Sunday, February 24, 2013

Indian plant compound gedunin kills cancer cells, new research finds

(NaturalNews) Researchers at the Georgia Regents University Cancer Center have identified an India-based plant which has been used for centuries to treat inflammation, fever and malaria that could be used to help kill cancer cells.

Dr. Ahmed Chadli, a researcher in the Molecular Chaperone Program at the GRU Cancer Center and senior author of the study named the Journal of Biological Chemistry's "Paper of the Week," said cancer cells typically survive by hijacking so-called molecular chaperones that in turn guide and protect the proteins that ensure normal cellular function, then tricking them into assisting mutated versions of those proteins to stay alive, according to a press release published by the university.

Therefore, development of drugs has focused largely on the chaperone Hsp90 (heat shock protein 90) "because it plays a key role in assisting mutating proteins, making it an attractive cancer drug target," the release said.

'In the future, this research could have applications in other cancers'

But the clinical efficacy of Hsp90 inhibitors has been less than stellar; most current small molecules that target Hsp90 have inadvertently resulted in the expression of proteins that protect cancerous cells from cell death, thereby compromising the Hsp90 inhibitors in the clinical setting.

In the current study; however, Chaitanya Patwardhad, a graduate student in Dr. Chadli's laboratory, discovered that gedunin, an Indian plant compound, attacks a helper protein, or co-chaperone, of Hsp90 known as p23.

"This compound binds directly to p23, leading to inactivation of the Hsp90 machine - without production of anti-apoptotic proteins - thus killing cancer cells," said Chadli. "The idea here is that this will open a door for new ways of targeting Hsp90 by targeting its helper proteins, which may be used in combination with established Hsp90 inhibitors that are ongoing clinical trials."

"In the future, this research could have applications in drug development for hormone-dependent cancers, including breast, prostate and endometrial cancers," he said.

"One of the major areas of scientific emphasis of the GRU Cancer Center is to develop therapeutic approaches to cancer targeting specific molecules within the cancer cell, including chaperones," added Dr. Samir N. Khleif, director of the GRU Cancer Center. "This finding is an important piece of the puzzle, bringing us closer to our goal of helping patients with cancer."

Gedunin, according to Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., "is a naturally occurring Hsp90 inhibitor. In vitro, Gedunin induces Hsp90-dependent client protein degradation and displays antiproliferative activity."

It is obtained from the Indian neem tree and has been used for centuries in Asia as a natural remedy for malaria. It has also been used as an insecticidal and, most recently, as an anti-cancer agent.

Gedunin may be useful in treatment of neurological disorders too

In 2009, researchers found a nearly 80 percent decrease in the cell proliferation in ovarian cancer cells after in-vitro treatment with gedunin. (http://saypeople.com)

A separate study by Emory University found that gedunin and its derivatives looked promising in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, HIV-related dementia, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, and Huntington's disease.

As for Chadli, he says that this research could have applications in drug development for hormone-dependent cancers, including breast, prostate, and endometrial cancers.

Sources:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/ghsu-ipc021413.php

http://www.scbt.com/datasheet-203967-gedunin.html

http://saypeople.com

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Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/039224_cancer_cells_plant_medicine_Hsp90.html

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Are you ready to get glassed? Google Glass is on the horizon, check it out (videos)

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/contentfortheweb/posts/425100537575196

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Rapper, cabbie meet violent end together in Vegas

This April 2011 photo from the California Department of Motor Vehicles shows Kenneth Cherry Jr., also known as rapper "Kenny Clutch." The Clark County, Nev., coroner's office identified Cherry as the Maserati driver who died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 after being peppered with gunfire from someone in a Range Rover SUV, sparking a fiery crash that killed two others in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/California DMV)

This April 2011 photo from the California Department of Motor Vehicles shows Kenneth Cherry Jr., also known as rapper "Kenny Clutch." The Clark County, Nev., coroner's office identified Cherry as the Maserati driver who died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 after being peppered with gunfire from someone in a Range Rover SUV, sparking a fiery crash that killed two others in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/California DMV)

Tow truck drivers clean up and tow away cars involved in a drive-by shooting on Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, John Locher) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; LAS VEGAS SUN OUT

Smoke and flames billow from a burning vehicle following a shooting and multi-car accident on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas early Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The Las Vegas Strip became a scene of deadly violence early Thursday when, authorities say, someone in a black Range Rover opened fire on a Maserati, sending it crashing into a taxi that burst into flames, leaving three people dead and at least six injured. (AP Photo/Erik Lackey)

Tow truck drivers clean up and tow away cars involved in a drive-by shooting on Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, John Locher) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; LAS VEGAS SUN OUT

Law enforcement personal investigate the scene of a mulit-vehicle accident on Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo Road Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Authorities say a Range Rover opened fire on a Maserati at a stoplight, sending it crashing into a taxi that went up in flames, leaving three people dead and at least six injured. Police were checking with nearby businesses to see whether a previous altercation prompted the car-to-car attack (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff Scheid) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; LAS VEGAS SUN OUT

(AP) ? Kenny Cherry was an aspiring rapper who moved from the Bay Area to Las Vegas to pursue his career. His music videos online show him cruising the Strip in his Maserati.

Taxi driver Michael Boldon was a family man who hailed from Michigan; and his passenger, Sandra Sutton-Wasmund, came from a loving Washington state family and was well regarded in her community.

The lives of the three ended in violence normally seen only in movies: gunfire, a fiery crash and an explosion before dawn Thursday on the neon-lit Las Vegas Strip.

As investigators Friday tried to find the gunman in a black Range Rover SUV who triggered the shocking chain of events, families and friends tried to grasp the blink-of-an-eye finality of it all.

"Right now my heart is breaking," said Cherry's great aunt, Patricia Sims, of Oakland, Calif. "This has really been a tragedy. Kenny was just a delightful kid."

Sims, 75, said Cherry moved to Las Vegas from Northern California, though she didn't know her nephew was a rapper using the name Kenny Clutch.

Cherry's parents were traveling to Las Vegas on Friday to claim his body. The 27-year-old, whose full name is Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr., was driving a Maserati that was peppered by gunfire before it sped through a red light and smashed into Boldon's taxi.

The taxi exploded into flames, killing Boldon and Sutton-Wasmund, as four other vehicles crashed like pinballs at an intersection overlooked by some of Las Vegas' most famous hotel-casinos: Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Bally's and the Flamingo.

Police think an argument at the valet area of the upscale Aria resort-casino led to the shooting, but they haven't shared details. The shooting happened the same night that Morocco-born rapper French Montana was playing at Aria's signature nightclub, Haze.

"What the original disagreement was is crucial to the ongoing investigation and the identification of the suspects," said Las Vegas police officer Bill Cassell.

He said investigators were examining surveillance video and enlisting help from federal authorities and agencies in neighboring states to look for the distinctive Range Rover. It had blackout windows and custom black rims and was last seen speeding away from the fiery scene around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Police said a passenger in the Maserati was wounded in the arm but was treated at a hospital and released. He was reported to be cooperating with investigators, and his name wasn't made public.

Cherry's father, Kenneth Cherry Sr., of Emeryville, Calif., said he was struggling to handle his grief.

He said his son started a music career in Oakland after attending two Catholic high schools. According to his father, Cherry was recognized by other rappers within a West Coast hip-hop strain called hyphy.

Cherry was not well-known in wider music circles, according to Chuck Creekmur, CEO of AllHipHop.com.

"I had never heard his name before," Creekmur said.

Kenny Clutch's YouTube music video, "Stay Schemin," shows scenes of hotels along the Strip as he sings about paying $120,000 for his Maserati.

"One mistake change lives all in one night," he raps in one verse.

Cherry Sr. said he didn't know how his son made money or if he had any other jobs.

"I want to make it clear that my son was no gangster or nothing like that," he told The Associated Press. "He moved to Vegas about six year ago and he was writing music and rap."

Court records show Cherry had no criminal cases or convictions in Las Vegas, and Cassell said there was no record of arrests.

The police spokesman wouldn't say whether investigators determined if Cherry owned, rented or borrowed the Maserati. Cassell called that information "integral to the investigation."

Meanwhile, Boldon's family struggled to cope with his death.

"It's very devastating for us, for my family," said Tehran Boldon, 50, younger brother of the 62-year-old taxi driver. "Our family has no history of violence or gang membership that would predict losing a family member to such an event."

Boldon's sister, Carolyn Jean Trimble, said Boldon was a father, a grandfather and a car enthusiast. He was one of five children born and raised in Michigan, where he took care of his ailing father, who fought cancer, before moving to Las Vegas to be with his 93-year-old mother.

Bolden had owned a clothing store in Detroit and worked at a car dealership, his sister said. He began driving taxis after moving to Las Vegas about 1 1/2 years ago.

Boldon loved watching IndyCar and NASCAR races and drove a Mercedes when he wasn't in a cab. An avid car enthusiast, he tried to persuade Trimble to buy a Bentley, she said.

"Everybody just loved him," the older sister said. "When that car hit that cab, Mike had to be in there talking and laughing."

The irony that a man with a taste for beautiful cars was killed by a sports car wasn't lost on Trimble.

"He would be tickled to death: 'Damn, of all things, a Maserati hit me, took me out like that,'" she said. "I'm happy he didn't suffer."

The county medical examiner said both Boldon and his passenger, Sutton-Wasmund, died of blunt force injuries and that their deaths were being treated as homicides. The 48-year-old woman was from Maple Valley, Wash.

Sutton-Wasmund co-owned a dress shop called The Dazzled Dame and had been in Las Vegas attending a trade show with her partner in the shop, said Debbie Tvedt, the office manager for a Maple Valley plumbing company, All Service Plumbing, that Sutton-Wasmund started with her husband, James Wasmund.

"It's a big loss," Tvedt said tearfully in a telephone interview with The Associated Press Friday night. "This woman was everything to this community.

"Sandi was very, very, very active with the Maple Valley Chamber of Commerce and our entire community," she said.

The Maple Valley-Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce website said Sutton-Wasmund was a board member from 2004 to 2011 before becoming a marketing representative.

Tvedt said her friend was a mother of three ? a 17-year-old son, a 12-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son.

"Sandi was a loving wife, mother, daughter and sister. Her innocent and tragic loss will be felt by all of those who knew and loved her and by the community at large," said a statement provided to KING-TV in Seattle on behalf of the woman's family.

A phone message left for James Wasmund was not immediately returned.

Besides Cherry's passenger, police said five people were treated for injuries after the six-vehicle crash. No one was said to face life-threatening injuries.

Jogger Eric Lackey snapped a cellphone photo of the blazing scene moments after the crash. Black smoke billowed from the flaming taxi, amid popping sounds from the fire.

The famously glowing, always-open Las Vegas Strip was closed for some 15 hours before reopening Thursday night. One Nevada Highway Patrol sergeant recalled a similarly long closure after the 1996 drive-by slaying of rapper Tupac Shakur.

That shooting ? involving assailants opening fire on Shakur's luxury sedan from a vehicle on Flamingo Road ? happened about a block away from Thursday's crash.

The Shakur killing has never been solved.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writer Garance Burke in San Francisco; AP Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu in New York; and researchers Judith Ausuebel, Jennifer Farrar and Lynn Dombek in New York.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-23-Vegas%20Gun%20Battle/id-a3be82c986454880975869f099d355ec

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Sony Xperia Z - The SHOCK Test


Sony claim that the Xperia Z is a rugged smartphone and so far, the tests seem to agree.
So far, we've seen the Xperia Z face an Underwater challenge to play video and survive being in a baby's hands thanks to Three. Now, we challenge on the dust resistance and dragon tail design in the ultimate SHOCK test - just how durable is it?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JustAnotherMobilePhoneBlog/~3/cIaBlWxnSks/sony-xperia-z-shock-test.html

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Snowstorm moves through Midwest, threatens New England (+video)

The blizzard currently pummeling Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas is threatening to drop the third massive snowstorm on New England in as many weekends.

By Kevin Murphy,?Reuters / February 21, 2013

A major winter storm blanketed states from Minnesota to Ohio with a mix of blinding snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Kansas got more than a foot of snow.

A major winter storm moved into the U.S. Midwest on Thursday, blanketing states from Minnesota to Ohio with a mix of blinding snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

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The same storm dumped more than a foot of snow in Kansas, stranded motorists on highways and forced airports to cancel hundreds of flights.

The storm is expected to eventually reach the East Coast this weekend, delivering heavy snow to parts of New England for a third straight weekend, from northern Connecticut to southern Maine.

Kansas bore the brunt of the storm, with up to 15 inches (38 cm) of snow in some parts of the state, according to the National Weather Service. A 200-mile (323-km) stretch of Interstate 70 in central Kansas was closed and strewn with cars stuck in snow.

National Guard troops riding in Humvees were dispatched to look for stranded motorists along the interstate and other highways, said Sharon Watson, a spokeswoman for Kansas emergency management services.

The fierce storm triggered severe thunderstorms from eastern Texas to Georgia.

Thunder accompanied snow in Kansas City, hit by 2 to 3 inches of snow per hour on Thursday morning.

"When there is thunder and lightning, it's a pretty screaming clue that you are going to have massive snowfall," said Andy Bailey, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Missouri.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback declared states of emergency because of hazardous travel and possible power outages. Brownback ordered state offices closed because of the storm.

STORM BRINGS SOME DROUGHT RELIEF

Kansas City International Airport was closed on Thursday while crews cleared runways. It was unclear when the airport would reopen, spokesman Joe McBride said.

At the Denver International Airport, some 55 commuter flights were canceled overnight, spokeswoman Laura Coale said. More than 320 flights in and out of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport were scrapped and nearly 50 flights in and out of Omaha's Eppley Airfield were listed as canceled by midday.

In Nebraska, a 19-year-old woman was killed in a two-car accident on Wednesday on Interstate 80 near Giltner. The Nebraska State Patrol said weather was a factor.

An 18-year-old man died in Oklahoma when his vehicle slid into a semi-truck on a slushy state highway, the state's highway patrol said.

Drought-stricken farmers in the Great Plains, one of the world's largest wheat-growing areas, welcomed the moisture brought by the storm, although experts said more rain or snow would be needed to ensure healthy crops.

"It's a travel nightmare, but all I hear are good things from farmers about how much this moisture is needed," said meteorologist Jeff Johnson of the National Weather Service in Dodge City, Kansas. (Additional reporting by Ian Simpson, Ben Berkowitz, Keith Coffman in Denver, Suzi Parker in Little Rock, Kay Henderson in Des Moines, Steve Olafson in Oklahoma City and Tim Bross in St. Louis; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Kevin Gray and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/H-P0uE4T1fw/Snowstorm-moves-through-Midwest-threatens-New-England-video

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Pakistan arrests ex-head of banned Sunni group

ISLAMABAD (AP) ? Police say they have arrested the former chief of a banned Sunni extremist group in central Pakistan.

Senior police officer Ashfaq Gujar says Malik Ishaq was arrested in the central city of Rahim Yar Khan on Friday. It was not immediately clear on what charges he was arrested.

Ishaq is one of the founders of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group, which is accused of killing hundreds of minority Shiites Muslims.

He was also briefly detained last year, following attacks against Shiites in the country. His latest arrest came less than a week after a bombing at a market in the southwestern city of Quetta killed 89 Shiites.

Most victims of Saturday's bombing were Hazaras, a Shiite ethnic group that migrated to Pakistan from Afghanistan more than a century ago.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-arrests-ex-head-banned-sunni-group-124719000.html

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Bumblebees Sense Electric Fields in Flowers

flower power A flower's electric field (right, with associated electric potential on the left) helps bumblebees predict where to find the most nectar. Image: Dominic Clarke

As they zero in on their sugary reward, foraging bumblebees follow an invisible clue: electric fields. Although some animals, including sharks, are known to have an electric sense, this is the first time the ability has been documented in insects.

Pollinating insects take in a large number of sensory cues, from colors and fragrances to petal textures and air humidity. Being able to judge which flowers will provide the most nectar, and which have already been plundered by other pollinators, helps them to use their energy more efficiently.

It has long been known that bumblebees build up a positive electrical charge as they rapidly flap their wings; when they land on flowers, this charge helps pollen to stick to their hairs. Daniel Robert, a biologist at the University of Bristol, UK, knew that such electrical interactions would temporarily change the electrical status of the flowers ? but he did not know whether bumblebees were picking up on this.

Flower power
Keen to find out, he and a team of colleagues measured the net charges of individuals of Bombus terrestris, a common species of bumblebee, by using sucrose to lure them into a Faraday pail ? an electrically shielded bucket that reacts to the charge of anything inside it. As expected, most bumblebees were carrying a positive charge.

Next, the team placed the insects into an arena with petunias (Petunia integrifolia) and measured the flowers' electrical potentials. Sure enough, when the bees landed, the flowers became a little more positively charged.

Finally, the team released bumblebees into an arena with artificial flowers, half of which were positively charged and carried a sucrose reward, and the other half of which were grounded and carried a bitter solution. Over time, the bees increasingly visited the rewarding charged flowers.

But when the researchers turned off the electrical charge on the flowers and re-released the trained bees, the insects visited rewarding flowers only about half of the time, as they would have by random chance. That suggested that the bees were detecting the electric fields and using them to guide their activities, rather than relying on other clues such as fragrance. The team reports its results in this week's Science.

?We think bumblebees are using this ability to perceive electrical fields to determine if flowers were recently visited by other bumblebees and are therefore worth visiting,? says Robert.

?We had no idea that this sense even existed," says Thomas Seeley, a behavioral biologist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "Assuming we can replicate the findings, this is going to open up a whole new window on insect sensory systems for us to study.?

Some experts suggest that the study has implications for insects other than bees. ?If you think about it, these discoveries could also apply to hoverflies and moths," says Robert Raguso, a chemical ecologist also at Cornell. "We don?t know if they can perceive charge differentials, but they burn a lot of energy while hovering around looking for pollen or nectar. So it would make sense for them to attend to such cues."

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on February 21, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=0f122533ecae5218dde56c00f69eeff7

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Smart way for seafarers to track effects of climate change

Smart way for seafarers to track effects of climate change [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 22-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Alan Williams
alan.williams@plymouth.ac.uk
University of Plymouth

Seafarers are being encouraged to take part in a unique global study, using a mobile phone app to record the effects of climate change.

The public science project will measure the amount of phytoplankton, minute organisms at the very start of the marine food chain, currently residing in the world's oceans.

Scientists fear the population of the microscopic beings is in decline due to rising sea temperatures and, if true, that could have consequences for every aspect of marine life.

The project is being spearheaded by Plymouth University's Marine Institute, which hopes to build a map of the oceans that charts the seasonal and annual changes of phytoplankton from now and into the future.

Plankton biologist Dr Richard Kirby, who is leading the study, said: "As the phytoplankton live at the surface of the sea they are being affected by rising sea temperatures due to climate change. A scientific paper published last year suggested the ocean's plankton population had declined by as much as 40 per cent since 1950. Like all marine creatures, phytoplankton have a preferred optimum sea temperature no matter where they are in the world and we need to know more about how they are changing in order to understand the effects on the ocean's biology."

To check the levels of phytoplankton in our oceans, marine experts have developed a free smart phone app for sailors and fishermen to use wherever they are in the world.

Because the phytoplankton each thinner than a strand of human hair exist at the sea's surface, mariners can carry out a simple experiment using an easy to make 'Secchi Disk'.

Attached to a measuring tape, the Secchi Disk is lowered over the side of a boat and the depth at which it disappears from sight estimates the amount of phytoplankton in the sea. This depth can then be uploaded to a database using the Secchi app.

Dr Kirby added: "The Secchi Disks are still used by marine scientists to study phytoplankton but there are too few scientists to survey the world's oceans as well as we would wish. This app enables seafarers around the world to take part in a science project and if we can just get a small percentage of the global population of sailors involved, we can generate a database that will help us understand how life in the oceans is changing. It would help us learn much more about these important organisms at a crucial time when their habitat is altering due to climate change."

The Secchi app has been developed by Dr Nicholas Outram and Dr Nigel Barlow, from Plymouth University's School of Computing and Mathematics, and the database will be maintained by Pixalytics Ltd, a company founded by Dr Sam Lavender, an Honorary Reader at the University.

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Smart way for seafarers to track effects of climate change [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 22-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Alan Williams
alan.williams@plymouth.ac.uk
University of Plymouth

Seafarers are being encouraged to take part in a unique global study, using a mobile phone app to record the effects of climate change.

The public science project will measure the amount of phytoplankton, minute organisms at the very start of the marine food chain, currently residing in the world's oceans.

Scientists fear the population of the microscopic beings is in decline due to rising sea temperatures and, if true, that could have consequences for every aspect of marine life.

The project is being spearheaded by Plymouth University's Marine Institute, which hopes to build a map of the oceans that charts the seasonal and annual changes of phytoplankton from now and into the future.

Plankton biologist Dr Richard Kirby, who is leading the study, said: "As the phytoplankton live at the surface of the sea they are being affected by rising sea temperatures due to climate change. A scientific paper published last year suggested the ocean's plankton population had declined by as much as 40 per cent since 1950. Like all marine creatures, phytoplankton have a preferred optimum sea temperature no matter where they are in the world and we need to know more about how they are changing in order to understand the effects on the ocean's biology."

To check the levels of phytoplankton in our oceans, marine experts have developed a free smart phone app for sailors and fishermen to use wherever they are in the world.

Because the phytoplankton each thinner than a strand of human hair exist at the sea's surface, mariners can carry out a simple experiment using an easy to make 'Secchi Disk'.

Attached to a measuring tape, the Secchi Disk is lowered over the side of a boat and the depth at which it disappears from sight estimates the amount of phytoplankton in the sea. This depth can then be uploaded to a database using the Secchi app.

Dr Kirby added: "The Secchi Disks are still used by marine scientists to study phytoplankton but there are too few scientists to survey the world's oceans as well as we would wish. This app enables seafarers around the world to take part in a science project and if we can just get a small percentage of the global population of sailors involved, we can generate a database that will help us understand how life in the oceans is changing. It would help us learn much more about these important organisms at a crucial time when their habitat is altering due to climate change."

The Secchi app has been developed by Dr Nicholas Outram and Dr Nigel Barlow, from Plymouth University's School of Computing and Mathematics, and the database will be maintained by Pixalytics Ltd, a company founded by Dr Sam Lavender, an Honorary Reader at the University.

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/uop-swf022213.php

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China Set to Keep Central-Bank Head in Place

Rather than switching out the country's widely respected central banker, China's leaders are poised to keep Zhou Xiaochuan in his job for an extended period beyond the usual retirement age, according to several party and banking officials.

The move is aimed at ensuring continuity in financial-sector policy making, the officials said, and signals a desire to stay on course with the kind of financial reforms Mr. Zhou has pushed, including a more flexible yuan.

Mr. Zhou turned 65 in January, and there had been some expectations that he would step down at a meeting of the National People's Congress in March as part of a wider once-a-decade leadership transition. However, the officials with knowledge of the matter say that he now could stay on for as long as a year or two. They cautioned that the arrangement is subject to last-minute changes.

At the same time, the leadership is planning to name Xiao Gang, chairman of Bank of China Ltd. (601988.SH, BACHY, 3988.HK), as the central bank's Communist Party chief, putting him in line to succeed Mr. Zhou as governor of the People's Bank of China, according to the officials.

During his decade as central banker, Mr. Zhou has been pushing financial reforms at a steady pace, including making the yuan a freer currency and establishing a more market-based interest-rate system. Mr. Zhou has helped convince China's leaders that they need to make such changes as a way to remake the economy so it relies more on domestic demand and less on exports and investment in capital-intensive industries at home. Several Chinese economists said the leaders have grown comfortable with him at the helm of such sensitive changes that affect the stability of China's financial system.

PBOC and Bank of China officials declined to comment. Messrs. Zhou and Xiao couldn't be reached for comment. Reuters reported on Wednesday the possibility that Mr. Zhou would stay in his job next month when the nation's leaders are expected to make decisions about top economic slots, including the head of the central bank.

A party official with knowledge of the matter said the move to retain Mr. Zhou received support behind the scenes from former Communist Party chief Jiang Zemin. Mr. Jiang, now 86 years old, is viewed as the most powerful kingmaker in Chinese politics. Mr. Zhou had worked with him for years on banking and reform issues before Mr. Zhou became PBOC governor. Early in his career, Mr. Jiang worked for Mr. Zhou's father, who was a senior Chinese official.

Banking and party officials say that appointing Mr. Xiao as PBOC party secretary would give him time to learn the job and get coaching from Mr. Zhou, particularly on international financial matters. "Governor Zhou is extremely well respected among central bankers and not easy to replace," said Harvard University economist Kenneth Rogoff.

The two don't always see eye to eye on important issues. In a China Daily article last fall, Mr. Xiao called for tighter regulation of China's informal lending system, under which ordinary Chinese can get much higher rates on their money, likening it to a Ponzi scheme. But Mr. Zhou has defended the system, which some economists argue is a way for China to weaken the government's strict control on interest rates--a goal of many economists who think China's financial system should operate by market principles.

"Shadow banking is inevitable when banks are developing their business," Mr. Zhou said at a November news conference, after the Xiao article was published.

Having Messrs. Zhou and Xiao work together could give them time to align on policy, an especially important goal in a political culture that values consensus. This could be "a very wise and intelligent arrangement," said Lu Feng, deputy director of Peking University's National School of Development. "If Zhou stays awhile, he could help the potential successor design and formulate reform policy."

Until the last few weeks, it appeared that Mr. Zhou was on his way out. In addition to being retirement age, he wasn't reappointed in November to the Communist Party's 205-member Central Committee, one of the party's chief policy-making groups. Central Committee status is usually required for a central-bank head.

Now, say banking and party officials, China's leaders are trying to cobble together an additional posting for Mr. Zhou in the Communist party hierarchy, probably as vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body, as a way of giving him "national" standing in the party and getting around the retirement rules.

Some economists have said that mishandled interest-rate liberalization helped trigger financial crisis in a number of countries, including the U.S. Allowing banks the discretion to decide for themselves how much to pay for deposits could set off frenzied competition to attract savers, which, in turn, could cause lending standards to be weakened as banks' funding costs rise.

Mr. Zhou is among China's most recognized and respected economic officials internationally, mixing easily with central bankers in Europe, the U.S. and Japan who look to him for reading on the Chinese economy. While the PBOC lacks the independence of the central banks in U.S., Japan and Europe, Mr. Zhou has proven to be an effective advocate in the top decision-making bodies of China's government and party, which set overall monetary policy.

Under his watch, China has moved to loosen some controls over its currency in the hopes that it may some day challenge the dollar as a global currency. Chinese leaders have set a goal of opening up the country's cross-border capital flows in the next few years.

In some of his recent public remarks, Mr. Zhou indicated an intention to move at a measured pace with the currency and capital-account reforms, saying that China will keep controls on capital flows even as it moves toward a more convertible yuan. "We shouldn't interpret capital-account convertibility as a free currency, with cross-border asset transfers without control and zero financial supervision," he said in December.

Bank of China's Mr. Xiao, 54, was selected to the party's Central Committee in November, which paved the way for him to get a senior ministerial-level slot such as head of the central bank. In addition to him, other contenders for the PBOC governor job included Shang Fulin, China's top banking regulator, and Guo Shuqing, the top securities regulator. Had either of the other two contenders gotten the PBOC job, Mr. Xiao was expected to fill that regulatory vacancy.

Under Mr. Xiao, Bank of China has transformed from a bank known within China mostly for its international business into one that increasingly focuses on the domestic market. Mr. Xiao, known within the bank as a low-key and hard-working executive, also has been politically savvy. Although Bank of China was the least profitable of China's top four state-owned banks in the first nine months of last year, it was the most aggressive of the so-called Big Four in ramping up lending in 2009 when the party requested that to fight the global financial downturn.

Mr. Xiao also has experience with the PBOC, serving as a personal assistant to Lu Peijiang, the PBOC governor in the early 1980s, and later serving as a deputy governor of the central bank.

A leading contender to take Mr. Xiao's job is Hu Xiaolian, currently a PBOC deputy governor, according to several banking and party officials.

One of Mr. Xiao's banking peers, Jiang Jianqing, chairman of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (601398.SH, 1398.HK, IDCBY), was passed over for promotion to the Central Committee. Some party and banking officials have said ICBC didn't ramp up lending sufficiently in 2009, contributing to Mr. Jiang's lack of political advancement.

Write to Lingling Wei at lingling.wei@wsj.com and Bob Davis at bob.davis@wsj.com

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

Copyright ? 2013 Dow Jones Newswires

Source: http://feeds.foxbusiness.com/~r/foxbusiness/markets/~3/oyBCWJt5Ieg/

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Wal-Mart outlook gives glimpse of economy

In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2012, photo, Eva Cevallos with her eleven-month daughter, Quinn, shop during the Thanksgiving Pre-Black Friday event at the Walmart Supercenter store in Rosemead, Calif. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offered a weak business outlook Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, as new economic challenges for its low-income U.S. shoppers start to take a toll. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2012, photo, Eva Cevallos with her eleven-month daughter, Quinn, shop during the Thanksgiving Pre-Black Friday event at the Walmart Supercenter store in Rosemead, Calif. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offered a weak business outlook Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, as new economic challenges for its low-income U.S. shoppers start to take a toll. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

(AP) ? As the fortunes of many Americans go, so goes Wal-Mart, so goes the economy.

Even as the world's largest retailer on Thursday reported an 8.6 percent rise in fourth quarter profit during the busy holiday shopping season, it offered a weaker forecast for the coming months. The problem? The poor and middle-class Americans Wal-Mart caters to ? and who are big drivers of spending in the U.S. ? are struggling with rising gas prices, delayed income tax refunds and higher payroll taxes.

Melanie M. Burkhardt, a mother of two teenagers who shops at Wal-Mart, is one of those people. Burkhardt, a Waycross, Ga., resident, said she's been hit with a double whammy: the payroll tax hike, which has cut her household monthly income by $260, and higher gas prices.

"We had to do a flip on our budget," said Burkhardt, a legal assistant who plans to cut back on her trips to Wal-Mart. "This is money we used for things like going to a movie or splurging at Olive Garden. Not anymore."

It's widely known that Americans in the lower income brackets continue to struggle even as higher earners benefit from improved housing and stock markets, but Wal-Mart's results signal that matters may be getting worse for the nation's poor and middle-class. Wal-Mart is the latest in a string of big-name companies from Burger King to Zale to say those Americans are being squeezed by new challenges. But since Wal-Mart accounts for nearly 10 percent of nonautomotive retail spending in the U.S., it is a bellwether for the economy.

"Wal-Mart moms are the barometer of the U.S. household," said Brian Sozzi, chief equities analyst at NBG Productions who follows Wal-Mart. "Right now, they're afraid of higher taxes and inflation."

Indeed, while wealthier households have seen their stock portfolios grow, poor and middle-class Americans have struggled to regain their financial footing since the recession ended more than 3 ? years ago.

Stocks have roughly doubled since June 2009. Dividends and capital gains from stocks, which disproportionately benefit higher-income Americans, are taxed at lower rates compared with ordinary income

And while incomes for most Americans have failed to keep pace with inflation since the recession, that's been particularly true for middle and lower-income earners.

Median household income, adjusted for inflation, fell 1.5 percent to $50,054 in 2011 compared with 2010, the latest periods for which figures are available, according to the Census Bureau. That was down 8.1 percent from 2007, just before the recession began. (The median is the point halfway between the highest and lowest levels.)

But lower and middle-income households fared worse: The share of overall income earned by the bottom 80 percent of households shrank in 2011, while the income for the top 20 percent grew. And in 2012, inflation-adjusted hourly pay barely rose, inching up 0.3 percent.

Another hurdle for lower- and middle-income Americans has been the jump in gas prices since mid-January. The average price for a gallon of gas rose 47 cents in the past month to $3.78 on Thursday, according to AAA.

Tax changes also have hit the nation's lowest earners especially hard. On Jan. 1, Social Security payroll taxes rose 2 percentage points after a temporary tax cut expired. That sliced about $1,000 from the take-home pay of a household earning $50,000. Since the Social Security tax is levied against income only up to $114,000, it disproportionately affects middle- and lower-income households.

An even larger challenge for many lower-income Americans has been the government's delay in processing income taxes and paying refunds. That's because income tax rates weren't set until a last-minute deal between the White House and Congress on Jan. 1. So the IRS pushed back the start of tax-filing season to Jan. 30, two weeks later than usual.

As a result, by Feb. 14 the government had paid only $55 billion in refunds, down from $77 billion at the same time last year, according to an estimate by UBS. That drop of $22 billion is more than twice the impact of the higher payroll tax. Refunds have accelerated recently and will eventually be paid out, but the impact still can be felt by many taxpayers: About 78 percent of taxpayers receive refunds, and the figure rises to 82 percent for those reporting income below $50,000.

Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., said while its business has been volatile since December, the month of February, in particular, has been "slower than planned" largely due to the tax refund delay. The company said that resulted in Wal-Mart customers cashing about $1.7 billion in income tax refunds year to date, compared with $3 billion for the same period a year ago.

Bill Simon, president of Wal-Mart's U.S. namesake division, said shoppers used their refund money last year to buy TVs ahead of the Super Bowl. This year, the retailer said it isn't sure how customers will use the additional money when they get it, but some analysts say the most likely scenario is that they'll save it.

Wal-Mart said it's also unclear how the payroll tax will affect customers' spending habits, although Simon said shoppers are "talking about it." JP Morgan estimates that the payroll tax increase will equate to $70 a month less in take home pay for Wal-Mart shoppers, assuming an average annual income of $42,500. As a result, Wal-Mart is offering smaller packaging and less expensive products.

Wal-Mart earned $5.6 billion, or $1.67 per share, during the fourth quarter that ended Jan. 31, up from $5.16 billion, or $1.50 per share, a year earlier. Results were helped by a lower tax rate, which was 27.7 percent, compared with the rate of 30.9 percent a year ago. Net sales rose 3.9 percent to $127.1 billion.

Earnings topped Wall Street estimates of $1.57 per share, but sales fell short of the $127.8 billion analysts were expecting.

During the current quarter, Wal-Mart says it expects earnings to range from $1.11 to $1.16 per share, below the $1.18 per share analysts polled by FactSet are expecting. For its namesake U.S. business, Wal-Mart expects first-quarter revenue at stores open at least a year, a measure of a retailer's health, to be unchanged from a year ago. The pace of revenue growth has slowed in recent quarters, and some analysts believe Wal-Mart's forecast could be too optimistic.

For the year, Wal-Mart expects earnings of between $5.20 and $5.40 per share, while analysts expect $5.38 per share.

Despite the subdued forecast, investors were bracing for a weaker report after Bloomberg published a story Friday that leaked an email from an executive characterizing the first two weeks of February as "a total disaster." Shares fell that day, but investors appeared to be relieved on Thursday that Wal-Mart's outlook wasn't worse. Shares rose about 1 percent, or $1.05 per share, on Thursday to close at $70.26.

------

D'Innocenzio reported from New York. Rugaber reported from Washington, D.C.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-21-Earns-Wal-Mart/id-231841ab20d143f18bca2fccd328a448

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Conan O?Brien to Headline Washington Correspondents? Dinner

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Photo Credit: NBC Universal

?Last year?s dinner featured Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers, Jay Leno and Craig Ferguson have been the entertainment in years past.?[HP]

My oh my, how time have changed. Once upon a Bush Administration ago it would have been utter anathema for a Hollywood liberal to be seen consorting with political bigwigs. But after Stephen Colbert?s legend-making performance where he skewered Dubya while standing next to him, there has been no looking back for the annual White House Correspondents? Dinner.

Up for hosting duties this year is late night funny man Conan O?Brien, who actually hosted the event once before waaaaay back in 1995 when it wasn?t such a big deal (and when neither was he, if you recall).

O?Brien marked the news by tweeting: ?I?m honored to host the WH Correspondents dinner. Get ready for 2 minutes of jokes, then 40 minutes on public employee pension reform.?

Pension reform has never been this funny.

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Source: http://moejackson.com/2013/02/21/conan-obrien-to-headline-washington-correspondents-dinner/

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Friday, February 15, 2013

Cooperation seen as crucial in facing U.S. cyber threats

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A day after U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order on ways to better defend against cyber attacks, administration officials told a packed audience of industry insiders that no government agency can tackle the threat alone.

The event on Wednesday at the U.S. Department of Commerce kicked off what is likely to be a lengthy new effort to upgrade U.S. defenses against cyber attacks. A previous effort stalled in Congress last year.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers of Michigan reintroduced his cyber-security bill on Wednesday with a pledge there would be no schism with the White House over the issue. Obama threatened to veto the bill in 2012, citing lax safeguards for privacy and confidentiality.

The promises of collaboration echoed a rising urgency within the administration, along with many in private industry, who warn that the United States is increasingly vulnerable to a crippling cyber attack.

Relentless efforts to hack the country's banks, power grid and other critical infrastructure, paired with instances of disruptive attacks abroad, pose a national security threat, experts warn.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is the latest institution to have its computer systems breached by hackers, an incident now the subject of a criminal probe by the FBI.

"Dangerous capabilities are out there, the bad people are out there and all that has to happen is someone decides they're finally going to step over the threshold and really cross the line of damage," Michael Chertoff, former secretary of homeland security, said on the sidelines of Wednesday's event.

The issue jumped to national prominence on Tuesday when Obama unveiled his executive order in the State of the Union address. "We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy," Obama said.

The order, which does not have the same power as law, seeks to make it easier for the government to warn private companies of cyber threats and to set up a system of voluntary cyber-security standards.

'WE WILL NEED YOUR HELP'

Industry experts viewed the order as a good step after last year's failed attempts to pass a cyber law, but some noted its lack of teeth in enforcing actual change.

The administration hopes that private companies will help write and adopt the standards and perhaps voluntarily share cyber-threat information among themselves.

"The bottom line is that we will need your help in making this (executive order) work," Michael Daniel, White House cybersecurity coordinator, told the crowd gathered to hear details of the order. "Cyber security must be a shared collective endeavor."

Often-antagonistic government agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Commerce, pledged close cooperation.

"That's the first time that's ever happened. ... That was very powerful to me," said Mary Ellen Callahan, a former chief privacy officer at the Department of Homeland Security and now a lawyer at Jenner & Block in Washington.

Implementation could be another matter.

The order's call for cyber-security standards still rubs some lawmakers and industry players - in particular the powerful business lobby the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - the wrong way. They worry that what starts off as a process of compiling voluntary standards would turn into mandatory regulations.

The White House and cyber community repeated the pleas for passage of a comprehensive bill in Congress to complement the executive order that would, among other things, give companies liability protection.

(Editing by Ros Krasny and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cooperation-seen-crucial-facing-u-cyber-threats-165150059.html

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St Lucia It's Not Just About The Romance

The Caribbean has always been regarded as a go-to place for lovers. If you have the time, money and the willingness to travel, true romance can be found in any of the region?s islands ? and with a flourish, at that. For example, on the lovely island of St Lucia, honeymoons can be orchestrated to the very last detail in cooperation with the island?s top resorts. But as well as being a lovers? paradise, the Caribbean also offers a lot of things that couples, groups of friends or entire families can enjoy in equal measure, and it?s important to not lose sight of these ?other? options.

A special place for proposals

Even before you start thinking about St Lucia honeymoons, the island is a very special (and popular) place to orchestrate that special moment when a guy falls on one knee and ceremoniously presents a breathtaking object: the engagement ring. The island?s de facto luxury resort offers couples (specifically, men) intending to ask the Big Question what it calls a special ?proposal concierge?: picture the full Caribbean moon, the waters gently lapping at the yacht?s hull, and the crew?including the captain?of the yacht all in on your big plan to present the ring in as dramatic and breathtaking a way possible. And here we speak of only one of the islands - there are several in the Caribbean, each of which can make a proposal truly magical.

Immersion in the water and the culture

Of course, you?re in the Caribbean; while getting all romantic is mostly the order of the day, that does not mean you can?t have fun in the water! In St Lucia, honeymoons are usually spent exploring the island?s hidden coves and intimate beaches, or engaging in water sports such as kite-surfing, scuba diving or just swimming. On the other islands, one can enjoy other activities unique to each one's topography or culture. In Cuba, for instance, you can take part in what they call "study tours" where participants learn first-hand how to become proficient in such hobbies as dancing (salsa sounds fun) or photography (this is easy given the breath-taking surrounding vistas). So don't be afraid to "island hop" so you can make the most of the entire Caribbean.

Excellent dining and night life

Aside from the hanky and the panky, there is also much that can be made of the deliriously fun hustle and bustle of the Caribbean ? it is like nowhere else on Earth, and those locals sure know how to party! There are myriad bars, clubs and restaurants all over St Lucia and the entire Caribbean. Do take note that each island has its own strengths and flavours, though. For example, the west coast of Barbados has a kind of eclectic mix when it comes to culinary offerings that may exceed those you will find in, say, the Dominican Republic. Moreover, in a place like St Lucia, honeymoons can easily double as a gourmand?s tour-de-force with the culinary magic provided by the island?s world-renowned resident chef?and this is an offer unique to this island. While you are certainly here to make the most of romantic meals with your loved one, don't forget to get out and about to mingle with the locals as well ? you'll be missing out if you don't.

About the Author:
Ross Stevenson is the General Manager of Cap Maison. With a reputation as the foremost luxury hotel on St Lucia, they provide a wide selection of services for St Lucia honeymoons and options for couples who want to enjoy a blissful Caribbean experience.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/St-Lucia-----It-s-Not-Just-About-The-Romance/4436447

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Green Blog: Mother Water, Fish Water

If you?ve been following the tale of our family quest down the Mekong River, this thought may have occurred to you: traveling long days in a small boat with two children is not a dream vacation. This thought also occurred to me ? quite regularly around midnight during many sleepless nights before our departure. I would lie awake listening to our old cat scamper around the house and contemplate the many ways things could go badly ? very badly ? from sibling takedowns to dengue fever.

I?m not sure what it says about me, but it wasn?t the social or educational merits of the trip that calmed my racing mind, but thoughts of the strange, intense and wonderful food I remembered from two years in the Peace Corps. Like a Buddhist chant, ?my recitation would begin: thick noodles with water spinach, fried eggs with mussels, pureed and deep-fried catfish with green mango salad, hard-boiled eggs with tamarind sauce, boiled rice soup with pork and ginger, green papaya salad with fermented crab ?. And eventually, sleep would come. The trip might be hell, but I would eat well.

With the river charting our path, we alternated between small villages and larger cities, some bustling with tourists, and our food choices varied accordingly. Some evenings our meals were crafted by chefs in state-of-the-art kitchens combining hundreds of years of tradition with modern techniques.? Other nights, the wife of the village head man cooked four or five local specialties on a single wood-fired stove, with ingredients gathered, grown or ?caught near a ragtag outpost of houses on stilts.

Along the Mekong, both village food and high cuisine revolve around fish, which is eaten in all shapes and sizes from small fry to huge catfish. In fact, the cornerstone of cooking in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries is nam plah, or fish sauce, an amber liquid made from fermented fish and salt that, if you?ve ever tried it, tastes like a fishy version of soy sauce. ?Nam plah translates literally to ?fish water,? reflecting the fact that, in Thai and Lao, short words are yoked together to create new words and complex meanings: ??car stopped? (traffic), ?broken stomach? (diarrhea) and, appropriately for the focus of our trip, me nam or ?mother water? (river).

Before you wrinkle your nose at fermented fish: if you?ve ever eaten Thai food, then you?ve definitely had fish sauce because it?s an ingredient in every Thai dish other than dessert. (Apologies to all strict vegetarians who thought their tofu curry was aboveboard.)

While most fish sauce is made from the seafaring anchovy, vast quantities are produced in Cambodia from the trey riel, a type of small, silvery fish harvested from the great floodplain lake of Tonle Sap, where we were slowly but surely headed. The harvested fish are scaled, washed, strained and placed in jars with salt. The mixture ferments for about a year, with the fish exposed periodically to the sun.

Despite its unusual origins, fish sauce is a relatively accessible flavor. Even in the far reaches of suburban Cleveland, it?s emerging as the new small-batch, handcrafted ?it? girl of high-end cuisine?.? After we returned to Ohio, we ate at a local Italian restaurant and tried an unusual stew of manila clams and rabbit with an even more surprising finishing ingredient: bourbon-barrel-aged fish sauce. ?This fish sauce is aged in barrels that first held bourbon and then maple syrup to create an unexpected fusion of East and West.

But back in Southeast Asia, various other fermented fish products like fish paste, or plah rah, are decidedly more challenging to the Western palate. In the river towns of Laos, we explored the warren-like food markets, where amid the color wheel of spices, the carcasses and the fantastical fruit are bins upon bins of fish products of various colors, levels of pastiness, and degree of fermentation. (Explore this slideshow). While my kids devoured the fruit and most other foods, these pastes were well past their threshold for exotic flavors.

The popularity of fish sauce and fish paste in Southeast Asian cuisine exerts a surprisingly important influence on the overall fish harvest from the Mekong. In some parts of the world, small fish are deemed unworthy. But here, small fish are the raw material for fish sauces and paste, so fishermen continue their intense efforts even as the big fish become rare. Because all big fish start small, this drive for small fish, made effective by the fine mesh nets used all along the river, hinders the recovery of the large fish for which the Mekong is known.

My fears about things going wrong along the trip did not materialize. The days passed in an easy rhythm of travel, despite the relentless pace downriver. We spent hours playing cards, while gliding past sandy banks and dark chevrons of jungle that pushed against the river?s edge. ??We were healthy (only one bout of broken stomach), the kids mostly got along, and our time on the river was quite amazing.

When sleeping in villages, I still found myself up at night, with our solitary old cat replaced by a legion of yowling cats that became a consistent nighttime motif. I am amazed by what the villagers can sleep through ? a distant cousin stumbling in late after a night of rice whiskey, dogs growling, cats consummating and roosters just being roosters ? at literally any time of night.

I would pull my kids close ? we were relegated to a large family bed for most of our village stays ? and take in their soft, even breaths. While I fought to keep them out of my bed when they were toddlers, they are now 8 and 10, and I secretly enjoyed the chance to feel them next to me. Much of this stretch of the Mekong hasn?t changed in the past 20 years, but it will ? and so will they. ?I?d think about breakfast and drift off?.

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/mother-water-fish-water/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

France to defend interests in EU-US trade talks

DEAR ABBY: My daughters are attractive young women, both doing well in their professional careers. "Melanie," who is 27, is married to "Sam," an extremely attractive and successful man.My 30-year-old daughter, "Alicia," has been divorced for a year. Her marriage failed two years ago because she and her husband had an appetite for sex outside their marriage. While I was disturbed about that, I was horrified to learn that Melanie allows her sister to occasionally have sex with Sam.Melanie's argument is that Sam is less likely to cheat given this situation. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/france-defend-interests-eu-us-trade-talks-163010438.html

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U.S. Troops Deliver School Supplies in Farah Province

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Source: http://www.defense.gov//PhotoEssays/PhotoEssaySS.aspx?ID=3556

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12 Feb'Walking Dead' Returns With Old Ghosts And Suicide Kings

Share With Friends: | | Politics ? Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla. Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/173035753?client_source=feed&format=rss weather atlanta tv guide listings bulls san francisco giants honduras usain bolt comfort inn

It has been mentioned that more individuals in the world play soccer than every other sport, and there?s little motive to doubt the veracity of that claim. With little more than an open area, a makeshift purpose, and a ball, you?ll be able to have a soccer game at just about any time. That is [...]

Topic Tags: <!? online roleplay roleplay online ?> <!? HTML, for websites and MySpace: Dancing Time BBcode, for forum posts and signatures: [url=http://www.roleplaygateway.com/dancing-time-t66022.html]Dancing Time[/url] ?> Drawing, painting, playing, and writing! All your creative instincts can be satiated here ? feedback, commissions, contests, and even requests! Moderator: Designers Return to Creative Realm Post a reply RolePlayGateway [...]

By Bob Marshall A new poll released today reaffirms what previous research has pointed out for years: America?s sportsmen strongly favor environmental protections over industrial development, regardless of their political affiliation. The election-year poll, conducted by Chesapeake Consulting for the National Wildlife Federation, clearly targeted opinions of sportsmen based on their political affiliation. Responses to [...]

DEC 19 ? Amgen Inc, the world?s largest biotechnology company, and generic drugmaker Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc, said on Monday they will work together to develop and sell biosimilar versions of several biotech cancer drugs. The companies, which plan to sell biosimilar products under a joint Amgen/Watson label, did not identify which drugs they are planning [...]

Source: http://differenttypesofdogs.falyorumlari.com/2379/walking-dead-returns-with-old-ghosts-and-suicide-kings/

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Sony Xperia Z has a killer battery life

The Xperia Z can count battery life in its ?win? column, following a Feb. 11 report from Android Authority, citing a Russian Twitter account, which says that the next big thing from Sony ?outperforms? a lot of solid devices in terms of longevity.

Sony Xperia Z Sony Xperia Z has a killer battery lifeThe Xperia Z comes with a 2330 mAh battery that translates to a whopping 11 hours of talk time and up to 550 hours of standby time, based on Sony?s estimates. Now, we?ve got word that the device?s battery life does impress.

According to Android Authority, citing AnTuTu battery tests, the Xperia Z does better than?devices like the ?HTC Incredible S, the Motorola Milestone, the Galaxy S2 or the LG Optimus 2X. They also came across a Russian tweet that had this to say about the Xperia Z?s battery life:

?Tests of the work of the new smartphone # Sony RT @ playd: 4-core Full HD Xperia Z lives longer than Xperia V. pic.twitter.com/RlvoRGKc?

And just to ?make sure that the Xperia Z keeps going, Sony included a feature called Battery Stamina mode which ?allows it to preserve battery life by automatically turning off functions you don?t need to be active when the display goes to sleep and turning them back on when the handset wakes up.?

The feature is something that users can reportedly customize, allowing them to program what it should and?shouldn?t?shut down while the phone is not in use.

We expect more tests and observations to come up within the coming days as the Xperia Z starts to make its rounds across different markets. Be sure to check back for more updates!

Are you interested in picking up the Xperia Z? Would you be willing to give up your current phone for this new top-of-the-line offering from Sony? Let is know in the comments below!

?

Source: http://www.tapscape.com/sony-xperia-z-has-a-killer-battery-life/

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REPORT: POPE BENEDICT TO RESIGN - Business Insider

Coming out of nowhere ... Pope Benedict is set to resign due to health reasons on February 28, according to multiple reports.

The news was first broken by Italian news agency ANSA, which put the following banner at the top of its site, specifically saying that the Pope would leave the Pontificate.

Other news organizations quickly confirmed the news.

Kelly Evans of CNBC cites Dow Jones.

Then a full statement was released by the Vatican, confirming that the Pope will resign on the evening of February 28, due to ill health.

While this is a surprise, it's not completely out of nowhere.

The Pope's resignation was actually speculated about early last year, due to his declining health.

This is the first papal resignation since 1415.

Last year, Michael Brendan Dougherty put together a guide on who will likely be the next pope >

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/report-pope-benedict-to-resign-2013-2

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Photos: 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

  • By Triathlete.com
  • Published 17 hours ago
  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Triathlon business leaders from around the world gathered for the 2013 Triathlon Business International conference in San Diego, Calif. The three-day event is made up of keynote speeches, panel discussions and an awards banquet.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Scott Dickey, the President/CEO of Competitor Group, leads the panel discussion about using triathlon to promote your brand.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Brian McKinley of Herbalife participates in the panel discussion.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Rob Wright of MyList participates in the panel discussion about using triathlon to promote your brand.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Professional triathlete Andy Potts with Morgan Clark of All3Sports.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Conference attendees enjoy an outdoor networking lunch.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Phil White, co-founder of Cervelo, provided the afternoon keynote speech, sharing stories of the history of Cervelo.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Peter Hurley, the CEO of American Bicycle Group, participates in the panel discussion Prospecting New Customers.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Scott Kaylin of Champion Systems leads a panel discussion.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Elysa Walk, the General Manager of Giant Bicycles, participates in a panel discussion.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Mike Reilly leads a panel discussion about doping with former professional triathlete Michellie Jones and Rev3's Charlie Patten.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Michellie Jones participates in the panel about rules, regulations and drug policies.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    TBI President Jack Caress welcomes the attendees on Monday morning.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Andy Potts gives the morning keynote address.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Photo: Paul Phillips

  • 2013 Triathlon Business International Conference

    Andy Potts discusses a technique he uses to stay calm before a race. Read more here.

    Photo: Paul Phillips

FILED UNDER: Photos TAGS: Triathlon Business International

Source: http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/02/photos/photos-2013-triathlon-business-international-conference_70337

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