control pills. Taking it within 72 hours of rape, condom failure or just forgetting regular contraception can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. But it works best within the first 24 hours.

If a woman already is pregnant, the pill has no effect. It prevents ovulation or fertilization of an egg. According to the medical definition, pregnancy doesn't begin until a fertilized egg implants itself into the wall of the uterus. Still, some critics say Plan B is the equivalent of an abortion pill because it may also be able to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus, a contention that many scientists ? and Korman, in his ruling ? said has been discredited.

__

Neumeister reported from New York. Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-05-Morning-After%20Pill/id-e36eecd9dee04039a871b43d8942a486

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Could Ireland's press regulation system work in Britain?

Ireland's press regulations, which include an ombudsman and a council of publishers, public citizens, and journalists, are less restrictive than the proposed British version.

By Jason Walsh,?Correspondent / March 27, 2013

A man collects a copy of a newspaper at a newsstand in London, Oct. 2010. Could Ireland's model of an official Press Council and ombudsman work in Britain?

Ian West/AP/File

Enlarge

With the British government moving ahead on a new media regulator and the UK press in revolt against, some in the country wonder if their neighbors to the west could offer a solution. Could Ireland's model of an official Press Council and ombudsman work in Britain?

Skip to next paragraph Jason Walsh

Ireland Correspondent

Jason Walsh has been the Monitor's Ireland correspondent since 2009, dividing his time primarily between Belfast, Northern Ireland and?Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. During that time he has reported on stumbling blocks in the peace process, the dissident republican threat,?pro-British unionist riots, demands for abortion legislation and Ireland's economic crash.

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Set up by the newspaper industry in response to a government threat to introduce privacy legislation, the 13-member Press Council includes representatives of publishers, members of the public (the appointments are publicly advertised), and one from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the leading journalists' union in Britain and Ireland.

Publications that are members, including all of the national newspapers, agree to be bound by its code of conduct, and to recognize the decisions of the council and ombudsman. Membership in the council is not mandatory, but publications that are members are generally subject to lesser damages in the event of successful court actions against them, as a result of the council and ombudsman being "recognized in statute."

The ombudsman, currently?John Horgan, a former Labor party politician and journalism professor, adjudicates on complaints from subjects of newspaper stories, and if agreement cannot be found between all parties involved, he can make a ruling or refer the complaint to the Press Council for a final decision.

Seamus Dooley, the Irish secretary of the NUJ, says regulation has not been proscriptive.

The Press Council's code of conduct is more carrot than stick, and starts with a full-throated defense of a free press, saying: "The freedom to publish is vital to the right of the people to be informed. This freedom includes the right of a newspaper to publish what it?considers to be news, without fear or favour, and the right to comment upon it."

It goes on, however, to detail what the Press Council sees as the correct way for publications to operate, although the tone is more aspirational than condemnatory. For example, retractions must be printed in a prominent place and ordinary members of the public are entitled to privacy.

"We're quite happy with the way it's going," says retired business journalist Martin Fitzpatrick, NUJ's appointee to the Irish Press Council. "We've never had a hugely contentious press. There is a degree of timidity, and you could fault them for not foreseeing the onset of the financial crisis, but that's not down to regulation."

The high opinion of press regulation is not universally held, however, even in the NUJ's Irish ranks.

"[British] newspapers did horrible things, but they also uncovered horrible things that were done. The effect of regulation will not be the protection of people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves at the center of press attention, it will be the protection of the rich and powerful," says Gerard Cunningham, chairman of the NUJ's freelance branch in Ireland.

(Could Ireland's regulation work in Britain? British papers rebel as UK press regulation moves closer to reality)

Mr. Cunningham, who formerly worked in the US, says the culture of the British press is, for demonstrable reasons, comparable to other countries only in very general terms.

"This is about all about competition," he says. "Maybe The New York Times and, to a lesser extent, The Christian Science Monitor have a national reach, but they're not really competing against a regional metro daily," he says.

This situation with each US metro market having a dominant player is in stark contrast with Britain, where 11 national dailies, a clutch of regional newspapers, a few specialist titles, and an independent national Scottish press all slug it out for the same pound.

"The British market is intensely competitive and they try to break every story. They really do publish and be damned," says Cunningham.

In contrast, a staggering 19 daily papers are available on the newsstands nationwide in Ireland, though nine of these are rarely read imports from the US and UK and three more are regional titles from Northern Ireland. Of the seven popular national newspapers in Ireland, two tabloids are "Celtified" editions of British newspapers and two more are hybrids of British and Irish material. All four are members of the Press Council, though their British equivalents object to press regulation.

Having a regulated press hasn't stopped the Irish government from indicating it may seek further powers, though. In February 2012, the publication by the Irish Daily Star of candid photographs of Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, prompted Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter to consider enacting new, stricter privacy legislation. The government has yet to do so, however.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/S0EsSX0n0Ww/Could-Ireland-s-press-regulation-system-work-in-Britain

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'Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Trailer Will Light Up MTV Movie Awards

Blast the horns, the victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games will be taking the 2013 MTV Movie Awards by storm. That's because the very first trailer for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" will debut at the award show on April 14 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. As you can see in [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/04/03/hunger-games-catching-fire-trailer/

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The Particulars Of Payday Cash Loans | Banking finance jobs

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Understand what a payday loan is. A payday loan is really a substantial-interest personal loan for a short time period. These are generally generally completed with one escape to the payday loan business office. In return for almost immediate income, you have to write out a examine towards the pay day lender for value of the financing, as well as the interest cost, as well as any costs. The financial institution cashes this examine at some arranged-upon potential day, typically one, or fourteen days.

If you have a decent credit rating, get a lower cost payday loan. This sort of personal loan typically has lower rates of interest, without any hidden costs. The financial institution will need to examine your credit track record. This will not get a lot more than round the clock and should be your best choice, if your credit ranking is just not way too lower.

If you are during this process of getting a payday loan, make sure you read the commitment very carefully, trying to find any hidden costs or crucial shell out-back information and facts. Tend not to indication the contract until you fully understand every little thing. Seek out warning signs, like large costs in the event you go every day or even more within the loan?s thanks day. You can wind up paying out way over the first amount borrowed.

Shell out your loans back promptly. Debt can snowball for you, but none will bring you in a financial opening a lot more than pay day loans. The rates of interest are eye-popping. If you have an exceptional payday loan at the moment, pay it back swiftly. Every week or bi-each week payday loan costs can encounter a large number and in many cases 1000s of dollars.

If you are thinking about obtaining a payday loan, be sure that you are performing it for the appropriate reason. A payday loan ought to only be used in complete emergency situations, that you know that you will be capable of paying off the debt swiftly. There is no reason for taking out financing, if it will not assist your circumstances.

Be sure it is possible to get to an individual at the payday loan organization you need to pick. Some companies with this kind are sprouting up online, so it might seem the one you are looking at is a superb one. Nonetheless, if you cannot get to an individual quickly, that might be a warning sign as well as a indication something is wrong with this organization.

If you are thinking about obtaining a payday loan, make certain you have got a plan to have it paid back without delay. The loan organization will provide to ?allow you to? and lengthen your loan, in the event you can?t pay it back without delay. This extension expenses you a cost, as well as further interest, so that it does practically nothing beneficial for you personally. Nonetheless, it earns the financing organization a nice revenue.

Try not to depend upon pay day loans to fund how you live. Payday loans can be very expensive, hence they ought to only be useful for emergency situations. Payday loans are just made to assist you to to pay for unexpected medical bills, rent payments payments or grocery shopping, as you wait around for your monthly income from the boss.

The easiest method to take care of pay day loans is not to have to consider them. Do your best in order to save a little money weekly, allowing you to have a something to drop back on in an emergency. When you can preserve the money for the crisis, you will eliminate the need for utilizing a payday loan support.

Payday loans are not federally licensed. As a result, the rules, costs and rates of interest change among states. New York City, State of arizona as well as other states have banned pay day loans so you need to make sure one of these simple loans is even an alternative for you personally. You also have to compute the quantity you need to reimburse well before agreeing to a payday loan.

Generally read the fine print for a payday loan. Some firms fee costs or perhaps a penalty in the event you pay for the personal loan back very early. Other individuals impose a fee if you must roll the financing up to the next shell out period. These are the basic most frequent, nevertheless they may possibly fee other hidden costs or even improve the interest if you do not shell out promptly.

Try having your meals from your own home. You will be astonished at just how much you can preserve by preparing clean meals in the home. In the event you make a lot and refrigerate, you might have ample to eat for many days. Despite the fact that eating at restaurants is a lot easier, you will wind up spending additional money. This will likely really assist when it comes to repaying your payday loan.

Understanding the details about pay day loans can help you make your right judgements about them. Utilize the ideas outlined in the following paragraphs, and you may make selections that aid you in getting out of your financial rut. Stay relaxed through the entire approach, and it will be possible to acquire yourself way back in very good financial standing.

Source: http://www.nuncnow.org/the-particulars-of-payday-cash-loans

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Harper's homers, Newtown salute mark opening day

Basebal fans came equipped to Target Field with warm clothes and some with blankets as temperatures in the upper 20's welcomed the season opener between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins before a baseball game Monday, April 1, 2013 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Basebal fans came equipped to Target Field with warm clothes and some with blankets as temperatures in the upper 20's welcomed the season opener between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins before a baseball game Monday, April 1, 2013 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

The Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins stand for a moment of silence honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting before the opening day baseball game in Washington, on Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

New York Yankees bow their heads during a moment of silence in honor of those killed in Newtown, Conn. before an opening day baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Monday, April 1, 2013 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

A United States flag is unfurled during the national anthem before an opening day baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins in Washington on Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper (34) hits his second home run of the game in the fourth inning of the opening day baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Washington, on Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Josh Hamilton jumped into a cab, headed to Great American Ball Park and got all nostalgic.

The Los Angeles Angels newcomer saw Cincinnati fans packed downtown and remembered making his big league debut in the same spot a while ago.

"People are lined up in the streets, there's the parade," he said. "It's just an awesome feeling. It never gets old ? opening day ? especially when you're where you started."

All across the majors, baseball was in full swing Monday.

Bryce Harper put on quite a show in Washington. The 20-year-old star hit home runs his first two times up and earned a few "M-V-P!" chants during a 2-0 win over Miami.

At Target Field in Minnesota, players and fans bundled up. It was 35 degrees with 17 mph winds as the Twins took on ace Justin Verlander and the AL champion Detroit Tigers.

"It's whoever whines about it the least, I think, who'll have the best chance of winning today," Twins first baseman Justin Morneau said.

The slugger's remedy for the cold?

"Put hot sauce all over and throw some long sleeves on and some long johns and go out there and run around and enjoy it," he joked.

The hot chocolate line was 12 to 15 people deep at the ballpark while the beer vendors were generally talking among themselves.

"It's opening Day. You can't not come," said fan Ripley Peterson, dressed in six layers for the chill. "I love baseball, I love the Twins. Opening day is a special thing. Unless it's like a blizzard I'm going to be here."

The 2013 season officially opened Sunday night when the Houston Astros beat Texas.

Most every other team was in action Monday. From old rivalries on the coasts ? Red Sox-Yankees in New York, Giants-Dodgers in Los Angeles ? there was plenty to celebrate with a dozen games.

"The three big holidays ? Thanksgiving, Christmas and opening day," LA co-owner Stan Kasten said, watching the stands at Dodger Stadium fill up before the game against World Series champion San Francisco.

A few minutes later, a stadium camera swung to Vin Scully's booth, where he's starting his 64th season, and the revered broadcaster pronounced: "It's time for Dodger baseball."

Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson was standing on the mound before the game when manager Don Mattingly came out and signaled for a reliever. In came Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax wearing his No. 32 vintage jersey, and the ol' left-hander threw out the first ball to former Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser.

There was a lot more to remember and honor, too.

Players, managers, coaches, umpires and everyone else in uniform wore patches in tribute to those killed last December in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

At Yankee Stadium, the names of the 20 children and six educators who died scrolled on the video board in center field during a moment of silence. The honor guard included members of Newtown police and firefighters.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo had a patch attached to a lapel on his pinstriped charcoal suit. It has the seal of Newtown, a picture of a black ribbon and 26 little black stars, each representing a victim of that shooting.

"It's so we don't forget about the people in Newtown," Rizzo said, tapping the patch with his hand. "It honors them and keeps them in our thoughts."

At Citi Field in New York, the Mets honored hundreds of Hurricane Sandy responders and volunteers in a pregame ceremony. A large orange heart with a blue NY logo was placed in center field and storm volunteers wearing white shirts lined up around it in the shape of home plate.

The team donated 1,000 opening day tickets to storm responders and those affected by the destruction.

First responders from several organizations, including the NYPD and FDNY, lined up in uniform behind the infield dirt, facing the stands. They remained there as players from the Mets and San Diego Padres lined up along the baselines for pregame introductions

Singer and actress Emmy Rossum sang the national anthem backed by 50 choir members from the Scholars' Academy School Chorus from the Rockaways, an area hit hard by Sandy.

Opening day prompted Hamilton to recall his first game in the majors, in Cincinnati in 2007 after he overcame years of drug abuse. The All-Star outfielder who joined the Angels in the offseason returned to Cincinnati for an unusual interleague opener.

"I enjoyed my year here," he said. "It was the beginning of everything that's happened so far in my career, so it's always going to hold a special place in my heart. It's always fun to come back to the places where you began."

In Washington, there is an abundance of optimism. Good reason for it, as the Nationals come off a season in which they led the majors with 98 wins.

Stephen Strasburg threw the first pitch against the Marlins at 1:09 p.m. That was 4 minutes later than scheduled, because all the pregame festivities, which included unveiling a red, white and blue sign atop the outfield scoreboard that read "NL East Division Champions" in all caps.

The Nationals also gave out all manner of individual awards from 2012: a Gold Glove for first baseman Adam LaRoche; Silver Sluggers for LaRoche, shortstop Ian Desmond and Strasburg; NL Manager of the Year for Davey Johnson; and an executive of the year plaque for Rizzo.

"Too much ceremony," the 70-year-old Johnson observed, "but other than that, it's a fun day."

The parking lots at Miller Park were packed hours before Milwaukee hosted Colorado. Fans broke out their grills and passed around beers on an unseasonably cold day.

Inside, former All-Star shortstop Walt Weiss prepared for his first game as a major league manager. A year ago, he was coaching his son's high school team in Colorado; now, he's running the Rockies.

"I slept all right," he said. "I slept better than I thought I would. It's an exciting day for everybody. Everybody that's here today and involved, it's a big day. It should feel a little different."

And, after seven weeks of a spring training that sometimes seemed as if it lasted forever, it was also time to resume those big league routines.

The visitor's clubhouse at Nationals Park was well-stocked for a full season of passing the time, with brand new, still shrink-wrapped games of cribbage, dominoes and chess-checkers on a shelf in a vacant locker.

Mike Dunn and Jon Rauch of the Miami Marlins bypassed the collection and instead settled around the table to play the card game Palace.

"Cards and cribbage," Dunn said. "Cribbage has been big the last couple of years."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-01-BBO-Opening-Day/id-a7c480adc9e84f7fbf97691bb6edf72b

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