Thursday, February 28, 2013

Smart 'stickers' let you find things by phone

A man holds the Stick-N-Find product at the Mobile World Congress, the world's largest mobile phone trade show, in Barcelona, Spain Wednesday Feb. 27, 2013. Stick-N-Find Technologies, wants to give people a way to find things, by using a new radio technology known as Bluetooth Low Energy, which drastically reduces the power consumption of a transmitting device. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A man holds the Stick-N-Find product at the Mobile World Congress, the world's largest mobile phone trade show, in Barcelona, Spain Wednesday Feb. 27, 2013. Stick-N-Find Technologies, wants to give people a way to find things, by using a new radio technology known as Bluetooth Low Energy, which drastically reduces the power consumption of a transmitting device. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Jimmy Buchheim is behaving oddly.

On the floor of the world's largest cellphone trade show in Barcelona, Spain, he's looking at the screen of his iPod Touch, taking a few steps, and then looking again. Now and then he backtracks or turns, and looks again. Slowly, he confines his movements to a smaller and smaller area. Then he drops to his knees, and checks the screen again. He scrabbles forward.

"There we are!" he says.

Buchheim has found his keys, which had been hidden behind a wastebasket by a skeptical reporter. On the key ring is a small disc, slightly bigger than a quarter. That's what Buchheim was homing in on, with his iPod. It allowed him to find his keys, hidden out of sight in an apartment-sized booth.

Buchheim's Davie, Fla.-based company, Stick-N-Find Technologies, wants to give people a way to find things, whether it's keys, wallets, TV remotes, or cat collars.

There's no real trick to sending out a radio signal and having a phone pick it up. That's been done before. What makes the Stick-N-Find practical is a new radio technology known as Bluetooth Low Energy, which drastically reduces the battery power needed to send out a signal. That means the disc can be small, light enough for its sticky back to adhere to a lot of surfaces, and be powered by a watch-type battery that lasts up to two years without recharging. The signal can be picked as far as 300 feet away, but that's under ideal circumstances. On the floor of the wireless show, with a multitude of Wi-Fi transmitters jamming the airwaves, the range was roughly 20 feet.

One downside to Bluetooth Low Energy: It doesn't come cheap. Stick-N-Find charges $50 for two "stickers" from its first production run, which starts shipping next week. It gave early backers a better deal ? 4 discs for $65 ? on crowdfunding site Indiegogo, where it had sought to raise $70,000 from donors and ended up getting $931,970 by the time the campaign ended last month.

Another downside is that few devices can pick up the signals. The latest two iPhones can do it, as can the latest iPod Touches and iPads. The latest high-end Samsung smartphones work, too. Bluetooth Low Energy is expected to become a standard feature in phones, but it's not yet.

Whatever device you use, it won't tell you exactly where your sticker is located. All it can tell is how far away it is. That means finding something is a process of walking around and checking whether you're getting "hotter" or "colder." Of course, often you don't really need to know where your wallet is: knowing that it's within 8 feet and therefore somewhere in the car with you is assurance enough. Buchheim says the company has plans to add direction-finding features.

Users can also set up a virtual "leash" between a sticker and a Bluetooth device. Depending on the settings, when the two devices move a certain distance away from each other, the sticker starts beeping or the device's screen shows an alert. That way, you could use sticker in your wallet, linked to your phone, to let you know if you're leaving either one behind.

Buchheim sees this as just the start for what Bluetooth Low Energy can do. Stick-N-Find is working with a museum that's interested in putting stickers on its exhibits, so they can issue tablets or other devices to visitors that can sense the proximity of exhibits, and say "Hello, this is the statue of so-and-so," Buchheim says.

It could even end up as a technology for the blind ? one that tells them where their belongings are, he says.

___

Follow Peter Svensson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/petersvensson .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-28-EU-TEC-Wireless-Show-Homing-Stickers/id-949dd427c70544e9a2b48125561a4269

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PFT: Jets avoided Revis' reps while in Indy

Eli ManningAP

Giants right tackle David Diehl said he hasn?t been asked to take a pay cut yet, or? heard any inkling about his future with the team.

But he?s seen enough to know his time could come any time.

Diehl offered Newsday?s Tom Rock a glimpse into the mind of a smart NFL veteran, admitting he never knows when he shows up at the office whether it?s going to be his last.

?The thing you realize at an early age is that as an NFL player you have an expiration date on you and it comes with a price tag,? Diehl said. ?That?s the way that it always goes. Nothing has been said to me yet, but that?s all things you can?t control. The only things you can control are the way you prepare each and every day, getting myself healthy, and whenever that comes about we?ll deal with it. But as of now, nothing has been said.?

The Giants have already parted ways with Chris Canty, Michael Boley and Ahmad Bradshaw, and more moves could be coming.

Diehl has been showing up daily at the Giants facility to rehab his right knee after an arthroscopic procedure, which he had right after the season. Getting well is a big deal, whether it?s for the Giants or another team.

The 32-year-old tackle is entering the last year of his contract, set to earn a base salary of $4.475 million. That makes him ripe for some degree of transaction depending on other moves the Giants make up front.

With Will Beatty and Kevin Boothe pending unrestricted free agents, the Giants might have to prioritize.

?Am I shocked or surprised? No,? Diehl said of Giants roster turnover so far. ?This has happened year in and year out since I?ve been in the NFL, not only with our team but with teams across the league. This is something that always happens.?

Diehl?s approach is at once fatalistic and realistic, as very few players get to leave on their own terms. And with the salary cap a factor in every transaction, having a big salary is only good news if you get to keep it into the regular season.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/26/report-jets-avoided-revis-reps-while-in-indy/related/

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Ciao: Tens of thousands jam St. Peter's Square to bid farewell to pope at final master class

VATICAN CITY - Tens of thousands of people have flooded St. Peter's Square to bid farewell to Pope Benedict XVI at his final general audience, the weekly appointment he kept to teach the world about the Catholic faith.

Hours before Benedict was to arrive, St. Peter's was overflowing and pilgrims and curiosity-seekers were picking spots along the main boulevard nearby to watch the event on giant TV screens. Some 50,000 tickets were requested for Benedict's final Wednesday master class, but Italian media estimated the number of people actually attending could be double that.

With chants of "Benedetto" erupting every so often, the mood was far more buoyant than during Benedict's final Sunday blessing and recalled the jubilant turnouts that often accompanied Benedict at World Youth Days and events involving Pope John Paul II.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ciao-tens-thousands-jam-st-peters-square-bid-084350326.html

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Why Use WordPress for Your Business Website - SEO Tips ...

Since 2003, WordPress dominated the market of blogging software, and is now running for more than 10 years. WordPress has also become the most used content management software of many SEO companies for non-blogging sites.

Many SEO specialists recommend their clients to use WordPress as CMS platform for their websites. Ever wonder why? Keep reading and know the reasons.

Wordpress-logo-2

User Friendliness ? This CMS is very easy to use and has a direct interface. With WordPress, adding new pages, blog, posts, images and categories on a standard basis is easy. Formatting is greatly reduced because of the simplicity of the technology.

Browser Based and Self-Contained System ? You can login from any internet connected computer and manage your website. Software with HTML editing and using FTP software is not required anymore with WordPress. You can add new pages, posts, format texts; upload media files like images and videos, and other documents without using any additional HTML and FTP software.

WordPress Websites are Easier to get indexed ? The structure of WordPress is very clean, simple and easy to navigate; making it easy for search engines like Google to crawl and index a certain site?s content. You can make meta tags like titles, keywords and descriptions to each page, post and image; this allows search engines to crawl your site easily. Most SEO specialists use SEO plugins to better enhance their SEO services to their clients.

Update designs and template on your own ? You don?t have to wait for your web designer to do little updates to your site. You can control every aspect of your site and can easily make those simple updates yourself with WordPress.

100% Customizable Design ? WordPress is the engine of your website. You can customize the look and feel of the site. This helps your brand shine among others and will give your visitors unique experience.

Built-in and ?ready to go? Blog ? Blogging capabilities are built-in and easy to utilize. You can set RSS/email subscriptions to your blog. You can also set automatically adding of the most recent blog posts to other page within your site.

Many helpful Plugins are available ? There are so many different kinds of Plugins that can help you upgrade your website. Plugins like event calendar, video gallery, Twitter Feed, Facebook Like Box and many more. For SEO specialists, there are lots of SEO plugins available that can help you get indexed on search engines.

Marc Laurenz Garcia

Marc Garcia A.K.A the All-in-one SEO man is an SEO professional, a DVD addict and a food lover with a passion of bringing websites on the 1st page of search engines. He is a master of both on-site and off-site optimization.

Facebook?Twitter?

Source: http://www.digitalmoz.com/seo-news/why-use-wordpress-for-your-business-website/

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

White House: No price tag for Obama access

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Facing tough questions about President Barack Obama's past pledges to help curb the role of money in politics, the White House pushed back Monday against suggestions that donors to a new group supporting his agenda will have special access to the president.

Weeks after top Obama allies announced plans to convert his victorious re-election campaign into an unprecedented nonprofit, questions remain about how the group, dubbed Organizing for Action, will interact with the White House. Chief among them is what benefits will be offered to those who shell out hefty sums to help bolster Obama's legislative priorities.

Asked Monday whether there was a price tag to see the president, White House press secretary Jay Carney said emphatically that there was not. But he wouldn't directly address reports that donors who give or raise $500,000 will be invited to quarterly meetings with Obama.

"Administration officials routinely interact with outside advocacy organizations," Carney said. "This has been true in prior administrations and it is true in this one."

Organizing for Action picked up where the White House left off, arguing that those opening their wallets to help the fledgling group were doing so because they want Obama's agenda to succeed ? not to score face time they would otherwise be denied.

"No one has been promised access to the president," said the group's spokeswoman, Katie Hogan, who served in a parallel role in Obama's campaign.

Organizers of the nonprofit group have outlined plans to raise tens of millions of dollars for the organization, according to someone who has been briefed on the plans. The group has reached out to 50 top Obama donors who intend to raise at least $500,000 this year, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to describe the group's plans publicly.

The donors, many of whom served on the Obama campaign's National Finance Committee, are expecting they'll receive benefits similar to what they received in the campaign, he said. Those benefits included briefings from top White House officials, campaign operatives and access to Obama. But an explicit menu of benefits available to those who raise specific amounts has not been offered.

That's something of a departure from the campaign, when top-dollar donors often knew exactly what to expect. At a campaign luncheon last summer in San Francisco, for instance, a $5,000 contribution bought a ticket to the 250-person event, but a $35,800 ticket gave 25 donors the chance to talk politics with the president at a private round-table event.

Republican Mitt Romney had a similar set of perks offered to those who bundled contributions for his campaign. And former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton both reserved seats at exclusive state dinners for supporters who made substantial financial contributions to their re-election campaigns.

But Organizing for Action is not a campaign. In fact, it says it will woo Americans from both parties and has vowed not to support or endorse candidates.

Still, the post-election effort to raise millions for a group whose sole mission is to promote Obama's agenda has raised serious concerns for advocates of stricter campaign finance laws.

"It's not illegal, but it's another example of how money is soiling and corroding democracy," said Bob Edgar of Common Cause, a government watchdog. He pointed out that Obama, in his first campaign and during his first term in office, made a point of decrying money's outsize influence in politics ? even chiding the Supreme Court when it cleared the way for corporations to spend unlimited sums on campaign ads.

Organizing for Action has said it will accept donations from individuals and corporations, but in an attempt to be transparent, will voluntarily disclose its donors and will refuse all donations from federally registered lobbyists.

Carney, Obama's spokesman, said White House officials won't have a hand in fundraising efforts. "While they may appear at appropriate OFA events, in their official capacities they will not be raising money," he said.

But the grassroots group's close ties to the White House are difficult to miss. Its national chairman, Jim Messina, was Obama's campaign manager, and former White House official Jon Carson serves as its executive director. The group also runs Obama's vaunted Twitter handle, (at)BarackObama, which has more than 27 million followers.

Carson and Messina are among those who have met with Obama's top fundraisers in recent weeks to discuss the group's agenda and to secure financial support. Top donors are expected to gather in Washington on March 13 to attend a "founders summit" for those willing to raise $50,000 or more. About 75 donors are expected to attend the event.

___

AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-no-price-tag-obama-access-223916069--politics.html

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Insert Coin semifinalist: Snapzoom connects any scope to any smartphone

Insert Coin semifinalist Snapzoom connects any scope to any smartphone

There are adapters out there that allow you to hook up your phone with a telescope or a pair of binoculars. Most of them, though, aren't universal. And we mean that on both sides of the equation -- they wont connect to all scopes or all phones. Snapzoom wants to be all things to those with a hankering for long distance photography, such as bird watchers or amateur astronomers. The solution is so simple that it actually stuns us that no one had thought of it before. That's not to say there isn't a lot of smart design involved, but ultimately the Snapzoom boils down to a set of adjustable clamps that provide an incredible amount of freedom. While image quality will rest largely on your choice of smartphone, there's no shortage of incredible shooters out there that you can slide into the mount.

Check out the full list of Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists here -- and don't forget to pick a winner!

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Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/insert-coin-semifinalist-snapzoom/

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Partial list of 85th annual Academy Award winners

Partial list of the 85th annual Academy Award winners announced Sunday in Los Angeles:

1. Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained."

2. Animated Short Film: "Paperman."

3. Animated Feature Film: "Brave."

4. Cinematography: "Life of Pi."

5. Visual Effects: "Life of Pi."

6. Costume: "Anna Karenina."

7. Makeup and Hairstyling: "Les Miserables."

8. Live Action Short Film: "Curfew."

9. Documentary (short subject): "Inocente."

10. Documentary Feature: "Searching for Sugar Man."

___

Oscar winners previously presented this season:

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Jeffrey Katzenberg

Honorary Award: Hal Needham

Honorary Award: D.A. Pennebaker

Honorary Award: George Stevens Jr.

Award of Merit: Cooke Optics

___

Online:

http://www.oscars.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/partial-list-85th-annual-academy-award-winners-020240094.html

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Memo to the president and Congress: Stay put and work

Listen up, America. With all the bad news about health care, the national debt, the fiscal crisis, the jobs market, no interest on savings accounts and so much more, I find it totally disgusting to read that the president was in Florida golfing with Tiger Woods ("Obama, Woods Hit Links," Feb. 18). Meanwhile the first lady and her children were in Colorado skiing. They just vacationed in Hawaii.

Don't Air Force One and logistics and security cost a lot of tax money?

And then I read where Congress is on a 10-day holiday. What in God's name is going on here?

CHARLES E. GOCHNOUR
Beechview


Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/letters/memo-to-the-president-and-congress-stay-put-and-work-676712

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Vatican lashes out at 'false' pre-conclave reporting as attempts to influence cardinal votes

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican lashed out Saturday at the media for what it said has been a run of defamatory and false reports before the conclave to elect Pope Benedict XVI's successor, saying they were an attempt to influence the election.

Italian newspapers have been rife with unsourced reports in recent days about the contents of a secret dossier prepared for the pope by three cardinals who investigated the origins of the 2012 scandal over leaked Vatican documents.

The reports have suggested the revelations in the dossier, given to Benedict in December, were a factor in his decision to resign. The pope himself has said merely that he doesn't have the "strength of mind and body" to carry on.

On Saturday, the Vatican secretariat of state said the Catholic Church has for centuries insisted on the independence of its cardinals to elect their pope. Now, it said, the "pressures of public opinion" is in play in a bid to influence their vote.

"It is deplorable that as we draw closer to the time of the beginning of the conclave ... that there be a widespread distribution of often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories that cause serious damage to persons and institutions."

It was issued as Benedict met for the last time with the Vatican bureaucracy before stepping down Feb. 28. The occasion was the final session of the Vatican's Lenten spiritual retreat, a weeklong series of meditations composed by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, himself a papal contender.

In one of his final meditations Friday, Ravasi denounced the "divisions, dissent, careerism, jealousies" that afflict the Vatican bureaucracy ? divisions that were exposed by the leaks of documents taken from the pope's study. The documents revealed the petty wrangling, corruption and cronyism and even allegations of a gay plot at the highest levels of the Catholic Church.

The three cardinals who investigated the theft of the documents had wide-ranging powers to interview even cardinals to get to the bottom of the dynamics within the Curia ? the Vatican bureaucracy ? that resulted in the gravest Vatican security breach in modern times.

Benedict has referred obliquely to the Vatican's dysfunction in recent days, deploring how the church is often "defiled" by attacks and divisions and urging its members to overcome "pride and egoism."

On Saturday, in his final comments to the Curia, he lamented the "evil, suffering and corruption" that has defaced God's creation. But he also thanked the Vatican bureaucrats for eight years of work, love and faith and promised them he would continue to be spiritually close to them in retirement.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-lashes-false-pre-conclave-reporting-attempts-influence-134629403.html

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Research suggests malaria can be defeated without a globally led eradication program

Research suggests malaria can be defeated without a globally led eradication program

Friday, February 22, 2013

Malaria does not have to be eradicated globally for individual countries to succeed at maintaining elimination of the disease, according to research from the University of Florida's Emerging Pathogens Institute and department of geography, to be published in the journal Science Feb. 22.

Researchers Andrew Tatem and Christina Chiyaka found that those countries that have eliminated malaria have maintained their malaria-free states with remarkable stability, going against traditional theory. Between 1945 and 2010, 79 countries eliminated malaria and 75, or 95 percent, remained malaria-free, shrinking the geographic range of the disease, the researchers said.

For the 99 countries with endemic malaria today, the research by Tatem and his colleagues has important implications for tackling the problem. The elimination of malaria may be less costly to achieve and maintain than previously thought, Tatem said.

"Traditional theory suggests that we have to get rid of malaria completely, all across the world, all at around the same time, to keep new cases from being imported and starting outbreaks in elimination countries all over again," said Tatem, who conducted the research at UF and now is a professor at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. Chiyaka also has moved to the United Kingdom with her family.

The researchers found, however, that malaria elimination may be a 'sticky state,' meaning that once elimination is achieved, resurgence becomes a rare event.

"For instance, the United States imports 1,500 cases of malaria per year but has seen very few local outbreaks resulting from these, despite still having mosquitoes capable of spreading malaria," Tatem said. "The United States doesn't have active control measures in place, but does have a well-functioning detection system in place to take care of it."

Tatem said that many factors, working in combination, have likely contributed to the stability of malaria elimination seen in many countries. These include urbanization, which creates environments that are unfavorable for malaria-spreading mosquitoes; improvements in surveillance within health systems to ensure that imported cases are treated promptly and any local outbreaks are controlled early; and travel patterns, with travelers who bring in infections from elsewhere rarely ending up in rural areas where mosquito densities are highest, thus reducing the likelihood of onward spread.

Malaria has long been a global health issue. In 1955, the World Health Organization launched an eradication campaign that eliminated the disease in many temperate and subtropical regions but did not achieve worldwide eradication. The program was scrapped after less than two decades in favor of controlling malaria. However, WHO attributed about 660,000 deaths to the disease in 2010, mostly African children.

###

University of Florida: http://www.ufl.edu

Thanks to University of Florida for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 36 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126977/Research_suggests_malaria_can_be_defeated_without_a_globally_led_eradication_program

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Tiger Woods full of praise for Barack Obama's golf game

Barack Obama has ?an amazing touch,? said Tiger Woods on Tuesday after a private weekend round of golf with the US President.

Woods, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, and Obama teed off together against US trade representative Ron Kirk and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane at the luxury Floridian Yacht & Golf Club, New York Daily News reported.?

Woods and Obama won the game, and the 14-time major champion had plenty of praise for his partner?s golfing skills, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Playing with Mr President was pretty cool," Woods told reporters after a practice round at the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship in Arizona, according to ABC News.

"He hit the ball well, and he's got an amazing touch. He can certainly chip and putt.

"If he ... spends more time playing the game of golf, I'm sure he can get to where he's got pretty good stick."
?

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/world-at-play/tiger-woods-barack-obama-golf

Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/world-at-play/tiger-woods-barack-obama-golf

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Evolution's detectives: Closing in on missing links

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/28ba885c/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cmg217290A410B90A0A0Eevolutions0Edetectives0Eclosing0Ein0Eon0Emissing0Elinks0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Google?s Nexus 7 Sales Estimates Land Somewhere Around 4.6 Million Units

nexus 7

For anyone looking to get concrete sales figures on the Nexus 7,?Google?has a habit about keeping those pretty private. Luckily for us, we have companies and mobile?analysts?like Benedict Evans who decided to dig a bit deeper. According to Evans, since the device went on sale, Google looks to have sold roughly 4.5 to 4.6 million Nexus 7 tablets. This figure, which was taken from sales reports out of ASUS and comments from their CEO, is pretty respectable in terms of being an Android tablet.?

As with any other Android device it would seem, this number was compared to the iPad Mini?s figures, which were much higher at about 10 million. There are a few in the industry that are expecting for Google to show off the next version of the Nexus 7 at this year?s Google I/O, which would be nice to see. Maybe an updated display and more GPU power?

If you are the proud owner of a Nexus 7, feel free to raise your hand and do a happy dance for fun.

Via: BGR

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DroidLife/~3/EOxrHmu0IzE/

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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

In info age, Belgian diamond heist is a throwback

Baggage carts make their way past a Helvetic Airways aircraft from which about $50 million worth of diamonds were stolen on the tarmac of Brussels international airport Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Eight armed and masked men made a hole in a security fence at the airport, drove onto the tarmac and snatched the diamonds from the hold of the Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot, authorities said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

Baggage carts make their way past a Helvetic Airways aircraft from which about $50 million worth of diamonds were stolen on the tarmac of Brussels international airport Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Eight armed and masked men made a hole in a security fence at the airport, drove onto the tarmac and snatched the diamonds from the hold of the Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot, authorities said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

(AP) ? At a time when many robberies take place at the click of a mouse, a group of jewel thieves has shown there's still a potential payoff for old-fashioned criminals willing to use disguises, planning and pluck to nab their loot.

Monday's theft of some $50 million worth of diamonds from the tarmac of Brussels' international airport is a "huge blip on the radar," said retired FBI agent Bill Rehder, who spent more than three decades on Los Angeles' bank robbery squad.

"You can almost liken it to the meteor that hit in Russia," he said, referring to the space rock which exploded last week over the city of Chelyabinsk, injuring hundreds. "These things happen so infrequently, but when they do happen it's a huge story."

It's also the type of story that complicates trends that have seen many crimes ? particularly those targeting banks ? jump from the world of brandished weapons and ransom notes to a universe of Trojan software and password-stealing computer programs.

In several Western countries, robberies have fallen as banks have installed bullet-proof glass, access-control vestibules and cash boxes rigged with paint or glue. Rehder said that, in the United States, tougher sentencing for criminals and societal changes have also led to a drop in bank robberies, which shrank from 8,516 in 2001 to 5,086 in 2011.

That trend has been echoed across the Atlantic, with the British Bankers' Association recording an even more dramatic fall in the number of raids, from 232 to 66 in the same period. Europe-wide figures also show a decrease in the number of bank robberies.

Meanwhile, cybercriminals have stepped in to steal some of the money their gun-wielding colleagues have left behind.

Global figures are hard to come by, but the amounts in play can be huge. In 2010, the FBI announced the unraveling of an online organization that had raked in roughly $70 million through a vast network of hackers, money mules, and front companies. Dozens were arrested across the U.S., Britain, and Eastern Europe.

ATM skimming, in which criminals surreptitiously rig cash machines with card readers and cameras to harvest debit card numbers, is another threat.

Doug Johnson, the vice president of risk management at the American Bankers Association, said that while the average U.S. bank robber could expect to make out with $3,000-4,000 from each theft, a skimmer made 10 times that amount with every successful hit.

Even as criminality mutates to fit the new realities of online finance and cashless wallets, spectacular thefts like the one in Belgium carry a special air of romance, Rehder said.

"This will catch the imagination of the public, no doubt about it," Rehder said, explaining that the use of bogus police vehicles to rob a plane right as it prepared to take off fit right in with the mystique of 1960s heist movies, released long before many of today's online criminals were born.

And security experts said that capers in the vein of "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968) or "Ocean's Eleven" (1960) ? elaborate schemes involving the surgical extraction of jewels, rare artwork, and cash ? were likely to keep popping up well into the information age.

"As long as we have hard currency and value in precious stones and precious metals, we're going to have people who will try to take it," Rehder said.

Or, as Johnson put it, "it's frankly difficult to create virtual robbery of diamonds."

___

Susan James in New York contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Raphael Satter covers cybersecurity for The Associated Press. He can reached at: http://raphae.li/twitter

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-19-Belgium-Diamond%20Heist-Throwback%20Crime/id-fa93a9a65a6e4cdab72de50f9a4d70f4

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Austin Marathon team raises thousands for cancer survivor

by JADE MINGUS

KVUE

Posted on February 17, 2013 at 6:21 PM

Updated today at 6:36 PM

AUSTIN ? More than 20,000 runners from all walks of life, dedicated to finishing, and motivated by their own unique goals started Sunday's Livestrong Austin Marathon and Half Marathon.

"We've got runners from all 50 states, 20 countries, including almost 400 runners from Mexico," said marathon spokesman Jeff Hahn.

Among the diverse crowd, more than 120 runners in gold-colored Team Kate T-shirts.

The runners were united to support their friend, Kate Voth, who has endured Stage IV melanoma for the past five years.

"It's an unbelievable feeling. Never, ever, had I imagined this many people would come out and have this big of a showing," Voth said.

Last month, doctors discovered Kate's cancer had progressed. She's undergoing radiation for 25 tumors in her brain.

"It's such a huge motivation to me during this cancer fight, it brings me to tears," Voth said.

Another runner, Steven Ward, competed holding an American flag, and wearing his paramedic gear.

Ward finished the race in honor of his?former co-worker, Capt. Randy Trinkle. The 15-year EMS veteran died in December in a car crash.

"He was a really, really good guy and we all miss him a lot. I inspired some people to maybe join me and do this again next year," said Ward.

Each mile of the marathon is dedicated to a non-profit.

"That's the great part of this, the tradition of our race ?? 26 miles for 26 charities," Hahn said.

With the help of the CEO of Livestrong, Team Kate raised $60,000 to help other cancer survivors.?

"Knowing all the good that the money goes towards is an amazing feeling. It turned into something bigger than I ever imagined," said Voth.

Here's a look Sunday's winners:

  • Omar Martinez is the overall winner with a time of 2:35.
  • Mariko Neveu of Austin won the women's division at 2:55.
  • Melissa White won the women's half marathon.
  • Lee Troop won the men's half marathon.

Source: http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/austin-marathon-team-raises-thousands-for-brain-cancer-survivor-kate-voth.html

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Ouya: A Game-Changing Game System | American Libraries ...

Book publishing has the big six; console gaming has the big three. As the only major survivors from the more robust console ecosystem of the ?90s, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have dominated the console system market for over a decade with big name consoles and bigger game franchises. But that might be changing thanks to the upstart Ouya console, set to debut in the next few months.

Ouya was a Kickstarter phenomenon; 63,416 backers pledged $8,596,474 to support development of the project. The goal? A $99 open gaming system running on Android that gives purchasers license to hack the hardware and software. Ouya is also unique in requiring that games developed for the console include at least some free-to-play elements so gamers can try before they buy.

Don?t expect the game franchises that define the big three consoles to come to the Ouya. No Mario, no God of War, no Halo. There are at least 481 games in development for the system, primarily from independent publishers. The question of quality vs. quantity remains, but with some major headliners like Minecraft and a rich backlist of older titles, including Square Enix?s Final Fantasy III, the system has great potential.

Or at least it does on paper. Mobile gaming is certainly one of the hottest sectors of the multibillion-dollar game industry right now. With an Andriod base, the Ouya is poised to capture part of that market through easy ports from mobile to console. The challenge will be building excitement about the independent games in the face of huge, console-defining legends like Mario and Halo. Will gamers give independent games a chance?

Libraries should keep an eye on the Ouya. Not only as a relatively inexpensive way to bring console games to the library, but also as an example of independent publishing squaring off against the established giants. As libraries make deals with independent publishers and self-publishing aggregators like Smashwords, we will face a similar challenge of discovery. Will the quality of the independent content be high enough to compete? Will readers who are attached to major authors and established story lines be attracted to new options? Let?s see what we can learn as the Ouya launches.

Source: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/e-content/ouya-game-changing-game-system

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

Canada?s credibility on climate change won?t need much work, says environment minister

Canada?s environment minister says it won?t take much work to boost the country?s credibility in the United States when it comes to climate change.

Peter Kent made the remark in Montreal on Friday, a couple of days after the Obama administration challenged Canada to act more aggressively on climate change.

More Related to this Story

His comment came as Canada desperately seeks ways to get Alberta?s oil sands bitumen to markets, including the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project to pump oil though the U.S.

The pipeline debates appear to be catapulting climate change back up the political agenda, with the future success of Canada?s oil industry potentially hinging on the outcome.

?Certainly, I don?t think we have to go very far to build that credibility,? Kent said in response to a reporter?s question.

?We?re doing a lot. Our American friends know that.?

Canada, he added, has worked closely with the U.S. on many joint projects, including international initiatives.

?We work aggressively with the United States on climate change to encourage some of the foot-draggers, the major emitters in the developing world, to step up to their responsibilities,? Kent said.

Canada has also been regulating sector by sector, like in the U.S., he said.

?We?re deep into finalizing new regulations for the oil and gas industry, including the oil sands, which is an area of particular misrepresented and exaggerated impact in the United States,? Kent said.

U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson indicated earlier this week that President Barack Obama?s state-of-the-union call for swift action on climate change should also be interpreted as a challenge to Ottawa.

While the Harper government has for years stated its plans to remain in lockstep with the Americans on climate change, Kent declined to discuss whether he was prepared to follow the U.S. into a carbon tax.

?We congratulate President Obama on his state-of-the-union address, his commitment to the environment, but I think it?s premature to read between lines,? he said.

?We have no plans for a carbon tax in Canada. We believe that the regulatory process is the way to get down (to reduce) climate-changing gases.?

When asked whether Canada would ever follow the U.S. into a cap-and-trade system, Kent called such talk hypothetical.

?There are no plans for cap and trade at the moment, there are no plans for carbon tax,? he said.

Kent made the remarks at a joint news conference with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, part of a government-wide push to emphasize Ottawa?s environmental credentials. The ministers announced 23 clean-technology projects, many of which focus on clean air and climate change.

The $61.8-million initiative will be paid for through Sustainable Development Technology Canada?s SD Tech Fund.

At the same time Friday, the federal government tabled draft regulations to make good on a budget promise to increase penalties on unsafe operation of pipelines and nuclear facilities. The new rules would impose fines of up to $25,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations if they do not comply with federal safety rules.

Environment Canada also released an update on its pollution-fighting measures, stressing its record in controlling greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.

Earlier this month, Canada?s commissioner of the environment and sustainable development warned that the country?s eager pursuit of resource development was exposing it to greater environmental and financial risks.

Those risks, Scott Vaughan wrote in his final report to Parliament, were not being properly handled by government regulators.

Vaughan said the situation has put Canada?s reputation as an exporter at stake.

Obama did not mention the Keystone pipeline in Tuesday?s address, but he faced calls from organized labour and the petroleum industry to approve the project immediately.

Players on both side of the Keystone debate were busy Friday.

Enbridge Inc. and Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners announced a plan to spend up to US$3.4-billion to reconfigure a natural gas pipeline to help transport more Alberta crude to the eastern Gulf Coast.

Protesters in the U.S., meanwhile, are preparing for a weekend demonstration against Keystone.

Kent and Oliver insisted it was merely a coincidence that Friday?s clean-technology announcement was made so soon after Obama?s climate-change challenge.

Oliver said ?intensive due diligence? was undertaken in respect to every single project announced Friday.

?The suggestion that we somehow gathered together at the last second in order to respond politically is completely at variance with the facts,? the natural resources minister said.

Canadian oil has recently been sold at lower rates than usual due a lack of pipeline capacity out of Western Canada and the U.S Midwest. As a result, Oliver estimated $50-million is lost each day because of the bottleneck.

Ottawa?s drive to ensure oilsands crude finds its way to market from Alberta has the federal government exploring and promoting options in different directions ? all of which have started controversy.

The Keystone project would send bitumen south, the Northern Gateway proposal would see crude piped to the West Coast and eventually to China, and other plans would use existing pipelines to send Alberta oil to Eastern Canada.

One proposal, by TransCanada Corp., would convert an existing, underused natural gas line to bring oil from Western Canada to Quebec and New Brunswick. Another, put forward by Enbridge, would reverse the flow of a line between Montreal and southern Ontario.

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois and New Brunswick Premier David Alward, who have both expressed interest in receiving Alberta oil, are scheduled to meet in Montreal on Monday.

Environmental groups and people who live along the eastern pipeline routes have said they don?t want ?dirty? oil running through communities. They have also raised concerns over the possibility of spills.

Oliver maintained Friday that places like Quebec would benefit from Alberta crude funnelling into the province?s refineries.

?It would create jobs and the possibility of lower gasoline prices for consumers,? he said.

?I?m not going to anticipate a negative reaction from the province.?

More Related to this Story

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadas-credibility-on-climate-change-wont-need-much-work-says-environment-minister/article8758749/?cmpid=rss1

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Adoptable Pets of the Week | EllenTV.com

Zeb and Treasure are part of Best Friends Animal Society?s "Single and Loving It!" adoption promotion! Right now, when you adopt one of the dogs or cats from Best Friends, your new friend will be delivered to your hometown for free, because helping a homeless pet is priceless. See all of Best Friends? single cats and dogs looking for that special relationship right here. Adoption application must be received by Feb. 18.

ZEB

  • Breed: Domestic long hair
  • Gender: Male
  • Born in 2004
  • Independent, but still playful and curious
  • Loves the company of people and receiving attention
  • Prefers to be your one and only kitty

Zeb loves the company of people, and receiving lots of attention.

He was rescued from life as a stray when the building he called home was being demolished. Since coming to Best Friends, he has learned to be very personable. He would be a great companion for someone with a busy schedule, but he's also so playful, curious and full of life.

Zesty Zeb does need to be an only pet, but he would be such a bright and fun one. He has personality-plus, and is absolutely adoring and adorable.

TREASURE

  • Breed: American Staffordshire Terrier
  • Gender: Female
  • Born in 2008
  • Equally enjoys cuddling and a good game of fetch
  • Prefers to be your one and only dog

This treasure isn't hard to find. She'll come running to meet you, eager for your attention and petting, and if you have time to play ball, she'll be even more delighted! Born in 2008, Treasure is a beautiful, super-sweet, silly girl, but she's not good with other dogs or cats, so needs to find a home where she can be the only pet. She came from a Colorado shelter and is in good health.

You don't need a map to find Treasure. She's right here, waiting to meet you. Could you give this happy dog the chance to show you why a good dog is worth her weight in gold?

Best Friends adopts to all of the United States and Canada. Please contact Best Friends Animal Society right?here.??See all the animals that need homes... at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Source: http://www.ellentv.com/2013/02/15/adoptable-pets-of-the-week/

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Africa seeks to learn a lesson from China

  • Christian Post - Friday 15th February, 2013

    Filipino congressman and boxer Manny Pacquiao, the evening's guest host, poses at the North American premiere of the Filipino film "The Road" at the Arclight Hollywood Theater in Los ...

  • GM paid $119 mn for 1 stake in China JV

    Times of India - Friday 15th February, 2013

    GM back to 50 percent, the U.S. automaker disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. However, SAIC retains a 51 percent share in the sales side of the ...

  • North Korea pushes the envelope again but this time with China

    World Tribune - Friday 15th February, 2013

    John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS -- "Oops, they did it again," to paraphrase the old Britney Spears song. Indeed North Korea's baby-faced dictator Kim Jong-Un decided to test another ...

  • Japan to send envoy to China for island row talks report

    West Australian - Friday 15th February, 2013

    TOKYO (AFP) - Japan will next week send a foreign ministry official to Beijing for three days for talks on an ongoing territorial dispute and North Korea's recent nuclear test, a report said ...

  • China needs to adhere to NK policy

    Global Times - Friday 15th February, 2013

    The latest nuclear test in North Korea on February 12 has raised concerns about nuclear pollution among residents of North China, with the test site reportedly being less than 100 kilometers from ...

  • Luxury brand Bottega Veneta says Europe shop window for China

    Reuters - Friday 15th February, 2013

    A woman uses her mobile phone to shoot a video during the Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer 2013 collection at Milan Fashion Week September 22, ...

  • Africa seeks to learn a lesson from China

    China Daily - Friday 15th February, 2013

    /enpproperty--> Africa hopes to learn from China's development experience and strengthen its partnership with Beijing on issues relating to regional peace and security. This was the message ...

  • Chinas lonely bachelors are helping its economy grow

    CNN Money - Friday 15th February, 2013

    FORTUNE -- They say a good man is hard to find, but that's not the case in China, where men overwhelmingly outnumber women. The ratio of men of marriageable/dating age (15-30 years old) to ...

  • Gut bacteria give clues to baby survival in Chinas melamine scandal

    CBC News - Friday 15th February, 2013

    Scientists wondering why some children and not others survived one of China's worst food safety scandals have uncovered a suspect: germs that live in the gut. In 2008, at least six babies died ...

  • Super fund role adds interest to China job

    New Zealand Herald - Friday 15th February, 2013

    Lindsay Wright says the downside of living in China is the pollution but the opportunity to work in the world's fastest growing economy is what gets her excited. The Kiwi from Kerikeri, who is ...

  • The United States Cant Allow China to Dominate in Africa

    U.S. News & World Report - Friday 15th February, 2013

    See a collection of political cartoons on the economy. ] The truth is also that the Chinese aren't alone in Africa. Turkey, India, Malaysia, Russia, Israel, Brazil, the Gulf States, and South ...

  • China AU pledge to enhance friendly cooperation

    China Daily - Friday 15th February, 2013

    /enpproperty--> BEIJING - China and the African Union (AU) held their fifth strategic dialogue to boost cooperation on Friday. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and AU Commission Chairman ...

  • Cold front to sweep most of China

    China Daily - Friday 15th February, 2013

    /enpproperty--> BEIJING - A strong cold front is expected to sweep most of China, dragging down temperatures by up to 14 degrees Celsius in some areas. The cold front will lower temperatures by ...

  • Highway crash kills 8 in E China

    China Daily - Friday 15th February, 2013

    /enpproperty--> NANCHANG - Eight people died Friday afternoon when two automobiles collided on a highway in the eastern province of Jiangxi, local traffic police said. The eight victims were all ...

  • Beijing tourism revenue up 15 pct during holiday

    China Daily - Friday 15th February, 2013

    /enpproperty--> BEIJING - Beijing reaped 3.88 billion yuan (617.8 million US dollars) in tourism revenue during this year's seven-day Spring Festival holiday, up 15 percent year on year, ...

  • Keep Chinas big spenders at home

    China Daily - Friday 15th February, 2013

    /enpproperty--> BEIJING - During China's Lunar New Year holiday, high-end stores in Europe were jammed with Chinese shoppers snapping up items at lower prices than back home. Policy makers ...

  • Bird Flu Death In China Sparks Fear Of Human-Transmitted H5N1 Strain

    IBTimes - Friday 15th February, 2013

    (Photo: Reuters) The current strain of H5N1 (bird flu) is highly pathogenic, kills most species of birds and up to 60 percent of the people it ...

  • Why North Korea?s nuclear blast will test China?s support

    The Globe and Mail - Friday 15th February, 2013

    North Korean soldiers clench their fists during a rally celebrating the country's third nuclear test in Pyongyang, in this picture taken and released by Kyodo on Feb.14, 2013. (KYODO ...

  • Brad Pitt?s Profile Mysteriously Disappears from China?s Version of Twitter

    Hollywood Reporter - Friday 15th February, 2013

    , a startup news portal that covers the region?s technology space, within two hours of Pitt?s first post last month it received 8,000 comments, was re-tweeted 20,000 times and attracted ...

  • Wyatt Smith makes deal with students Learn Chinese. Go to China.

    Christian Science Monitor - Friday 15th February, 2013

    Wyatt Smith is still in his classroom. The day started 12 hours ago, back when his green tie was firmly in place and his khakis were neatly pressed - before the classes, parent phone calls, and the ...

  • N. Korea Tells China of Preparations for More Nuclear Tests

    VOA - Friday 15th February, 2013

    BEIJING -- North Korea has told its key ally, China, that it is prepared to stage one or even two more nuclear tests this year in an effort to force the United States into diplomatic talks with ...

  • Chinas Xi Jinping vows change

    Times Of India - Friday 15th February, 2013

    Communist Party officials behind closed doors. Despite decades of heady economic growth, Xi told party insiders during a visit to Guangdong Province in December, China must still heed the ...

  • Source: http://www.beijingnews.net/index.php/sid/212600655/scat/55582c89cb296d4c

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    Russian asteroid strike: Numerous injuries, significant damage

    Feb. 15, 2013 ? A space rock a few metres across exploded in Earth's atmosphere above the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia today at about 03:15 GMT. The numerous injuries and significant damage remind us that what happens in space can affect us all.

    While precise information on the size, mass and composition of the object are yet to be confirmed, videos show a fireball and explosion consistent with an asteroid up to a few metres in size exploding in the atmosphere, possibly several to ten kilometres above the surface.

    In this type of event, if the explosion altitude is less than 10 km or so, the resulting shockwave can cause damage on the ground, such as shattering windows. Debris from the object may be found later.

    "Current information, which is not yet complete nor confirmed, points to a small asteroid," said Detlef Koschny, Head of Near-Earth Object activity at ESA's Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme office.

    "There is no way it could have been predicted with the technical means available today. What can be said with near certainty is that this object has no connection with asteroid 2012 DA14."

    Asteroid 2012 DA14 made a close flyby of Earth at 19:27 GMT (20:27 CET) today.

    Finding objects that pass close to our planet and are large enough to do damage if they enter our atmosphere is a major goal of ESA's SSA programme.

    In addition to conducting its own sky searches using ESA's Optical Ground Station in Tenerife, Spain, SSA is partnering with existing European and international asteroid survey activities.

    It also sponsors astronomer groups in Europe, supporting surveys carried out with their own equipment or allocating observation time on its Tenerife telescope. The office also provides access to orbit predictions, close flyby details and related data via its technical website at http://neo.ssa.esa.int

    "Today's event is a strong reminder of why we need continuous efforts to survey and identify near-Earth objects," said Thomas Reiter, ESA's Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations.

    "Our SSA programme is developing a system of automated optical telescopes that can detect asteroids and other objects in solar orbits."

    In cooperation with survey efforts worldwide, ESA's goal is to spot near-Earth objects larger than 40 m at least three weeks before closest approach to our planet.

    To achieve this, ESA, European industry and partner agencies are developing a system of automated 1 m-diameter telescopes capable of imaging the complete sky in one night.

    In addition to Russian media, who reported immediately, all media worldwide have published images of notable damage around Chelyabinsk, and reports also mention numerous casualties.

    "Our most sincere sympathies are with those suffering injury and property loss due to this event in Russia," added Thomas Reiter.

    Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Space Agency (ESA).

    Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


    Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

    Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/BymHQJx2jzA/130215192102.htm

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    Have You Ever Dated Someone You Worked With?

    Have You Ever Dated Someone You Worked With? You spend a large part of your day at the office, and many of your closest friends may also be colleagues or people you've met through work. At the same time, being intimate with someone you work with offers a number of workplace challenges, the least of which being staying productive or keeping your personal life out of your work life when the person you're seeing is nearby. We want to know: have you ever walked that line? Did it work out for you?

    We got to thinking about this when we read a Glassdoor survey that one in ten people have made love in the office. The majority of those respondants (a slim majority, only 51%) said it's normal and okay to be romantically involved with a coworker, and 37% said they'd been personally involved with a coworker themselves. At the same time, over 54% of them noted that office romances always wind up ending in awkwardness at work, which is never a good thing.

    What about you? Have you gotten into a romantic relationship (or are you in one?) with someone you work with, or is it a terrible idea destined to end in tears? If so, how do you stay productive and professionally detached? Let us know your thoughts in the discussions below.

    Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/6FcBaw8CMnM/have-you-ever-dated-someone-you-worked-with

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    Saturday, February 16, 2013

    Researchers create new air sacs in mouse model of emphysema using novel growth factor

    Researchers create new air sacs in mouse model of emphysema using novel growth factor

    Friday, February 15, 2013

    In a study of mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified a new molecular pathway involved in the growth of tiny air sacs called alveoli that are crucial for breathing. The scientists say their experiments may lead to the first successful treatments to regrow the air sacs in people who suffer from diseases such as emphysema in which the air sacs have been destroyed by years of smoking. The work may also suggest new therapy for premature infants born before their lungs are fully developed.

    "One of the most daunting challenges we face as physicians is helping patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as emphysema, who have lost alveoli that are so crucial for lung function," says Enid Neptune, M.D., associate professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Once those tiny air sacs are destroyed, there are no effective treatments to bring them back."

    Neptune is the senior author of a study described in an article in the Feb. 14, 2014 issue of PLOS Genetics in which the researchers used hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to regrow alveoli and restore lung structure in mice genetically engineered to develop a human-like form of emphysema. Theirs is believed to be the first study using HGF in mice with established emphysema.

    Growth factors, such as HGF, have been used to promote wound healing. Neptune says previous studies had shown that HGF had a role in the functioning of alveoli, which enable lungs to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide and send oxygen into the bloodstream to nourish organs throughout the body. Reduction in the number or quality of the sacs seriously compromises breathing.

    Even though they cannot be seen by the naked eye, tiny, spherical alveoli are covered with thin walls and have a blood supply. The researchers conducted experiments in mice with a genetically induced form of emphysema to see if HGF could stimulate the formation of alveoli.

    One experiment involved adult mice with genetically induced emphysema. Half of the mice received HGF, delivered under the skin using a special pump for two weeks. The other half of the group received a placebo ? not the HGF. Another group of mice with healthy lungs, the "control" group, was divided in half to receive either HGF or a placebo.

    "We found that the mice with emphysema, when given the HGF, developed a 17 percent improvement in the size of their air sacs compared to placebo-treated mice, consistent with improved lung structure and function. The HGF also was protective, preventing destruction of the alveoli by reducing the oxidative stress that contributes to lung injury," says Neptune. "In essence, the HGF was able to block a major enemy of the functioning alveoli."

    In addition, the healthy mice that received HGF showed no difference in alveolar size. The mice with emphysema that were treated with a placebo did not show any improvement.

    The researchers then wanted to see the effect of impaired HGF activity in young mice whose lungs were still forming. They created a mouse in which the HGF receptor, known as MET, was removed from the cells lining the alveoli. "Our idea was if HGF was performing this important role in alveoli formation, if we knocked out its receptor, known as MET, we should see damage to the alveoli," says Neptune.

    As predicted, the air sacs in the developing mice without the HGF receptor did not form correctly. Also, the blood vessels serving the alveoli were reduced and there was an increase in both oxidative stress and inflammation. The researchers concluded that developing alveoli require both HGF and MET signaling in order to form normally.

    "Our research is an important demonstration that a growth factor can be used as a drug for emphysema," Neptune says. "However, since HGF reduces cell death and promotes cell proliferation, we would have to be cautious about translating it to the smoking population where there's a higher risk of lung cancer." she adds. Neptune and others are pursuing research to be able to selectively activate the therapeutic and not the malignancy-inducing components of HGF signaling.

    Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 30 million Americans have COPD and about 60,000 people die from it each year. In addition to smoking, occupational exposure to harmful dust, fumes and smoke can also cause COPD.

    ###

    Johns Hopkins Medicine: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

    Thanks to Johns Hopkins Medicine for this article.

    This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

    This press release has been viewed 22 time(s).

    Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126848/Researchers_create_new_air_sacs_in_mouse_model_of_emphysema_using_novel_growth_factor

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    Friday, February 15, 2013

    Piazza says Scully turned?LA fans against him

    More excerpts from Mike Piazza?s new book are out. Bill Shakin has the story here: Mike Piazza criticizing Vin Scully for turning the fans against him in L.A.

    Piazza talks about his contract negotiations with the Dodgers prior to the 1998 season. In an interview with Scully, Piazza says Scully asked him about the deadline Piazza set for negotiations, which was the beginning of spring training. Shaikin on what Piazza wrote:

    Piazza wrote that Scully asked him about the deadline in a spring interview.??He wasn?t happy about it,? Piazza wrote. ?And Scully?s voice carried a great deal of authority in Los Angeles ??Vin Scully was crushing me.?

    Scully denies it:

    ?I have no idea where he is coming from. I really have no idea. I can?t imagine saying something about a player and his contract. I just don?t do that, ever. I?m really flabbergasted by that reference.?

    Look, I know there?s a habit these days to say that Vin Scully is some godlike figure who does no wrong, so defending Scully is not exactly a brave and bold stance. ?But can anyone recall a time when Scully truly got involved in that level of the game? Contracts and dollars are so far out of his bailiwick that he?d have to call long distance back to his bailiwick to get his messages if ever he found himself there. ?Scully is all about stuff like ?Uggla is Swedish for owl? and things.

    Piazza talks about how he?s not well-liked in Los Angeles anymore. Hard to imagine why.

    Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/13/mike-piazzas-guide-to-increasing-ones-popularity-in-los-angeles-slam-vin-scully/related/

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    Wednesday, February 13, 2013

    EADS confirms Ranque in line to be its new chairman

    PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus parent EADS confirmed on Wednesday it had proposed former Thales Chief Executive Denis Ranque as its next chairman under a new shareholder structure.

    The appointment will be discussed by a new board following an extraordinary shareholder meeting scheduled for March 27 that will also vote on a planned share buyback, EADS said.

    The European aerospace company announced the nomination of Ranque, 61, on its Twitter feed. He will replace Arnaud Lagardere whose French media group plans to sell its stake.

    Ranque's nomination confirms plans reported by Reuters as the list of board members was unveiled last week, and follows a battle for the top post in Europe's largest aerospace firm.

    The French government had backed Anne Lauvergeon, former head of reactor maker Areva, for the role but EADS insisted on picking one of the board's independent majority as the company seeks to curb political influence from France and Germany.

    Lauvergeon will sit on the board as a representative of French interests. Besides Airbus civil jets, EADS makes Ariane space rockets, French nuclear weapons and German fighter planes.

    (This version of the story corrects the shareholder meeting date as March 27, from May 27 as previously mentioned.)

    (Reporting by Tim Hepher)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eads-confirms-ranque-line-chairman-180924061--finance.html

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    2012 hype?resurrected in 'last pope' prophecy

    Patricia Drury via Flickr

    A statue of St. Malachy of Armagh (1094-1148) stands on the grounds of St. Malachy Catholic Church in Sterling Heights, Mich. Centuries-old prophecies that have been attributed to St. Malachy are causing a stir due to Pope Benedict XVI's surprise abdication announcement.

    By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

    Just when you thought it was safe to go out of the bunker, there's a fresh wave of doomsday buzz over a purported 12th-century prophecy suggesting that the next pope will be the last pope before the end of the world. St. Malachy's "Prophecy of the Popes" has no credence in the Roman Catholic Church, but its effect could well be longer-lasting than the hype that surrounded the 2012 Maya apocalypse?? especially if the papal conclave goes with one of the favored candidates for Benedict XVI's successor.


    The text that's been attributed to Malachy came to light in 1595, in a book by Benedictine monk Arnold de Wyon. Supposedly, Malachy experienced a vision of future popes during a trip to Rome in 1139, and wrote down a series of 112 cryptic phrases that described each pope in turn. The text was said to have lain unnoticed in Rome's archives until Wyon published it.

    Doomsday fans have found ways to link each phrase to a corresponding pope through the centuries. That includes John Paul II, who is associated with phrase No. 110, "From the labor of the sun," because he was born on the day of a solar eclipse and was entombed on the day of a solar eclipse as well. Benedict XVI, No. 111, is supposedly "glory of the olive" because some members of a branch of the monastic order founded by St. Benedict are known as Olivetans.

    Then there's No. 112: "In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit ... Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The end."

    The end? This could be the beginning for a doomsday meme that hangs over a whole generation, if it's taken seriously. There's already a 586-page book about the coming apocalypse, titled "Petrus Romanus." One theologian, Michael K. Lake, is quoted as saying that "Catholic and evangelical scholars have dreaded this moment for centuries."

    In fact, the Catholic Church doesn't put any stock in the prophecies, for a variety of reasons. "There are just a number of red flags," Sister Madeleine Grace, a historical theologian at the University of St. Thomas who specializes in medieval texts, told NBC News. "The material that implies they're talking about future popes is rather scanty indeed, and there are factual errors. ... The likelihood is that they're some kind of forgery."

    One of the biggest red flags is that no mention was made about the papal prophecies until the 1590s ? not even by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a close friend of Malachy's who wrote his biography and hailed his gift of prophecy. And then there's always the biblical dictum that no one knows the day or the hour for doomsday?? a rule of thumb that works for believers as well as non-believers. Most experts have concluded that the text was made up to boost a 16th-century cardinal's bid to become pope.

    But if the coming papal conclave really wanted to drum up the doomsday talk, as well as sales for "Petrus Romanus," all they'd have to do is elect one of the leading candidates: Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, a member of the Roman Curia. Even though church tradition would forbid any pope from taking the name Peter II, Turkson could arguably be described as Peter the Roman. Others suggest that he could be the "young red black one" mentioned in the similarly cryptic doomsday prophecies of Nostradamus.

    Whomever the conclave picks, there'll surely be a way to connect him somehow with "Peter the Roman"?? after all, isn't every pope a successor to St. Peter, based in Rome? "Any pope can be thought of as the latest Peter in the line," Tom Horn, one of the authors of "Petrus Romanus," said a couple of months ago on the "Coast to Coast AM" radio show.

    Which means we might have to deal with 2012-style doomsaying as long as the next guy is in office. What do you think?

    Dearly departed doomsdays:


    Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

    Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/12/16940253-why-the-buzz-over-st-malachys-last-pope-prophecy-outdoes-2012-hype?lite

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