Sunday, March 31, 2013

Italy president denies to resign, will stay to deal with crisis

By Giselda Vagnoni

ROME (Reuters) - Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday ruled out standing down to make way for new parliamentary elections after the failure of attempts to form a government this week, saying he would stay in place until the very end of his mandate in May.

Earlier, all of Italy's main newspapers said Napolitano, whose term ends on May 15, was considering stepping down to get around constitutional provisions which prevent a president dissolving parliament and calling elections in the final months of his mandate.

But the 87-year-old head of state told reporters he would continue his efforts to break the deadlock since elections last month that left no single group with enough power to govern.

"I will continue until the last day of my mandate to do as my sense of national responsibility suggests, without hiding from the country the difficulties that I am still facing," he told reporters at his Quirinale palace.

He said he would ask two small groups of experts to formulate proposals for institutional and economic reforms that could be supported by all political parties.

Napolitano met leaders of the main parties on Friday to try to find a way out of the stalemate, which has raised fears of prolonged uncertainty in the euro zone's third-largest economy.

However with all of the three main groups in parliament clinging to entrenched positions that have prevented a majority being formed in parliament, hopes of a solution that would avoid a new snap election have faded.

Center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, whose party controls the lower house but does not have a majority in the Senate, failed to win enough support to form a government from any of the other parties during a week of talks.

He rejected demands by center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi for a cross-party coalition deal that would give the scandal-plagued former prime minister a share in power and the right to decide Napolitano's successor.

Both Berlusconi's group and the populist 5-Star Movement led by ex-comic Beppe Grillo have also ruled out supporting a new technocrat government like the one led by outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti, blocking what appears to be the only other option.

(Writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Barry Moody)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italy-president-could-resign-allow-election-source-083108238--business.html

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UCLA hires Alford away from New Mexico

UCLA hires Alford: Steve Alford succeeds UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland, who was fired last weekend after 10 years. Alford had just inked a 10-year deal with New Mexico, when UCLA snagged him.

By Beth Harris,?Associated Press / March 30, 2013

Former New Mexico head coach Steve Alford reacts to a referee's call during a game against Harvard in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City earlier this month. Alford was hired Saturday to coach UCLA.

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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UCLA hired Steve Alford as basketball coach on Saturday, luring him from New Mexico days after he signed a new 10-year deal with the Lobos.

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Athletic director Dan Guerrero said Alford is "the perfect fit for UCLA" because he connects with a new generation of players and brings an up-tempo and team-oriented style of play to Westwood.

The 48-year-old coach succeeds Ben Howland, who was fired last weekend after 10 years and a 233-107 record that included three consecutive Final Four appearances and four Pac-12 titles. The Bruins were 25-10 this season, which ended with a 20-point loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Alford led New Mexico to a 29-6 record this season that included the Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles. But the Lobos were upset by Harvard in the second round of the NCAAs shortly after Alford's new deal with the school had been announced.

Alford will be introduced at UCLA on Tuesday.

"I have been so fortunate and blessed in my life, and an opportunity to lead one of the greatest programs in college basketball history is once-in-a-lifetime," he said in a statement.

Alford had a 155-52 record in six years at New Mexico, with the Lobos making three trips to the NCAA tournament. He was selected Mountain West coach of the year three times.

His other head coaching stints were at Iowa (2000-07), Missouri State (1996-99) and Manchester College (1992-95) in his native Indiana.

Alford is a legend in the Hoosier state, where he starred at Indiana University from 1984-87 under coach Bob Knight. The Hoosiers won the national championship in his senior year. He also played on the gold medal-winning 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team in Los Angeles as a college sophomore. Knight coached that team.

Alford was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1987 and played four years in the NBA before starting his head coaching career at tiny Manchester.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/4xg0Lekkyj0/UCLA-hires-Alford-away-from-New-Mexico

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

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Source: http://www.elastix.org/index.php/en/component/kunena/10-success-stories/119287-class-4-voip-switch.html

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Duke Tops Michigan State, 71-61: Seth Curry Scores 29 As Blue Devils Reach Elite Eight

  • Mike Rosario

    Mike Rosario (3) dunks against Florida Gulf Coast during the second half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Mike Rosario, Michael Frazier II

    Florida's Mike Rosario (3) and Michael Frazier II (20) react during the second half of a regional semifinal game against Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Mike Rosario

    Florida's Mike Rosario (3) reacts during the second half of a regional semifinal game against Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Scottie Wilbekin, Bernard Thompson

    Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) is defended by Florida Gulf Coast's Bernard Thompson (2) during the second half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo

    Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, right, talks to Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo after their regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Indianapolis. Duke won 71-61. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Tyler Thornton, Adreian Payne

    Duke guard Tyler Thornton (3) grabs a rebound as Michigan State forward Adreian Payne (5) misses a dunk during the second half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Indianapolis. Duke won 71-61. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Tyler Thornton, Derrick Nix, Adreian Payne

    Duke guard Tyler Thornton (3) and Michigan State forward Derrick Nix (25) reach for a rebound as Michigan State forward Adreian Payne (5) misses a dunk during the second half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Indianapolis. Duke won 71-61. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Branden Dawson, Tom Izzo

    Michigan State forward Branden Dawson (22) reacts as he walks past head coach Tom Izzo during the second half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Indianapolis. Duke won 71-61. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Scottie Wilbekin, Sherwood Brown

    Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) shoots as Florida Gulf Coast's Sherwood Brown (25) defends during the second half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Tyler Thornton

    Duke guard Tyler Thornton (3) reacts after a regional semifinal against Michigan State in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Indianapolis. Duke won 71-61. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Scottie Wilbekin, Chase Fieler

    Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) and Florida Gulf Coast's Chase Fieler (20) go after a loose ball during the second half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Rasheed Sulaimon, Adreian Payne

    Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon grabs a rebound in front of Michigan State forward Adreian Payne during the second half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Michael Frazier II, Eddie Murray, and Scottie Wilbekin

    Eddie Murray (23) is defended by Florida's Michael Frazier II (20) and Scottie Wilbekin (5) during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Casey Prather

    Florida's Casey Prather (24) shoots in traffic during the first half of a regional semifinal game against Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Mike Krzyzewski

    Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and players on the bench react during the second half of a regional semifinal against Michigan State in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Eddie Murray, Erik Murphy

    Florida Gulf Coast's Eddie Murray (23) dunks as Florida's Erik Murphy (33) defends during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Tom Izzo

    Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Denzel Valentine

    Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine (45) reacts during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Adreian Payne, Mason Plumlee

    Michigan State forward Adreian Payne (5) reacts as he dunks during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Watching at left is Duke's Mason Plumlee (5). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Billy Donovan

    Florida head coach Billy Donovan during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Adreian Payne, Mason Plumlee, Rasheed Sulaimon

    Michigan State forward Adreian Payne (5) reacts as he dunks during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Watching are Duke players Mason Plumlee (5) and Rasheed Sulaimon (14). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Casey Prather, Christophe Varidel

    Florida's Casey Prather (24) dunks as Florida Gulf Coast's Christophe Varidel (5) defends during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Casey Prather, Christophe Varidel

    Florida's Casey Prather (24) shoots over, Florida Gulf Coast's Christophe Varidel (5) during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Adreian Payne, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly

    Michigan State forward Adreian Payne (5) goes up with a shot against Duke forward Mason Plumlee during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Watching is Duke's Ryan Kelly (34). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Scottie Wilbekin, Brett Comer

    Florida Gulf Coast's Brett Comer (0) is defended by Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5)during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Adreian Payne, Rasheed Sulaimon

    Michigan State forward Adreian Payne, right, grabs a rebound against Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Keith Appling, Seth Curry

    Michigan State guard Keith Appling (11) blocks a shot by Duke guard Seth Curry (30) during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Billy Donovan

    Florida head coach Billy Donovan during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • A Florida Gulf Coast cheerleader takes the court during the first half of a regional semifinal game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Adreian Payne

    Michigan State forward Adreian Payne (5) reacts during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Chase Fieler

    Florida Gulf Coast's Chase Fieler (20) reacts against Florida during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Seth Curry

    Duke guard Seth Curry (30) reacts during the first half of a regional semifinal against Michigan State in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Will Yeguete, Eddie Murray

    Florida's Will Yeguete (15) and Florida Gulf Coast's Eddie Murray (23) go after a loose ball during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Will Yeguete, Eddie Murray

    Florida's Will Yeguete (15) and Florida Gulf Coast's Eddie Murray (23) go after a loose ball during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Andy Enfield

    Florida Gulf Coast head coach Andy Enfield reacts to action against Florida during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Denzel Valentine, Tyler Thornton

    Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine and Duke guard Tyler Thornton (3) scramble for a loose ball during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Adreian Payne, Ryan Kelly

    Michigan State forward Adreian Payne (5) drives the ball past Duke forward Ryan Kelly during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Naadir Tharpe, Ben McLemore

    Kansas' Naadir Tharpe, left, and Ben McLemore right react in the lockeroom after losing 87-85 to Michigan in overtime of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Tom Izzo

    Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts as he directs his team during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Elijah Johnson, Kevin Young, Perry Ellis, Jamari Traylor

    Kansas' Elijah Johnson, left, Kevin Young (40), Perry Ellis (34) and Jamari Traylor (31) sit in the lockeroom after losing 87-85 to Michigan in overtime of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Patric Young, Chase Fieler, Erik Murphy

    Florida's Patric Young (4), Florida Gulf Coast's Chase Fieler (20) and Erik Murphy (33) go after a loose ball during the first half of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

  • Mike Krzyzewski

    Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski talks to his players during a time out in the first half of a regional semifinal against Michigan State in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Branden Dawson, Rasheed Sulaimon

    Michigan State forward Branden Dawson (22) blocks a shot by Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon (14) during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Keith Appling

    Michigan State guard Keith Appling (11) reacts to a call during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Fred Richardson III (5)

    Oregon guard Fred Richardson III (5) scores past the defense of Oregon forwards E.J. Singler (25) and Ben Carter (32) during a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/ The Oregonian, Bruce Ely) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT.

  • Tom Izzo

    Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo directs his team during the first half of a regional semifinal against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Derrick Nix, Tyler Thornton

    Michigan State forward Derrick Nix (25) and Duke guard Tyler Thornton (3) fight for a rebound during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Keith Appling, Quinn Cook

    Michigan State guard Keith Appling, left, and Duke guard Quinn Cook battle for a loose ball during the first half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Mike Krzyzewski

    Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski directs his team during the first half of a regional semifinal against Michigan State in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Corey Person, Trey Burke

    Michigan's Trey Burke, second from left, is lifted by Corey Person after beating Kansas 87-85 in overtime of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas.(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

  • Glenn Robinson III, Caris LeVert, Nik Stauskas

    Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1), Caris LeVert (23) and Nik Stauskas (11), celebrate after beating Kansas 87-85 in overtime of a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

    • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/duke-michigan-state-sweet-16-score_n_2982701.html

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    Sprial galaxy: Hidden depths of Messier 77 revealed

    Mar. 28, 2013 ? Messier 77 is a galaxy in the constellation of Cetus, some 45 million light-years away from us. Also known as NGC 1068, it is one of the most famous and well-studied galaxies. It is a real star among galaxies, with more papers written about it than many other galaxies put together.

    Despite its current fame and striking swirling appearance, the galaxy has been a victim of mistaken identity a couple of times; when it was initially discovered in 1780, the distinction between gas clouds and galaxies was not known, causing finder Pierre Mechain to miss its true nature and label it as a nebula. It was misclassified again when it was subsequently listed in the Messier Catalogue as a star cluster.

    Now, however, it is firmly categorised as a barred spiral galaxy, with loosely wound arms and a relatively small central bulge. It is the closest and brightest example of a particular class of galaxies known as Seyfert galaxies -- galaxies that are full of hot, highly ionised gas that glows brightly, emitting intense radiation.

    Strong radiation like this is known to come from the heart of Messier 77 -- caused by a very active black hole that is around 15 million times the mass of our Sun. Material is dragged towards this black hole and circles around it, heating up and glowing strongly. This region of a galaxy alone, although comparatively small, can be tens of thousands of times brighter than a typical galaxy.

    Although no competition for the intense centre, Messier 77's spiral arms are also very bright regions. Dotted along each arm are knotty red clumps -- a signal that new stars are forming. These baby stars shine strongly, ionising nearby gas which then glows a deep red colour as seen in the image above. The dust lanes stretching across this image appear as a rusty, brown-red colour due to a phenomenon known as reddening; the dust absorbs more blue light than red light, enhancing its apparent redness.

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ESA/Hubble Information Centre.

    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/top_news/~3/ecypzfdwMAw/130328125104.htm

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    What?s new and what?s not for women in war? A Yahoo! News chat

    Last week, during his Ryan Seacrest-hosted special on The CW, Justin Timberlake said that music is the "most special" hat of the many hats he wears as an entertainer. Now, we can't psychoanalyze JT?as much as everyone may have wanted to during his year-long courtship of the world's attention. But, to be sure, music has given this man a lot: Timberlake's pop-star status has allowed him to pursue the very side projects that have transformed into his main career focus, as modern mega-celebrities are want to do with their "brand maintenance" these days. ...

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/what%E2%80%99s-new-and-what%E2%80%99s-not-for-women-in-war--a-yahoo--news-chat-171220929.html

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    Friday, March 29, 2013

    Lil Twist Hosted RAGER at Justin Bieber's Mansion in Singer's Absence: Report

    Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/lil-twist-hosted-rager-at-justin-biebers-mansion-in-singers-abse/

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    Thursday, March 28, 2013

    Virtual games help the blind navigate unknown territory

    Mar. 27, 2013 ? On March 27thJoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments) will publish a new video article by Dr. Lotfi Merabet showing how researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School have developed a virtual gaming environment to help blind individuals improve navigation skills and develop a cognitive spatial map of unfamiliar buildings and public locations.

    "For the blind, finding your way or navigating in a place that is unfamiliar presents a real challenge," Dr. Merabet explains. "As people with sight, we can capture sensory information through our eyes about our surroundings. For the blind that is a real challenge? the blind will typically use auditory and tactile cues."

    The technique utilizes computer generated layouts of public buildings and spatial sensory feedback to synthesize a virtual world that mimics a real world navigation task. In the game, participants must find jewels and carry them out of the building, without being intercepted by roaming monsters that steal the jewels and hide them elsewhere.

    Participants interface with the virtual building by using a keyboard and wearing headphones that play auditory cues that help spatially orient them to the world around them. This interaction helps users generate an accurate mental layout of the mimicked building. Dr. Merabet and his colleagues are also exploring applications of this technology with other user interfaces, like a Wii Remote or joystick.

    "We have developed software called ABES, the Audio Based Environment Simulator that represents the actual physical environment of the Carol Center for the Blind in Newton Massachusetts. The participants will use the game metaphor to get a sense of the whole building through open discovery, allowing people to learn room layouts more naturally than if they were just following directions."

    The technology will invariably be useful for the 285 million blind people world-wide, 6 million of which live in the United States. It will also have applications beyond the blind community for individuals with other visual impairments, cognitive deficits, or those recovering from brain injuries.

    Dr. Merabet considers publication in JoVE's video format especially helpful. "It is conceptually difficult for a sighted person to understand 'a video game for blind people.' What JoVE allows us to do is break down layouts of the game and strategy, show how the auditory cues can be used and how we quantify performance going from the virtual game to the physical world."

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    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Journal of Visualized Experiments.

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

    Journal Reference:

    1. Erin C. Connors, Lindsay A. Yazzolino, Jaime S?nchez, Lotfi B. Merabet. Development of an Audio-based Virtual Gaming Environment to Assist with Navigation Skills in the Blind. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2013; (73) DOI: 10.3791/50272

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

    Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/PWTGJ6zp7M8/130327102648.htm

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    Court: OK to cut returning veteran's job if decision wasn't based on ...

    Generally, members of the military released from active duty service are entitled to return to their former jobs.

    The ?Uni?formed Ser??vices Employ-ment and Re??em??ploy??ment Rights Act (USERRA) states that the returning service members shall be re-employed ?in the position of em??ployment in which the person would have been employed if the continuous em??ployment of such person with the employer had not been interrupted by such service.?

    But what happens if bad economic times force a layoff before the em??ployee returns to work? Is he exempt from the cuts? Not according to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

    Recent case: Douglas worked as a maintenance technician before being called to active military duty. He left the service early after he had an ad?verse reaction to a vaccine. He wanted to report back to his job. But while Douglas had been deployed, the employer underwent two reductions in force after failing to make a profit.

    The second round of layoffs affected Douglas? department and was based on job duties, skills and other factors. On the day he returned to work, Douglas was informed that his job had been cut.

    He sued, alleging he was entitled to return to his job even in the face of a reduction in force.

    The court disagreed. It pointed out that USERRA?s language indicates that service members don?t get to keep their jobs if a position was eliminated for nondiscriminatory reasons while they were on active duty. (Millhauser v. Minco, No. 12-1756, 8th Cir., 2012)

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    Pinning down the pain: Schwann cell protein plays major role in neuropathic pain

    Mar. 27, 2013 ? An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, says a key protein in Schwann cells performs a critical, perhaps overarching, role in regulating the recovery of peripheral nerves after injury. The discovery has implications for improving the treatment of neuropathic pain, a complex and largely mysterious form of chronic pain that afflicts over 100 million Americans.

    The findings are published in the March 27, 2013 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

    Neuropathic pain occurs when peripheral nerve fibers (those outside of the brain and spinal cord) are damaged or dysfunctional, resulting in incorrect signals sent to the brain. Perceived pain sensations are frequently likened to ongoing burning, coldness or "pins and needles." The phenomenon also involves changes to nerve function at both the injury site and surrounding tissues.

    Not surprisingly, much of the effort to explain the causes and mechanisms of neuropathic pain has focused upon peripheral nerve cells themselves. The new study by principal investigator Wendy Campana, PhD, associate professor in UC San Diego's Department of Anesthesiology, with colleagues at UC San Diego and in Japan, Italy and New York, points to a surprisingly critical role for Schwann cells -- a type of glial support cell.

    Schwann cells promote the growth and survival of neurons by releasing molecules called trophic factors, and by supplying the myelin used to sheathe neuronal axons. Myelination of axons helps increase the speed and efficacy of neural impulses, much as plastic insulation does with electrical wiring.

    "When Schwann cells are deficient they can't perform these functions," said Campana. "Impaired neurons remain impaired and acute damage may transition to become chronic damage, which can mean lasting neuropathic pain for which there is currently no effective treatment."

    Specifically, the scientists investigated a protein called LRP1, which Campana and colleagues had first identified in 2008 as a potential basis for new pain-relieving drugs due to its signal-blocking, anti-inflammatory effects.

    The researchers found that mice genetically engineered to lack the gene that produces LRP1 in Schwann cells suffered from abnormalities in axon myelination and in Remak bundles -- multiple non-myelinated pain transmitting axons grouped together by Schwann cells. In both cases, one result was neuropathic pain, even in the absence of an actual injury.

    Moreover, injured mice lacking the LRP1 gene showed accelerated cell death and poor neural repair compared to controls, again resulting in significantly increased and sustained neuropathic pain and loss of motor function.

    "LRP1 helps mediate normal interactions between Schwann cells and axons and, when peripheral nerves have been injured, plays a critical role in regulating the steps that lead to eventual nerve regeneration," said Campana. "When LRP1 is deficient, defects and problems become worse. They may go from acute to chronic, with increasing levels of pain."

    Campana and others are now pursuing development of a small molecule drug that can mimic LRP1, binding to receptors in Schwann cells to improve their health and ability to repair damaged nerve cells. "By targeting Schwann cells and LRP1, I think we can improve cells' response to injury, including reducing or eliminating chronic neuropathic pain."

    Co-authors include Sumihisa Orita, Kazuyo Yamauchi and Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, UCSD Department of Anesthesiology and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chiba University, Japan; Kenneth Henry, Elisabetta Mantuano and Melanie Pollack, UCSD Department of Anesthesiology; Alice De Corato, UCSD Department of Anesthesiology and Department of Pharmacology, Cattolica University, Italy; M. Laura Feltri and Lawrence Wrabetz, Hunter James Kelly Research Institute, State University of New York at Buffalo; Alban Gaultier and Steven L. Gonias, UCSD Department of Pathology; Mark Ellisman, UCSD Department of Neurosciences; and Kazuhisa Takahashi, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chiba University, Japan.

    Funding for this research come, in part, from the National Institutes of Health (NINDS grants R01 NS-057456, R01 NS-054671, P30 NS47101, NCRR 5P41RR004050-24 and NIGMS P41GM103412-24) and the Uehara Memorial Foundation.

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego.

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

    Journal Reference:

    1. S. Orita, K. Henry, E. Mantuano, K. Yamauchi, A. De Corato, T. Ishikawa, M. L. Feltri, L. Wrabetz, A. Gaultier, M. Pollack, M. Ellisman, K. Takahashi, S. L. Gonias, W. M. Campana. Schwann Cell LRP1 Regulates Remak Bundle Ultrastructure and Axonal Interactions to Prevent Neuropathic Pain. Journal of Neuroscience, 2013; 33 (13): 5590 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3342-12.2013

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

    Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/fx6IS5C3pfY/130327163300.htm

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    Cyprus reopens banks, under strict restrictions

    By Karolina Tagaris and Michele Kambas

    NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriots are expected to descend in their thousands on Thursday on banks, which reopen with tight controls imposed on transactions to prevent fleeing depositors from cleaning out the vaults in a catastrophic bank run.

    The east Mediterranean island fears a stampede at banks almost two weeks after they were shut by the government as it negotiated a 10 billion euro ($12.78 billion) bailout package with the European Union to escape financial meltdown.

    The rescue deal is the first in Europe's single currency zone to impose losses on bank depositors, raising the prospect that savers will panic and scramble to get at their cash.

    Authorities insist that strict rules imposed to prevent a bank run will be temporary, but economists say they will be difficult to lift as long as the economy is in crisis.

    On Wednesday night, container trucks loaded with cash pulled up inside the compound of the central bank in the capital Nicosia to prepare for the reopening, a Cyprus central bank source said. A helicopter hovered overhead and police with rifles were stationed around the compound.

    As in all countries that use the euro, Cyprus's central bank supplies cash for its banks from the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. Officials have promised that enough funds will be on hand to meet demand. The ECB did not comment on reports it had sent extra cash to the island.

    Strict controls, contained in a Finance Ministry decree, limit cash withdrawals to no more than 300 euros per day, ban the cashing of cheques and bar businesses from transferring money abroad unless they can show it is for imports.

    The island's central bank will review all commercial transactions over 5,000 euros and scrutinize transactions over 200,000 euros on an individual basis. People leaving Cyprus can take only 3,000 euros with them.

    With just 860,000 people, Cyprus has some 68 billion euros in its banks - a vastly outsized financial system that attracted deposits from foreigners as an offshore haven but foundered after investments in neighboring Greece went sour.

    The European Union and International Monetary Fund concluded that Cyprus could not afford a rescue unless it imposed losses on depositors, previously seen as anathema.

    "CYPRUS EURO"

    Cyprus's financial difficulties have sent tremors through the already fragile single European currency. The imposition of capital controls has led economists to warn that a second-class "Cyprus euro" could emerge, with funds trapped on the island less valuable than euros that can be freely spent abroad.

    The authorities say they can avoid that by lifting controls quickly. They have been imposed initially for just four days.

    "The rationale is that these measures will be reviewed on a daily basis, so if there is the possibility of relaxing them we will," Yiangos Demetriou, head of internal audit at the Central Bank, told state television.

    But many experts are skeptical. A Reuters poll of economists this week showed 30 out of 46 said the controls would last months, while 13 expected they would endure a matter of weeks. Three said they could last years.

    "This is a typical set of exchange control measures, more reminiscent of Latin America or Africa," said Bob Lyddon, General Secretary of the international banking association IBOS.

    "There is no way these will only last seven days," he said. "These are permanent controls until the economy recovers."

    The bailout deal, hammered out in fraught overnight negotiations in Brussels on Monday, looks set to push Cyprus deeper into an economic slump, shrink the banking sector and cost thousands of jobs.

    The island's second largest bank, Cyprus Popular Bank will be closed and its guaranteed deposits of up to 100,000 euros transferred to the biggest bank, Bank of Cyprus.

    Deposits of more than 100,000 euros at both banks, too big to enjoy a state guarantee, will be frozen, and some of those funds will be exchanged for shares issued by the banks to recapitalize them.

    The big depositors will lose money, but the authorities say deposits up to 100,000 euros will be protected, a reversal from an earlier plan that would have hit small depositors as well but was vetoed by Cyprus's parliament last week.

    European leaders said the bailout deal averted a chaotic national bankruptcy that might have forced Cyprus out of the euro. Many Cypriots say the deal was foisted upon them by Cyprus's partners in the 17-nation euro zone, and some have taken to the streets to vent their frustration.

    On Wednesday, some 2,500 people rallied outside the offices of conservative President Nicos Anastasiades, waving banners and flags. They chanted: "I'll pay nothing; I owe nothing."

    For now, residents say they are confused and worried by the capital controls, and wonder how they will affect daily life.

    A 42-year-old Romanian hotel maid, who gave her name as Maria, said she was worried she would not be able to cash her pay cheque due on Friday. The hotel, she said, was unable to pay staff in cash because most guests paid by credit card.

    "What shall I do?" she asked. "Hold up the cheque and look at it?"

    (Additional reporting by Laura Noonan and Costas Pitas; Writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Peter Graff)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-reopens-banks-under-strict-restrictions-011937977--finance.html

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    Wednesday, March 27, 2013

    Peculiar parasitoid wasp found on rare sawfly developing in ferns

    Tuesday, March 26, 2013

    A mysterious parasitoid wasp was found in the B?hmerwald (Northeast Austria) and reared in the garden of the amateur entomologist Ewald Altenhofer of Gross Gerungs municipality, Austria. The parasitoid was identified by Kees van Achterberg, senior researcher at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, the Netherlands, as the rare Seleucus cuneiformis. It is the first time that a tip of its biology was discovered. The study was published in the open access journal Journal of Hymenoptera Research.

    The parasitoids reared by Mr Altenhofer belong to the peculiar genus Seleucus. The reared parasitoid Seleucus cuneiformis is known from only a few countries in Europe and is new to Austria. The host is the fern sawfly Blasticotoma filiceti, the only member of the family Blasticotomidae in Europe. The family is considered to be one of the oldest extant families of the true sawflies. This particular sawfly was previously known only from the region near Linz since 1973 and this is the second find reported for the fauna of Austria.

    The larvae of B. filiceti live in the stems of ferns in a small chamber, or gall, that they induce themselves for their protection. They feed on the nutrients in the phloem fluids and may produce foam on the outer side of the gall. The larvae have a true ant trophobiosis, or ants can live in symbiosis based on food for protection, the only known occurrence of this phenomenon within the Hymenoptera. The Myrmica ants receive fluids through some holes connected to the stem gall of the larva.

    During the rearing experiments, important notes on the previously unknown biology of the parasitoid wasp were recorded. Four weeks after the sawflies emerged from the gall, the adults of Seleucus cuneiformis also started appearing, which continued over a period of two weeks. Interestingly, the parasitoid females at first had a droplet-shaped rear body characteristic for males. During the course of the first day the metasoma got expanded into the very elongate shape typical of females, which is of use to inject their eggs into the galls of the sawflies.

    ###

    Achterberg C van, Altenhofer E (2013) Notes on the biology of Seleucus cuneiformis Holmgren (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ctenopelmatinae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 31: 97?104. doi: 10.3897/JHR.31.4204

    Pensoft Publishers: http://www.pensoft.net

    Thanks to Pensoft Publishers 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 47 time(s).

    Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127456/Peculiar_parasitoid_wasp_found_on_rare_sawfly_developing_in_ferns

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    School: Teen stabbed in Target store recovering

    PITTSBURGH (AP) ? A 16-year-old girl who was used as a shield and stabbed by a homeless man who fled into a downtown Target store after a fight was visiting Pittsburgh with her family while on spring break from her school in Tennessee, authorities said Tuesday.

    Allison Meadows, who attends Silverdale Baptist Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., is expected to fully recover from a collapsed lung and other wounds, the school said on its website. She was grabbed by her attacker Monday and stabbed, along with two men who were chasing him, as she stood in the checkout lanes with her family, police spokeswoman Diane Richard said Tuesday.

    Police said Leon Raymond Walls, 41, ran into the store wielding a knife about 5:30 p.m. Monday after a fight nearby. Walls at first headed toward the restrooms in the back of the store in the East Liberty neighborhood and at least two men entered the store searching for him, police said. Witnesses said one of the men had a baseball bat.

    Police said one of the men will need surgery to repair an injury to his face; the other man was treated for a hand injury and released. A police officer was taken to a hospital to be treated for pepper spray exposure. A bystander who helped subdue Walls complained of chest pains and also was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

    Walls was in custody Tuesday. He was unable to post $250,000 bond, court records show, and no home address or attorney was listed for him.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-26-Target%20Store%20Stabbing/id-c4f5afe22b0a44e39c7d48d2ad510522

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    Tuesday, March 26, 2013

    T-Mobile handsets will remain network-locked, can be freed when the device is yours

    TMobile handsets will remain network locked, can be freed when the device is yours

    At T-Mobile's UnCarrier event, there's been a lot of talk about how you, the customer, are no longer tied in. No contracts, no obligations, no restrictions, right? Turns out that new iPhone you've just paid $100 upfront for isn't so liberal, as the carrier has said any handsets you pick up will be locked to the T-Mobile network. There is a welcome caveat though: as long as you've paid the cost of the phone off, the Magenta mob will unlock it for you. That means if you're unhappy with whatever new plan you're on, you can take the phone elsewhere with a flat, one-time payment, or installments of your choice -- whether that's continuing on a monthly basis, or larger sums at an accelerated rate. Of course, if you just want out, you can always trade it back for a "fair" amount.

    Update: We spoke with Apple regarding specifics of the new hardware and the unlocking details, which can be found here.

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    Comments

    Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/1KgU-Xkvo40/

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    Writing the Wrongs: Mini-Guide on Different Groups??? Responses to Obama???s Trip to Israel

    Barry Rubin

    Since President Barack Obama?s trip to the Middle East was such a turning point for U.S. policy, I thought it should be summarized by showing characteristic responses of different groups. These are, of course, generalizations, and there are many variations.

    The Far Leftist: Why has Obama been so nice to Israel? He?s sold out and become just another typical president who backs Israel. How infuriating!

    The Left-Liberal: Did you see how Obama told off the Israelis and demanded they make peace? Of course, the people love him and it is only the reactionary leaders who oppose a truly great president who is doing a great job. He hasn?t changed at all; he?s just found a clearer way to articulate his position.?

    ?

    The ?Mainstream? Liberal (Current Version): We told you so! Of course Obama loves Israel despite all of that propaganda against him, and he really showed it this time. I?m so glad I voted for him twice.

    The Moderate to Conservative: Oh, no! Obama has pulled it off again! Now the Israelis love him and we?ll never get American Jews to oppose him. How depressing!

    The Militant Conservative: Ha! Did you hear what he said in this speech and that speech? Insulting Israel and just attacking it while apologizing for the Palestinian side! This is just one more proof of his enmity! How infuriating!
    The Palestinian View:? Obama been so nice to Israel! He?s sold out and become just another typical president who back Israel. How infuriating! Well, we expected this, so we won?t negotiate and will try either to engage in struggle or parlay our recognition as a state into getting the 1967 borders with no concessions.
    The Islamists: Of course he?s just another Christian crusader as we?ve always known. He?s never helped us but just retreated out of weakness because he?s afraid of us!? This has removed the illusions that diplomacy might work. Only armed struggle will ultimately wipe Israel off the map!
    The Serious Israeli Observer: Thank goodness! After more than four years of hard work and with the help of the other side?s intransigence, we got Obama to see reality in policy if not in rhetoric, which is far less important.? Perhaps a narrow escape from what would have been the most anti-Israel president in history by far. Look, the American people elect the president and then we have to deal with whomever they choose. Sure hope he wakes up about the Islamists and stays tough on Iran.

    Source: http://writingtw.blogspot.com/2013/03/mini-guide-on-different-groups.html

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    Denny Hamlin hospitalized overnight after crash with Joey Logano at California

    FONTANA, Calif. ? Denny Hamlin spent Sunday night hospitalized following a hard crash on the final lap of the Sprint Cup race Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.

    Hamlin was awake and alert when he was taken by helicopter ? because of the heavy postrace traffic ? to a hospital near the track.

    MORE: Hamlin's crash | Stewart-Logano feud | Busch wins | Earnhardt has points lead

    Joe Gibbs Racing announced late Sunday that Hamlin had been admitted and would stay overnight for observation. NASCAR officials refused to release the name of the hospital where Hamlin was taken, although typically drivers are taken from Auto Club Speedway to Loma Linda University Medical Center.

    The driver's girlfriend, Jordan Fish, tweeted: "He's alert n awake, main concern is his back."

    "Hamlin complained of lower back pain at the track's infield medical center and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation," a JGR statement said. "Hamlin will remain at the hospital overnight for observation."

    Hamlin was put on a stretcher immediately following the accident, which occurred as Hamlin and Joey Logano raced for the win going into the final turn of the Auto Club 400.

    The accident was the second in two weeks between the former JGR teammates. At Bristol Motor Speedway a week earlier, Hamlin spun Logano as they battled for second.

    After the race, Logano, who now drives for Penske Racing, went over to Hamlin's car and was pushed away by Hamlin's crew.

    On Friday, Logano pledged that he would race Hamlin "the way he raced me."

    Living up to that promise, Logano tried to hold the inside lane as they battled for the lead on the final lap and drifted up into Hamlin. Both drivers hit the outside wall while Kyle Busch went on to win the race.

    While Logano was able to collect his car, Hamlin's slid into the inside wall and smashed it head-on, lifting his car up in the air. There is no SAFER Barrier in that area of the track.

    "Denny Hamlin was not going to win that race," said Logano, before knowing Hamlin had been taken to the hospital.

    "I wanted to win that race. I feel like I had the car to win the race. ? It was just racing for the lead. I guess we're even now. He'll think twice before he does something next time."

    Hamlin has a history of back problems, including a bulging disk and a torn disk that kept him out of a practice session last July at Daytona.

    Last year, he said that surgery would be "years down the road' and treats his back problems ? which he said are genetic ? with therapy.

    Source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-03-24/denny-hamlin-injury-update-crash-joey-logano-california-race

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    Wall Street ends lower on renewed Cyprus worries

    By Angela Moon

    NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Monday on renewed concerns about the developments in Cyprus and the euro zone, which wiped away earlier gains that drove the S&P 500 index to less than a point away from its record close.

    Stocks fell after Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the Eurogroup of euro-zone finance ministers, told Reuters and the Financial Times that when failing banks need rescuing, euro-zone officials would turn to the bank's shareholders, bondholders and uninsured depositors to contribute to their recapitalization.

    He also said that Cyprus was a template for handling the region's other debt-strapped countries.

    But stocks came off their lows after Dijsselbloem clarified his previous comments and said, "Cyprus is a specific case with exceptional challenges, which required the bail-in measures we have agreed upon yesterday. Macro-economic adjustment programs are tailor-made to the situation of the country concerned and no models or templates are used."

    Before his remarks, the Dow industrials hit yet another record intraday high and the S&P 500 edged closer to its highest closing level ever on Monday after negotiators reached a deal to keep Cyprus afloat with a financial bailout and avert the country's possible exit from the euro zone.

    "There was certainly a sigh of relief that a deal was reached, but there are still growing concerns that more work needs to be done," said Jack Ablin, the chief investment officer of BMO Private Bank in Chicago.

    Banking shares were among the day's top decliners. Shares of Morgan Stanley fell 1 percent to $21.97 while Bank of America dropped 1.3 percent to $12.40.

    The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> slipped 64.28 points, or 0.44 percent, to end at 14,447.75. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> dipped 5.20 points, or 0.33 percent, to 1,551.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> declined 9.70 points, or 0.30 percent, to close at 3,235.30.

    Earlier, the Dow climbed to an intraday record high of 14,563.75. The S&P 500 rose to a session high of 1,564.91 - just a fraction of a point below its record closing high of 1,565.15 set on October 9, 2007.

    The CBOE Volatility Index <.vix>, known as the VIX, Wall Street's favorite barometer of investor anxiety, ended up 1.3 percent at 13.74, off its intraday high of 14.61.

    In company news, Dell Inc said it received alternative proposals from Blackstone and billionaire investor Carl Icahn that could be superior to the $24.4 billion offer from founder Michael Dell and private equity fund Silver Lake Partners last month. Dell shares rose 2.6 percent to $14.51.

    Merger and acquisition activity has been among the reasons for stocks' stellar performance so far this year.

    Shares of University of Phoenix owner Apollo Group rose 7.1 percent to $18.25 after the company reported a better-than-expected profit even as student sign-ups fell for the fourth straight quarter. The stock was the S&P 500's biggest percentage gainer.

    Best Buy Co Inc shares rose 1.8 percent to $23.20 after the company said that founder Richard Schulze would rejoin the consumer electronics retailer as chairman emeritus and add two of his former colleagues to the board. The news helped dispel rumors that the largest investor in the world's largest consumer electronics chain was contemplating selling his stake in the company.

    Volume was roughly 5.8 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, compared with the 2012 average daily closing volume of about 6.45 billion.

    Decliners outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by a ratio of about 3 to 2, while on the Nasdaq, about 13 stocks fell for every 12 that rose.

    (Editing by Jan Paschal)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-futures-signal-rise-cyprus-deal-094611072--finance.html

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    Monday, March 25, 2013

    Sony Xperia ZL goes on pre-order for US customers, off-contract ...

    The Xperia? ZL, the World's Most Compact Smartphone with a 5" Display, Comes to the US

    --5" Full HD Reality Display with the highest* phone-to-screen ratio, powered by Mobile BRAVIA? Engine 2

    --13MP camera with Exmor RS? for Mobile image sensor for HDR photos and videos

    --Easy One-touch connections to wirelessly share music, photos, and videos across other NFC-enabled devices

    --Sony's media applications deliver rich user experiences and instant access to entertainment services


    ATLANTA, March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Mobile Communications (USA), Inc. ("Sony Mobile") brings the Xperia? ZL to the US, offering consumers the best of Sony in a premium smartphone. The Xperia ZL is now available online for pre-sale at Sony Store and will soon be available through other select online retailers.

    The Xperia ZL has all of the specifications expected from a premium smartphone and offers even more with best of Sony experiences. It combines a razor sharp 5" full HD (1920x1080p) Reality Display with an elegant and compact design. Intelligent camera features make taking high quality images easier than ever, and One-touch connections via NFC (Near field communication) allow the Xperia ZL to communicate with a wide range of NFC-enabled devices with a single tap.

    Compact design
    With Sony's expertise in design and craftsmanship, the Xperia ZL comes with subtly rounded edges, a curvature that fits naturally into the palm of your hand, and a compact layout that optimizes the iconic phone design.
    The power button also has high functionality, as the average user is likely to touch it an estimated 76 times per day, and exemplifies the premium build and craftsmanship that has gone into the Xperia ZL.


    Intelligent Sony Technology


    Xperia ZL's Reality Display, powered by Mobile BRAVIA? Engine 2, brings Sony's long-standing TV expertise to the smartphone and delivers an immersive viewing experience with optimized colors, contrast, and clarity. Most smartphones available today have screen ratios of between 60 and 68 percent. Xperia ZL has been precision engineered for an exceptional viewing experience while maintaining a compact design, allowing the brilliant display-representing 75 percent of the overall footprint*-to take the spotlight.


    Xperia ZL also shares capabilities with Sony digital cameras and features Exmor RS for mobile, the world's first image sensor with HDR** (High Dynamic Range) video for smartphones. HDR technology enhances clear images against strong backlight, enabling users to capture razor sharp pictures and videos, no matter the conditions.


    Sony's One-touch functions enable consumers to easily share music, photos, and videos from their smartphone to an array of NFC-enabled Sony devices including speakers, headphones, and TVs. With the latest NFC-capable BRAVIA TV, simply touch the Xperia ZL to the TV remote control to instantly enjoy your photos or view the content of your phone's screen on a large TV screen. With an NFC-enabled headset or speaker, listen to the songs on your Xperia ZL with just a tap.


    Xperia ZL also includes Battery STAMINA Mode that significantly improves the battery standby time by automatically shutting down battery-draining apps whenever the screen is off and starting them up again when the screen is back on.


    Discover, enjoy and share entertainment with Sony's media applications


    Sony media applications offer a consistent entertainment experience across a range of Sony devices. The "WALKMAN", Album, and Movies apps enable discovery of online and offline content through a single access point. Each application provides new ways to enjoy and share that content. The "WALKMAN" application provides access to all of your downloaded music, a library of 18 million songs to explore from Music Unlimited***, and Facebook social integration. The Movies application gives consumers access to over 100,000 movies and TV series from Video Unlimited***, while the Album application enables easy access to Facebook friends' photos-you can even browse photos by location.

    Key features for Xperia ZL

    5" 1080 x 1920p full HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA? Engine 2
    13MP Fast Capture camera with Exmor RS for mobile, HDR video (1080p), Superior Auto and Noise Reduction to effortlessly capture razor sharp pictures and videos in any conditions
    Battery STAMINA for improved standby time
    NFC-enabled and Infra-red capable
    1.5 GHz asynchronous quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB RAM
    MSRP $759.99 (unlocked, Model C6506) and $719.99 (unlocked, Model C6502)
    Available colors: Black, White, Red
    Compatible network bands:
    Model C6502 HSPA+: 1,2,4,5,8 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
    Model C6506 LTE: 2,4,5,17 & HSPA+: 1,2,4,5,8 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
    Xperia ZL will launch on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/sony-xperia-zl-goes-on-pre-order-for-us-customers-off-contract/

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    Other stomach microbiota modulate resistance to H. pylori-driven ulcers

    Mar. 25, 2013 ? Mice with different naturally occurring stomach bacteria have distinct susceptibilities to disease caused by Helicobacter pylori, the well-known cause of ulcers in humans, according to a study published online ahead of print in the journal Infection and Immunity. This is the first study to document (in mice) that the presence of certain bacteria in the stomach microbiota can prevent pathology from H. pylori.

    The gastro-intestinal tract is a veritable ecosystem packed with microbes, and over the last decade, investigators have been discovering that the species composition of that ecosystem can have a profound effect on human health. But the eureka moment that led to this study came "when we realized that mice from different vendors mount different responses to H. pylori infection," says principal investigator Karen Ottemann of the University of California, Santa Cruz.

    Following this discovery, the researchers divided mice from the vendor, Taconic Farms, into three groups: mice treated with antibiotics in order to kill some of the resident bacteria, mice that were fed normal stomach bacteria after antibiotic treatment, and mice that were not treated. They then infected each group with H. pylori, and assayed the animals' stomachs for immune system cells.

    "The antibiotic-treated mice had small quantities of particular inflammatory cells, called Th1 T helper cells," says Ottemann. Both the untreated mice, and the treated mice that were then fed normal stomach bacteria had normal (higher) levels of Th1 T helper cells. These results suggested that the normal stomach microbes contribute to disease caused by H. pylori, says Ottemann.

    The researchers then determined that around 4,000 species of bacteria were different in the high- and low-inflammation (no antibiotics, and antibiotic-treated, respectively) mice. Notably, the mice with low inflammation "had elevated amounts of Clostridia, bacteria known to prevent inflammation in the intestine," says Ottemann. Thus, the Clostridia may be key to dampening H. pylori pathology, although that remains to be determined, she says.

    Ottemann says that this research may lead to predicting future H. pylori disease, including ulcers and gastric cancer -- which has few treatment options and high mortality -- based on stomach microbiota.

    "After we determine which microbes underlie H. pylori disease outcomes, we could test whether H. pylori-infected people harbor those particular bacteria, and target them for curing," says Ottemann. Alternatively, such people could receive the protective bacteria as probiotics. The latter might be a superior option, because while prone to ulcers in middle and advanced age, people who harbor H. pylori are less likely to get esophageal cancer and asthma.

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    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society for Microbiology.

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

    Journal Reference:

    1. A. S. Rolig, C. Cech, E. Ahler, J. E. Carter, K. M. Ottemann. The degree of Helicobacter pylori inflammation is manipulated by the pre-infection host microbiota. Infection and Immunity, 2013; DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00044-13

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

    Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Kh72_jqXsZE/130325135355.htm

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    Sunday, March 24, 2013

    Volleyball-sized fireball streaks across East Coast sky (+video)

    NASA confirms that a fireball, as bright as a full moon, was seen from Florida to New England. The Friday night meteor was probably a small "boulder" that entered the Earth's atmosphere.

    By Staff,?Associated Press / March 23, 2013

    Reports of a flash of light that streaked across the sky over the U.S. East Coast appeared to be a "single meteor event," the U.S. space agency said. Residents from New York City to Washington and beyond lit up social media with surprise.

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    "Judging from the brightness, we're dealing with something as bright as the full moon," Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environmental Office said Friday. "We basically have (had) a boulder enter the atmosphere over the northeast."

    Cooke said the meteor was widely seen, with more than 350 reports on the website of the American Meteor Society alone.

    Robert Lunsford of the society told USA Today "it basically looked like a super bright shooting star."

    The sky flash was spotted as far south as Florida and as far north as New England, the newspaper reported.

    Matt Moore, a news editor with The Associated Press, said he was standing in line for a concert in Philadelphia around dusk when he saw "a brilliant flash moving across the sky at a very brisk pace... and utterly silent."

    "It was clearly high up in the atmosphere," he said. "But from the way it appeared, it looked like a plane preparing to land at the airport."

    Moore said the flash was visible to him for about two to three seconds, and then it was gone. He described it as having a "spherical shape and yellowish and you could tell it was burning, with the trail that it left behind."

    Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, agreed that the sightings had all the hallmarks of a "fireball."

    Pitts said this one got more attention because it happened on a Friday evening ? and because Twitter has provided a way for people to share information on sightings.

    He said what people likely saw was one meteor ? or "space rock" ? that may have been the size of a volleyball and fell fairly far down into the Earth's atmosphere. He likened it to a stone skipping across the water ? getting "a nice long burn out of it."

    Pitts said experts "can't be 100 percent certain of what it was, unless it actually fell to the ground and we could actually track the trajectory."

    But he said the descriptions by so many people are "absolutely consistent" with those of a meteor.

    Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

    Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/rQeZgV2kJSQ/Volleyball-sized-fireball-streaks-across-East-Coast-sky-video

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    Atheist ?church?: cat worship

    Since, according to Alain de Botton, atheists need to replace religion with other spiritual experiences, I present you this Sunday with something to fill that God-shaped hole in your psyche:? two lovely photos of my favorite felid, Pallas?s cat (Otocolobus manul, also called the ?manul?).

    This one?s not fat?just fluffy!

    Pallas cat

    Look at that face!

    ?

    furrier than you

    No god is as amazing as that.

    As a bonus treat, listen as a lion cub tries its best to roar.

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    Source: http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/atheist-church-cat-worship/

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    Timeline on the gay rights movement

    A look at key moments over the past 50 years in the advancement of gay rights in the United States.

    March 24, 2013

    ? 1960: All 50 states have anti-sodomy laws, many of which target intimate acts between persons of the same sex.

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    ? 1969: Members of the gay community in New York riot after police raid the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village frequented by homosexuals. The demonstrations become a catalyst for the gay liberation movement.

    ? 1970-73: Courts in Minnesota, Washington, and Kentucky rebuff lawsuits filed by same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses.

    ? 1986: 57 percent of Americans think homosexual relations between consenting adults should not be legal, while 32 percent believe they should be legal.

    ? 1991: Three gay couples in Hawaii challenge the constitutionality of laws limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

    ? 1993: Hawaii Supreme Court provisionally rules in favor of same-sex marriage.

    ? 1996: Congress passes the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars same-sex married spouses from obtaining the same federal benefits as heterosexual married spouses.

    ? 1996: 68 percent of Americans think same-sex marriage should not be legal.

    ? 1997: Comedian Ellen DeGeneres announces she's gay on her TV show.

    ? 1998: Hawaii voters approve a constitutional amendment allowing state lawmakers to ban same-sex marriage, which they do. Alaska voters pass a similar amendment.

    ? 1999: The Vermont Supreme Court rules that the traditional definition of marriage discriminates against same-sex couples. It gives the Legislature the option of amending the law or creating a new institution that provides them with the benefits of marriage.

    ? 2000: After a divisive debate, the Vermont Legislature approves the nation's first civil-union law.

    ? 2001: 35 states now have provisions defending traditional marriage.

    ? 2003: US Supreme Court strikes down a Texas anti-sodomy law, decreeing that sexual conduct between consenting adults is off limits to government regulation. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declares, for the first time, that same-sex couples enjoy a constitutional right to marry.

    ? 2003: 58 percent of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, while 33 percent support it.

    ? 2004-06: 11 states pass measures or constitutional amendments barring gay marriage.

    ? 2006-07: High courts in New York, New Jersey, Washington, Maryland, and Georgia reject gay marriage.

    ? 2008: High courts in California and Connecticut rule in favor of gay marriage. Passage of Proposition 8 overturns California court decision.

    ? 2009: Iowa high court rules in favor of gay marriage.

    ? 2010: Iowa voters reject three high court justices up for retention. Congress repeals "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays serving in the military.

    ? 2012: 48 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, while 43 oppose it.

    ? 2013: 9 states now recognize same-sex marriage, while 41 do not. Two gay marriage cases come before the US Supreme Court.

    Sources: Gallup; Pew Research Center; Michael Klarman, Harvard University law professor

    Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/uAAKvyU6CyE/Timeline-on-the-gay-rights-movement

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