IAG says majority of Iberia workers accept proposal to end strike

By Yereth Rosen ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The 2004 winner of Alaska's famed 1,000-mile sled-dog race, the Iditarod, won again at age 53 on Tuesday to become the oldest champion, a year after his son became the youngest winner. Mitch Seavey and his team of dogs sprinted across the finish line just 24 minutes ahead of Aliy Zirkle, who was bidding to become the first woman to win the Iditarod since 1990, when Susan Butcher claimed her fourth championship. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iag-says-majority-iberia-workers-accept-proposal-end-135242639--finance.html

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Comics A.M. | Dark Horse's 25 years of manga; the digital 'problem ...

Robot 6

by Brigid Alverson | March 13, 2013 @ 7:00 AM | 11 Comments |

Trigun: Multiple Bullets

Publishing | Dark Horse President Mike Richardson discusses how he became one of the first publishers of manga in the United States, explains how the company selects its titles, and suggests some manga for first-time readers. [Previews]

Digital comics | Retailer Ron Catapano points to the comiXology server crash triggered by the response to the free Marvel comics promotion as ?the problem with digital content that fans keep complaining about?: ?I can?t read the books I paid for because I can?t save them on my own computer and I?m limited in what I can save to my tablet by the small storage on tablets. ?Instead, the books I pay for are kept by comiXology and as long as I have a high speed internet connection available? I can log on and read my books on their web site or I can download a few to my tablet. BUT NOT TODAY ? because someone decided it was a good idea to put 700 Marvel issue #1?s up for free at the same time.? [ICv2.com]

Marvel Unlimited

Digital comics | Jason Snell kicks the tires on the new Marvel Unlimited iPad app. [Macworld]

Creators | Paul Cornell discusses the relaunched Wolverine, a collaboration with Alan Davis that debuts today as part of Marvel?s Marvel NOW! initiative. [USA Today]

Conventions | Tom Spurgeon, with assistance from Jen Vaughn, chronicles his Emerald City Comicon weekend, which included visits to several West Coast retailers and the new offices of Comic Book Resources. [The Comics Reporter]

Conventions | Too Much Coffee Man creator Shannon Wheeler writes, and draws, about his experience at South by Southwest. [Venture Beat]

Conventions | The Las Vegas Sun previews the June 14-16 Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con. [Las Vegas Sun]

Webcomics | Nikolai Dante creator Simon Fraser tells Emily Whitten all about Act-I-Vate. [ComicMix]

Graphic novels | The Rijksmuseum, repository of much of Rembrandt?s art, is collaborating with the creator Typex and the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Architecture and Design to create a graphic novel about the artist. [artlyst]

Tagged: ACT-I-VATE, Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con, comics a..m., comiXology, Dark Horse Comics, Emerald City ComiCon, iPad, manga, Marvel, Marvel Unlimited, Mike Richardson, Paul Cornell, Shannon Wheeler, Simon Fraser, South by Southwest, SxSW, Too Much Coffee Man, Wolverine, x-men origins: wolverine

Source: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/03/comics-a-m-dark-horses-25-years-of-manga-the-digital-problem/

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Lauer offered to resign with 'Today' troubles

NEW YORK (AP) ? A report says Matt Lauer was ready to take the fall last year for troubles on NBC's "Today" show.

The Daily Beast reported Monday that Lauer told Steve Burke, the chief executive of NBC Universal, that he would leave if Burke thought the show was better off without him. Burke dismissed the idea. The account of the behind-the-scenes drama at the troubled morning show was confirmed by show spokeswoman Megan Kopf on Monday.

"Today" has slipped behind ABC's "Good Morning America" in the ratings, and the slide was more pronounced after Ann Curry's messy departure as Lauer's co-host last summer.

Many viewers blamed Lauer for Curry's ouster, but the report said Lauer had been urging NBC to move more slowly with its plans to replace her.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-11-US-TV-Today-Lauer/id-78c2d0507c2e4046a76f9e31d988d7bc

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Two US Soldiers Killed in Afghan 'Insider Attack' (Voice Of America)

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Flooded free agent market, but no superstars

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011 file photo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber (20) knocks the ball out of the grasp of Tennessee Titans running back Javon Ringer (21) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. Most of the big names hitting NFL free agency in 2013 aren't big stars anymore. While Ed Reed is coming off a Super Bowl season in Baltimore and Wes Welker catches 100 passes every year, this crop is more about aging defensive players such as Charles Woodson, Brian Urlacher and Barber. (AP Photo/Frederick Breedon, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011 file photo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber (20) knocks the ball out of the grasp of Tennessee Titans running back Javon Ringer (21) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. Most of the big names hitting NFL free agency in 2013 aren't big stars anymore. While Ed Reed is coming off a Super Bowl season in Baltimore and Wes Welker catches 100 passes every year, this crop is more about aging defensive players such as Charles Woodson, Brian Urlacher and Barber. (AP Photo/Frederick Breedon, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011 file photo, Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson (21) reacts after running back an interception for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, in Green Bay, Wis. Most of the big names hitting NFL free agency in 2013 aren't big stars anymore. While Ed Reed is coming off a Super Bowl season in Baltimore and Wes Welker catches 100 passes every year, this crop is more about aging defensive players such as Woodson, Brian Urlacher and Ronde Barber. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

In this Monday, Nov. 19, 2012 photo, Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher (54) runs the field against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in San Francisco. Most of the big names hitting NFL free agency in 2013 aren't big stars anymore. While Ed Reed is coming off a Super Bowl season in Baltimore and Wes Welker catches 100 passes every year, this crop is more about aging defensive players such as Charles Woodson, Urlacher and Ronde Barber. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The secret meetings and late-night flights on private jets might still be a part of this year's NFL marketplace.

Ah, but for glam, glitz and pure mega wattage, no one will come close to reprising the free agency frenzy that caught the country's attention last year when Peyton Manning was wooed and wowed from coast to coast before finally settling on Denver.

Most of the big names in this year's class of free agents aren't even BIG names. They're not even BIG stars. Certainly not in Manning's class.

Sure, Ed Reed is coming off helping a Super Bowl season with Baltimore, Wes Welker catches 100 passes every year, and Dashon Goldson is an All-Pro.

But this crop is more about aging defensive players like Charles Woodson, Brian Urlacher and Ronde Barber. And then are some solid but hardly unforgettable receivers and running backs: Greg Jennings, Mike Wallace, Reggie Bush and Michael Turner.

When full free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT, with all 32 teams under the $123 million salary cap, the bidding wars might be furious for a while. Or perhaps not, considering the dangers of signing players beyond their peak years to rich deals that can financially hamstring teams in the future. The stakes are high.

"We did this study to try to determine what the hit rate was," says Bill Polian, who built the Bills, Panthers and Colts into Super Bowl teams and now is analyst for ESPN and SiriusXM. "It ends up in our study being about what it was for the draft, right around 50 percent, slightly above that.

"You then get into the qualitative judgment or subjective judgment of 'at what cost?' So player A, who cost you $12 million a year, is he a success if he starts or is he a success if he helps you get to the playoffs?"

The number of free agents who helped their teams get to the playoffs last season is impressive. From the Super Bowl rosters alone are Baltimore safety Reed, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and LB-DE Paul Kruger; 49ers safety Goldson, DT Isaac Sopoaga, TE Delanie Walker and WR Randy Moss.

And you can throw in Welker, Turner, Sam Baker, Dan Koppen, Andre Smith and Fred Davis.

Both backfields are loaded with candidates without contracts. Joining Reed, Goldson, Woodson and Barber among defensive backs available are Aqib Talib, Brent Grimes, Kenny Phillips, LaRon Landry and brother Dawan Landry, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Keenan Lewis, and Quentin Jammer.

Tailbacks and fullbacks include Bush, Turner, Steven Jackson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Jerome Felton, Shonn Greene and Rashard Mendenhall.

Polian warns about one position being a risk in the draft: wide receiver. But he says in free agency, that's not necessarily the case.

So spending big bucks on Welker, Wallace, Jennings, or taking a gamble on Moss, Deion Branch or Julian Edelman might pay off.

Of high interest is how longtime stars with their current teams fare on the marketplace. Urlacher is 34, Reed is 35, Woodson is 36 and Barber is 37.

Do owners and general managers take a chance that each of those perennial Pro Bowlers have enough left to bring more than experience and leadership to their teams?

"There are clubs, we were one of them, that said if a guy's 27 years of age or above, we're probably not going to go for a long-term deal at big money," Polian says. "But if you feel you're one quality receiver away and the physical exam turns out to be OK, you might do it. Again, that is what makes free agency interesting."

What also made the grab bag of extra interest was a three-day window allowing teams to talk to representatives of unrestricted free agents. The idea was to eliminate tampering.

"I think it's fair to say that everybody will be interested to see how it works out, what the results of it are," Polian said. "I wouldn't say everybody was enthusiastic about it. We all had some reservation.

"But, on balance, I think it's fair to say that we felt that it was something that would at least bring some organization to what had been a very chaotic process. Agents can talk to clubs, they can go back to the old club with what one would assume would be a bona fide offer or some parameters. They can gauge who is interested and who is not interested."

Beginning Tuesday, NFL fans' interest surely will rise, even if no footballs are being thrown or kicked.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-11-FBN-Free-Agency/id-18562bd7e6ea46bfa461fa43dee0934d

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Astronomers conduct first remote reconnaissance of another planetary system

Mar. 11, 2013 ? Researchers have conducted a remote reconnaissance of a distant planetary system with a new telescope imaging system that sifts through the blinding light of stars. Using a suite of high-tech instrumentation and software called Project 1640, the scientists collected the first chemical fingerprints, or spectra, of this system's four red exoplanets, which orbit a star 128 light years away from Earth.

A detailed description of the planets -- showing how drastically different they are from the known worlds in the universe -- was accepted Friday for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.

"An image is worth a thousand words, but a spectrum is worth a million," said lead author Ben R. Oppenheimer, associate curator and chair of the Astrophysics Department at the American Museum of Natural History.

Oppenheimer is the principal investigator for Project 1640, which uses the Hale telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California. The project involves researchers from the California Institute of Technology, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cambridge University, New York University, and the Space Telescope Science Institute, in addition to Oppenheimer's team at the Museum.

The planets surrounding the star of this study, HR 8799, have been imaged in the past. But except for a partial measurement of the outermost planet in the system, the star's bright light overwhelmed previous attempts to study the planets with spectroscopy, a technique that splits the light from an object into its component colors -- as a prism spreads sunlight into a rainbow. Because every chemical, such as carbon dioxide, methane, or water, has a unique light signature in the spectrum, this technique is able to reveal the chemical composition of a planet's atmosphere.

"In the 19th century it was thought impossible to know the composition of stars, but the invention of astronomical spectroscopy has revealed detailed information about nearby stars and distant galaxies," said Charles Beichman, executive director of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the California Institute of Technology. "Now, with Project 1640, we are beginning to turn this tool to the investigation of neighboring exoplanets to learn about the composition, temperature, and other characteristics of their atmospheres."

With this system, the researchers are the first to determine the spectra of all four planets surrounding HR 8799. "It's fantastic to nab the spectra of four planets in a single observation," said co-author Gautam Vasisht, an astronomer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The results are "quite strange," Oppenheimer said. "These warm, red planets are unlike any other known object in our universe. All four planets have different spectra, and all four are peculiar. The theorists have a lot of work to do now."

One of the most striking abnormalities is an apparent chemical imbalance. Basic chemistry predicts that ammonia and methane should naturally coexist in varying quantities unless they are in extremely cold or hot environments. Yet the spectra of the HR 8799 planets, all of which have "lukewarm" temperatures of about 1000 Kelvin (1340 degrees Fahrenheit), either have methane or ammonia, with little or no signs of their chemical partners. Other chemicals such as acetylene, previously undiscovered on any exoplanet, and carbon dioxide may be present as well.

The planets also are "redder," meaning that they emit longer wavelengths of light, than celestial objects with similar temperatures. This could be explained by significant but patchy cloud cover on the planets, the authors say.

With 1.6 times the mass and five times the brightness, HR 8799 itself is very different from our Sun. The brightness of the star can vary by as much as 8 percent over a period of two days and produces about 1,000 times more ultraviolet light than the Sun. All of these factors could impact the spectral fingerprints of the planets, possibly inducing complex weather and sooty hazes that could be revealed by periodic changes in the spectra. More data is needed to further explore this planetary system's unusual characteristics.

"The spectra of these four worlds clearly show that they are far too toxic and hot to sustain life as we know it," said co-author Ian Parry, a senior lecturer at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University. "But the really exciting thing is that one day, the techniques we've developed will give us our first secure evidence of the existence of life on a planet outside our solar system."

In addition to revealing unique planets, the research debuts a new capability to observe and rapidly characterize exosolar systems in a routine manner, something that has eluded astronomers until now because the light that stars emit is tens of millions to billions of times brighter than the light given off by planets. This makes directly imaging and analyzing exoplanets extremely difficult: as Oppenheimer says, "It's like taking a single picture of the Empire State Building from an airplane that reveals the height of the building as well as taking a picture of a bump on the sidewalk next to it that is as high as a couple of bacteria."

Project 1640 helps scientists clear this hurdle by sharpening and darkening a star's light. This technical advance involves the coordinated operation of four major instruments: the world's most advanced adaptive optics system, which can make millions of tiny adjustments to the device's two 6-inch mirrors every second; a coronagraph that optically dims the star but not other celestial objects in the field of view; an imaging spectrograph that records 30 images in a rainbow of colors simultaneously; and a specialized wave front sensor that distinguishes between residual starlight that sneaks through the coronagraph and the light from planets, allowing scientists to filter out background starlight more effectively.

Altogether, the project has produced images of celestial objects 1 million to 10 million times fainter than the star at the center of the image, with only an hour of observations. It is also capable of measuring orbital motion of objects.

"Astronomers are now able to monitor cloudy skies on extrasolar planets, and for the first time, they have made such observations for four planets at once," said Maria Womack, program director for the Division of Astronomical Sciences at the National Science Foundation. "This new ability enables astronomers to now make comparisons as they track the atmospheres, and maybe even weather patterns, on the planets."

Researchers are already collecting more data on this system to look for changes in the planets over time, as well as surveying other young stars. During its three-year survey at Palomar, which started in June 2012, Project 1640 aims to survey 200 stars within about 150 light years of our solar system.

"The variation in the spectra of the four planets is really intriguing," said Didier Saumon, an astronomer at Los Alamos National Laboratory who was not involved in this study. "Perhaps this shouldn't be too surprising, given that the four gaseous planets of the solar system are all different. The hundreds of known exoplanets have forced us to broaden our thinking, and this new data keeps pushing that envelope."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/KTHAn9Mumes/130311173756.htm

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Fewer adverse events with 'double kissing' crush stent than culotte

Mar. 10, 2013 ? Patients with a type of coronary lesion linked with poor prognosis fared significantly better with the stent technique known as double kissing crush than with culotte stenting, according to data from the DKCRUSH-III trial presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

DKCRUSH-III is the first head-to-head comparison of double kissing (DK) crush and culotte stent techniques in coronary artery disease. The study focused on bifurcation lesions, which involve a main branch and a smaller side branch forking off a major artery.

DK crush and culotte are two-stent procedures named for their configurations. The culotte technique places stents in the main artery and the side branch, overlapping them in the main vessel before the branch forks, akin to pants legs that meet at the seat. The DK crush technique extends a small piece of the branch stent into the main artery, where it is squeezed against the main artery's wall. This approach introduces two points where the balloons used in stenting inflate in the artery and connect for a "double kiss."

Bifurcation lesions are Y-shaped trouble spots, which account for about 15 percent of lesions treated with coronary stents. Bifurcation lesions present technical problems associated with higher rates of recurrent blockage at the treated site known as restenosis and lower rates of long-term favorable outcome. High morbidity and mortality are connected with a subset called unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. Approximately two-thirds of significant ULMCA disease involves the distal bifurcations. Such lesions magnify the challenge for the interventional cardiologist, who threads balloon-tipped catheters and stents through major arterial pathways and then must veer off to reach these smaller side channels. The best treatment for this lesion type has been a matter of debate.

"Angiographic follow-up at eight months found 12 cases of in-stent restenosis in the side branch with DK crush and 22 with culotte [6.8 percent vs. 12.6 percent]," said Jun-Jie Zhang, MD, an interventional cardiologist in the cardiovascular department of Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, in Nanjing, China. "Thus, we have to say that DK crush is superior to culotte stenting."

The multicenter study randomly assigned patients with ULMCA distal bifurcation lesions to treatment with DK crush (210 patients) or culotte (209 patients) stenting. At one year, major adverse cardiac events occurred in 6.2 percent of the DK crush patients and 16.3 percent of the culotte patients. The culotte approach had markedly higher rates of repeat intervention at the target lesion and the target vessel: 6.7 percent target lesion vs. 2.4 percent, and 10.5 percent target vessel vs. 4.3 percent. Clotting at the stent site was low in both groups.

"Although this trial did not include a bypass surgery group to contrast with the stenting techniques, the promising results achieved by DK crush were comparable with those after coronary artery bypass," Dr. Zhang said.

The study will extend clinical follow-up for participating patients to five years, and further research through the DKCRUSH-V study is ongoing.

DKCRUSH-III was funded by the Jiangsu Provincial Outstanding Medical Program.

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No more big banker bonuses? Europe set to crack down.

Europe's financial ministers are expected to approve new rules today that would cap bankers' bonuses at two years' salary ? a move unthinkable in the years before the Lehman collapse.

By Michael Steininger,?Correspondent / March 5, 2013

EU Commissioner Michel Barnier (r.) and experts talk with Germany Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble (r, sitting down) during an ecofin meeting at the European Union Council in Brussels today.

Eric Vidal/Reuters

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When European finance ministers meet today in Brussels, they will discuss a limit on bonus payments for bankers. And here is the surprise: They might actually agree on such a cap.

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Europe is undergoing a shift on executive pay that seemed unthinkable in the years before the Lehman collapse and the eurozone debt crisis, and the so-called Ecofin meeting in Brussels is another important step in that development.

Last week the European Parliament and the European Union Commission agreed on rules which would see bankers? bonuses capped at a year?s salary, only with explicit approval from shareholders this amount can rise to two years? pay. It is this deal the finance ministers now have to vote on.

In a separate development, Switzerland, which is not part of the EU, held a referendum on March 3?which brought a resounding approval for limiting executive pay and banning payouts to new and departing managers.

There was praise for both decisions, but particularly for the Swiss vote, across the continent.

?Long live the Swiss!? applauded Harlem Desir, leader of the French Socialists, on radio France Info. "This should be seen as part of our campaign against a financial sector that is out of control.?

And in Germany, Julia Kloeckner, the deputy chairwoman of the conservative CDU party, said, ?I am very surprised about the Swiss result and well done, hats off! I think it is a strong step, because Switzerland has set different priorities in other finance political issues compared to Germany.?

In France, President Fran?ois Hollande, a Socialist, has been trying for some time now to introduce a 75 percent tax on annual incomes of more than one million euros, so far without success. And in Germany, which has general elections in the fall, parties across the political spectrum are looking favorably at a campaign that aims to narrow the income gap.

There is one notable exception to the chorus of praise: Britain. The City of London is one of the world?s leading centers of finance, and London?s mayor, the Conservative Boris Johnson, vehemently defended its independence from political regulation.

"This is possibly the most deluded measure to come from Europe since Diocletian tried to fix the price of groceries across the Roman Empire,? Mr. Johnson told reporters after last week?s decision to cap bankers? bonuses. Such interventions were likely to benefit Europe?s competitors, he added. "The most this measure can hope to achieve is a boost for Zurich and Singapore and New York at the expense of a struggling EU."

However, British Finance Minister George Osborne will have little support among his European colleagues. Since decisions at the Ecofin level are taken by qualified majority voting, it is widely assumed that the ministers will approve the deal by European Parliament and EU Commission, which also includes higher capital requirements for banks to protect them against a repeat of the financial crash of 2008.

If approved, the new regulations will come into force at the beginning of 2014.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/UDHwOoGrRSY/No-more-big-banker-bonuses-Europe-set-to-crack-down

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5 Local Customs To Know When You Travel To Burma

Those who travel to Burma on their holidays are in for a wonderful experience in a country of breathtaking landscapes and enchanting cities, full of fascinating history and richly diverse culture. The Burmese people are friendly and welcoming, and it is well worth repaying their hospitality by showing respect for local traditions and etiquette which will, in turn, help you to gain a broader appreciation of Burmese society. Here are five useful customs to know about.

Titles

When you travel to Burma, you may notice the way that people address each other varies according to their relationship or the position of the addressee. This is because there are a number of titles used to show respect in social situations. It is worth taking the time to learn the most important ones, as it can help you understand the social interactions that take place around you and so that you know which to use if the need arises. An adult is addressed as U (similar to Mr) or Daw (similar to Ms), while a younger boy is addressed as Ko, and a younger girl as Ma. A boss or teacher is addressed as Saya (male) or Sayama (female), a monk as Kodaw, and a senior monk as Sayadaw.

Visiting Temples

The highest respect is accorded to Buddhism here, so a high degree of courtesy is expected of those who visit temples and pagodas. Dress conservatively, never point your feet at a Buddha image, and be sure to remove shoes and socks when entering any temple buildings.

Eating

While Western eating customs are often followed in restaurants, particularly in the cities, those who travel to Burmas more remote areas may find themselves eating in a more traditional context; it is useful in such cases to know what the local etiquette is. With the country's great cultural diversity this will vary from region to region, but in general food is traditionally eaten with fingers. Meals are served on low tables, and people sit on mats on the floor. It is considered rude to cough or sneeze at the table.

Feet

One of the most important pieces of etiquette to remember when you travel to Burma is that the feet, which are the lowest part of the body, should never be pointed at anyone, or allowed to touch anyone. It is considered disrespectful to place them on tables or chairs, or to step on or over any part of another person. Many Burmese people will also try to avoid stepping in a monks shadow.

Hands

It is polite to either use your right hand, or both hands together, when giving or receiving anything. The other important piece of hand-related etiquette to remember is that it is rude to touch anyone on the head or face.

About the Author:
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who run tours enabling people to enjoy travel to Burma. Operating in Asia for over 20 years, they now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/5-Local-Customs-To-Know-When-You-Travel-To-Burma/4467547

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Former British cardinal apologizes for 'below standards' sexual conduct

A former cardinal in Britain admits sexual impropriety as the Catholic Church prepares to choose the next pope, NBC's Keir Simmons reports.

By Estelle Shirbon, Reuters

LONDON ? A Roman Catholic cardinal who resigned as head of the church in Scotland apologized on Sunday for sexual conduct which he said had "fallen below the standards expected of me."

Cardinal Keith O'Brien was Britain's most senior Catholic cleric until he resigned as archbishop on Feb. 25 and said he would not take part in the conclave to elect a new pope. The announcement followed newspaper allegations of inappropriate behavior with priests.

"I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal," he said in a statement posted on the Scottish Catholic media office website on Sunday.

---

"To those I have offended, I apologies and ask forgiveness. To the Catholic Church and people of Scotland, I also apologies. I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic Church in Scotland."

O'Brien's resignation as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh last month was announced a day after the Observer newspaper reported that three priests and one former priest from a Scottish diocese had complained over incidents dating back to the 1980s.

The Observer said O'Brien, an outspoken opponent of moves in Britain to legalize gay marriage, had been reported to the Vatican over the unspecified incidents.

The cardinal initially rejected the allegations and said he was seeking legal advice. He ruled himself out of the conclave to avoid focusing media attention on himself.

Last year, O'Brien's comments labeling gay marriage "a grotesque subversion" landed him with a "Bigot of the Year" award from gay rights group Stonewall.

O'Brien's dramatic resignation and self-exclusion from the conclave added to a sense of crisis in the Catholic Church as it deals with the resignation of Pope Benedict against a backdrop of scandals.

O'Brien would have been Britain's only elector at the conclave. He could have attended despite his resignation as archbishop, but chose not to do so.

Benedict's papacy, which ended on Thursday when he flew away from the Vatican by helicopter, was rocked by scandals over the sexual abuse of children by priests.

David Moir / Reuters file

Cardinal Keith O'Brien sits at a desk in a room in his home in Edinburgh, Scotland February 27, 2013.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/03/17169350-former-top-british-cardinal-apologizes-for-below-standards-sexual-conduct?lite

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Chad says it killed Algeria hostage mastermind in Mali

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chadian soldiers in Mali have killed Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the al Qaeda commander who masterminded a bloody hostage-taking at an Algerian gas plant in January, Chad's military said on Saturday.

The death of one of the world's most wanted jihadists would be a major blow to al Qaeda in the region and to Islamist rebels already forced to flee towns they had seized in northern Mali by an offensive by French and African troops.

"On Saturday, March 2, at noon, Chadian armed forces operating in northern Mali completely destroyed a terrorist base (...) The toll included several dead terrorists, including their leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar," Chad's armed forces said in a statement read on national television.

On Friday, Chad's President Idriss Deby said his soldiers had killed another al Qaeda commander, Adelhamid Abou Zeid, among 40 militants who died in an operation in the same area as Saturday's assault - Mali's Adrar des Ifoghas mountains near the Algerian border.

France - which has used jet strikes against the militants' mountain hideouts - has declined to confirm the killing of either Abou Zeid or Belmokhtar.

Analysts said the death of two of al Qaeda's most feared commanders in the Sahara desert would mark a significant blow to Mali's Islamist rebellion.

"Both men have extensive knowledge of northern Mali and parts of the broader Sahel and deep social and other connections in northern Mali, and the death of both in such a short amount of time will likely have an impact on militant operations," said Andrew Lebovich, a Dakar-based analyst who follows al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Anne Giudicelli, managing director of security consultancy Terrorisc, said the al Qaeda commanders' deaths - if confirmed - would temporarily disrupt the Islamist rebel network but would also raise concern over the fate of seven French hostages believed to be held by Islamists in northern Mali.

Chad is one of several African nations that have contributed forces to a French-led military intervention in Mali aimed at ridding its vast northern desert of Islamist rebels who seized the area nearly a year ago following a coup in the capital.

Western and African countries are worried that al Qaeda could use the zone to launch international attacks and strengthen ties with African Islamist groups like al Shabaab in Somalia and Boko Haram in Nigeria.

'MARLBORO MAN'

Belmokhtar, 40, who lost an eye while fighting in Afghanistan in the 1990s, claimed responsibility for the seizure of dozens of foreign hostages at the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in January in which more than 60 people were killed.

That attack put Algeria back on the map of global jihad, 20 years after its civil war, a bloody Islamist struggle for power. It also burnished Belmokhtar's jihadi credentials by showing that al Qaeda remained a potent threat to Western interests despite U.S. forces killing Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011.

Before In Amenas, some intelligence experts had assumed Algerian-born Belmokhtar had drifted away from jihad in favor of kidnapping and smuggling weapons and cigarettes in the Sahara where he earned the nickname "Marlboro Man".

In a rare interview with a Mauritanian news service in late 2011, Belmokhtar paid homage to bin Laden and his successor, Ayman al-Zawahri. He cited al Qaeda's traditional global preoccupations, including Iraq, Afghanistan and the fate of the Palestinians, and stressed the need to "attack Western and Jewish economic and military interests".

He shared command of field operations for AQIM - al Qaeda's north African franchise - with Abou Zeid, though there was talk the two did not get along and were competing for power.

A former smuggler turned jihadi, Algerian-born Abou Zeid imposed a violent form of sharia, Islamic law, in the ancient desert town of Timbuktu, including amputations and the destruction of ancient Sufi shrines.

Robert Fowler, a former Canadian diplomat held hostage by Belmokhtar in 2008-9, told Reuters: "While I cannot consider reports of the death of both Abou Zeid and Mokhtar Belmokhtar as anything but good news ... I must temper my enthusiasm by the fact that this is by no means the first time Belmokhtar's death has been reported."

President Francois Hollande said on Friday that the assault to retake Mali's vast desert north from AQIM and other Islamist rebels that began on January 11 was in its final stage and so could not confirm Abou Zeid's death.

A U.S. official and a Western diplomat, however, said the reports about Abou Zeid's death appeared to be credible.

U.S. Representative Ed Royce, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the killing of Belmokhtar "would be a hard blow to the collection of jihadists operating across the region that are targeting American diplomats and energy workers."

Washington has said it believes Islamists operating in Mali were involved in the killing of the U.S. ambassador in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi in September.

After its success in dislodging al Qaeda fighters from northern Mali's towns, France and its African allies have faced a mounting wave of suicide bombings and guerrilla-style raids by Islamists in northern Malian towns.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that a U.N. peacekeeping force to replace French troops in Mali should be discussed as soon as possible.

Chad was among the quickest to respond to Mali's appeals for help alongside the French, rushing in hundreds of troops experienced in desert warfare, led by President Deby's son, General Mahamat Deby.

President Deby may be hoping to polish his regional and international credentials by assisting in this war, while bolstering his own position in power in Chad which has been threatened in the past by eastern neighbor Sudan.

(Additional reporting by John Irish and David Lewis in Dakar, Gus Trompiz in Paris and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chad-says-killed-algeria-hostage-mastermind-mali-002137862.html

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Reader Who Bought Huge Arsenal Of Guns Online - Business Insider

Recently we posted a set of Uzi pictures that a reader sent us. The reader bought the weapon at a gun show, and as far as we know followed all state and federal laws.

The response from other readers was explosive. At least one commenter claimed he was writing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to complain.

Well, we have now heard from the gun-buyer again.

He says his IP address is now blocked from visiting gun and ammunition websites from his phone and home computers.

He has had no visits by law enforcement.

But he thinks the government has found him and is now blocking him.

The government does not centrally control the Internet, so this seems unlikely. But assuming the reader remains unable to access weapons sites, it will be interesting to figure out what is really going on. Most likely, if anyone is "blocking" the reader, it's his Internet Service Provider. (But even that would raise some interesting questions...)

Here's a screenshot from his phone.?

Robert Johnson

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/gun-buyer-ip-address-blocked-2013-3

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Engadget Podcast 333 - 03.01.13

If three is the magic number, then this is the magic podcast. Episode 333, with three hosts, on the third month of the year (that ends in "3"). There's no sleight of hand here though, it's straight up gadget news served just how you like it. In our experience, it's best to leave the magic tricks to ASUS.

Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater

Guest: Peter Rojas

Producer: James Trew

Hear the podcast

Filed under: Podcasts

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/02/engadget-podcast-333-03-01-13/

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Emergency Manager: Michigan To Appoint EFM In Detroit, But Who Would Take The Job?

DETROIT -- It appears the appointment of an emergency manager to take over Detroit's failing finances is all but a done deal. But one question remains: Who will get the difficult, thankless job?

Gov. Rick Snyder is being coy about his selection, saying only the person is "top notch." Michigan's Emergency Loan Board will do the official hiring of the candidate, who will provide state oversight on spending and restructuring.

Whoever is chosen, he or she will not only have to tackle the city's massive deficits and debt but also succeed in pulling Detroit out of a fiscal tailspin so steep that it's had to borrow millions of dollars just to pay its bills and city workers' salaries.

"This will take somebody who has very deep and strong financial expertise and very deep and strong political and personal capabilities," said Timothy Horner, a partner in the Warner Norcross & Judd law firm. Horner, whose firm has been closely following Detroit's fiscal struggles because it represents businesses and creditors, told The Associated Press on Friday that the emergency manager job is "a very difficult assignment."

An appointment is unlikely to occur before Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has a chance to appeal Snyder's determination Friday that the city is in a financial emergency. The 10-day appeal period will be followed by a March 12 hearing. It's then that Snyder can change his mind or reaffirm his position and move forward with an emergency manager appointment.

Bing said Friday that doesn't agree with Snyder's determination and that he is looking into the city's options.

Emergency managers have the power under state law to develop financial plans, renegotiate labor contracts, revise and approve budgets to help control spending, sell off city assets not restricted by charter and suspend the salaries of elected officials.

Given the makeup of Detroit ? more than 80 percent of the 700,000 residents are black ? the emergency manager's job would be easier if that person is black, according to Bill Brandt, chief executive of Development Specialists, Inc., a national turnaround firm.

"If he's even toying with the idea of putting a white fella in charge in a city that's 80 percent black it will be seen as more of this plantation mentality," Brandt said of Snyder.

Detroit and its mostly white suburbs have shared an often-strained relationship for decades.

"You need to get a buy-in from the large population and the way is to get a spirited intellectually bright African American with a great deal of political chops," Brandt added.

Among the issues needing immediate attention, is Detroit's massive health care costs and unfunded pension benefits to retirees.

Detroit's sinking population ? a quarter-million people left between 2000 and 2010 ? and shrinking tax base will have to fund its legacy liabilities, Horner said.

"Over many years, the city made many promises to employees and workers and incurred debt based upon a city that was much larger," he said, noting the emergency manager will first need to address "short-term liquidity issues" while handling "long-term legacy liabilities."

Horner also pointed out the manager would need to have experience with bankruptcies.

"If the emergency manager is not able to restructure, we will end up with Chapter 9," he said.

But bankruptcy can be avoided if everyone comes to the negotiating table, said William M. Dolan, a partner in the Brown Rudnick international law firm.

Providence, R.I., had a $110 million structural deficit, $1 billion in unfunded health care and an $800 million unfunded pension. Dolan represented the city last year in negotiations with its active unions and retirees over concessions to address legacy liabilities.

Both sides negotiated everything down and converted health care coverage to Medicare from private plans.

"When you go into bankruptcy your pension is gone. It's gone," Dolan said.

But for residents, the appointment of an emergency manager runs deeper than ledger sheets and balance books.

"You are telling the people of Detroit that they are too stupid to manage their own affairs, and that's an insult," said Oliver Cole, a photography studio owner in the city and president of a 900-family neighborhood association on the northwest side.

"We want the city of Detroit to function," the 62-year-old added. "We want it to be a great city, have police, fire, good EMS, trash pickup and parks maintained.

"The emergency manager gives people the opinion he can do anything. That is tantamount to another mayor and that's why I disagree. You have supplanted the will of the people to elect their leader. Now you say `your voice doesn't count.' "

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/03/emergency-manager-michigan-job-detroit_n_2801441.html

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AP PHOTOS: A look at past Iditarod sled dog races

Essential News from The Associated Press

AAA??Mar. 2, 2013?3:48 PM ET AP PHOTOS: A look at past Iditarod sled dog races By The Associated Press??By The Associated Press FILE - Iditarod front-runner Dallas Seavey makes his final drive toward Nome, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Anchorage Daily News, Marc Lester, File) FILE - Iditarod front-runner Dallas Seavey makes his final drive toward Nome, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Anchorage Daily News, Marc Lester, File) FILE - Rick Swenson leads his team the final few yards at the conclusion of the ninth annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska, March 19, 1981. The Eureka musher won the race for the third time, covering the 969 miles from Settlers Bay, near Anchorage, to Nome in 12 days, 8 hours, 45 minutes and 2 seconds. (AP Photo, File) FILE - Last year?s winner and veteran dog musher Susan Butcher pulls into this checkpoint in the heat of the day in McGrath, Alaska, March 12, 1987. (AP Photo/Rob Stapleton, File) FILE - Bruce Johnson of Atlin, B.C., Canada, takes a nap in the heat of the day at Nikolai checkpoint along the Iditarod trail in Alaska, March 12, 1987. (AP Photo/Rob Stapleton, File) FILE - The aurora borealis, or northern lights, fill the sky above the Takotna, Alaska checkpoint during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. (AP Photo/The Anchorage Daily News, Bob Hallinen, File) The world's most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, kicks off Saturday with an 11-mile-long trot through Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The race consists of a grueling 1,000-mile trek through unpredictable wilderness to the old gold rush town of Nome on Alaska's western coast. Whoever reaches Nome first wins a new truck and a cash prize of $50,400. The rest of the $600,000 purse will be split between the next 29 mushers to cross the finish line. The iconic race, however, seems to be about more than a monetary prize for most involved: a competition of human versus wild. Here's a gallery of pictures looking back at more than 30 years of "The Last Great Race." Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-02-AP-Iditarod-Photo-Gallery/id-0fd5b7011aed4c039249b30688648ef6

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Home Improvements : General Points | Home Improvement

Every home improvement situation is different. Still, there are some general points that apply to most projects.

Some General Points

When all the woodwork in a house is the same color (cream, white, and off-white work easily), spaces tend to visually ?flow smoothly? even if the walls of rooms are different colors. Make sure you don?t break this rule.

The colors of all rooms, which can be seen at the same time, should look good together. Let?s take a typical center hall floor plan for a modern two-story house. The living room and dining room are to the right and left of the entrance. The foyer goes straight back to the family room, breakfast area, and kitchen across the back of the house. There is probably a deck opening off that area. Some part of all those areas can be seen from each room, and the foyer walls continue upstairs to a hall from which each bedroom is visible.

To continue our example with cream woodwork, the foyer and halls might be painted a pearl gray, light tan, soft gold, or deeper cream. The woodwork is probably a gloss or semi-gloss and the walls and ceiling a flat paint. Since ceilings reflect light down on people, they?re usually best in cream or off-white. I once saw a dining room with an indirectly lit octagonal tray ceiling painted to look like creamy clouds in a peachy sunset sky that made every dinner guest look like he or she had a perfect complexion. It was wonderful.

The living room opening off our foyer might be a solid color (maybe sage green or deeper tan) or it might look very handsome with a vertically striped wall paper (cream and gray, cream and green, or cream and tan are good possibilities). The dining room is apt to have a chair rail. A darker color could look good below the chair rail (again sage green, gray, gold or tan would work) with a lighter tint of the same color above. If a solid color were chosen for the living room, the dining room could handle a deep red below the chair rail and a cream paper with a narrow red stripe above it. Lots of crystal and mirrors would look terrific in a room like that.

I?m sure you get the idea. Today?s open floor plans make it important that rooms work together.

Source: http://homeimprovementocala.com/home-improvements-general-points/

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ScienceDaily: Top Science News

http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/top_science/ Top science news, featured on ScienceDaily's home page.en-usSun, 03 Mar 2013 14:34:13 ESTSun, 03 Mar 2013 14:34:13 EST60http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/top_science/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301153645.htm 3-D printing lets anyone make almost anything with a simple machine and a roll of plastic filament. Now researchers have found a way to drive costs down even further by recycling empty milk jugs into filament. The process reduces landfill waste, saves on energy compared with traditional recycling, and makes 3-D printing and even better deal.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:36:36 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301153645.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301153245.htm The world?s shark populations are experiencing significant declines with perhaps 100 million ? or more - sharks being lost every year, according to a new study.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:32:32 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301153245.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123308.htm A new study is the first to show that dust and other aerosols from one side of the world influence rainfall in the Sierra Nevada.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123308.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123048.htm Scientists looking for clues about why Earth did not warm as much as scientists expected between 2000 and 2010 now thinks the culprits are hiding in plain sight -- dozens of volcanoes spewing sulfur dioxide.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:30:30 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123048.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123042.htm A continental-scale chemical survey in the waters of the eastern US and Gulf of Mexico is helping researchers determine how distinct bodies of water will resist changes in acidity.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:30:30 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123042.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htm The interplay between an infection during pregnancy and stress in puberty plays a key role in the development of schizophrenia, as behaviorists demonstrate in a mouse model. However, there is no need to panic.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228171504.htm A paleontologist and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228171504.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155624.htm Two biologists at Washington University in St. Louis were delighted to discover a meticulous dataset on a plant-pollinator network recorded by Illinois naturalist Charles Robertson between 1884 and 1916. Re-collecting part of Robertson's network, they learned that although the network has compensated for some losses, battered by climate change and habitat loss it is now weaker and less resilient than in Robertson's time.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155624.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155622.htm Researchers studying data from 600 fields in 20 countries have found that managed honey bees are not as successful at pollinating crops as wild insects, primarily wild bees, suggesting the continuing loss of wild insects in many agricultural landscapes has negative consequences for crop harvests.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155622.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155430.htm NASA's Van Allen Probes mission has discovered a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth, revealing the existence of unexpected structures and processes within these hazardous regions of space.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:54:54 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155430.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124138.htm New research on bacteria examines how primordial cells could have evolved without protein machinery or cell walls. While the vast majority of bacteria have cell walls, many bacteria can switch to a wall-free existence called the L-form state, which could mirror the structure of primordial cells. A new study reveals how bacteria in this L-form state divide and proliferate, shedding light on how the earliest forms of cellular life may have replicated.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124138.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113447.htm A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulfide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research considers the composition of the oceans 550-700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113447.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113436.htm Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113436.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113401.htm An international team of scientists have discovered a meteorite with a mass of 18 kilograms embedded in the East Antarctic ice sheet, the largest?such meteorite found in the region since 1988.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113401.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103341.htm Astronomers have obtained what is likely the first direct observation of a forming planet still embedded in a thick disc of gas and dust. If confirmed, this discovery will greatly improve our understanding of how planets form and allow astronomers to test the current theories against an observable target.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103341.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093833.htm The acceleration of a free electron by a laser is a long-time goal of solid-state physicists. Physicists have established that an electron beam can be accelerated by a laser in free space. This has never been done before at high energies and represents a significant breakthrough, and may have implications for fusion as a new energy source.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093833.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093829.htm In a significant advance for brain-computer interfaces, engineers have developed a novel wireless, broadband, rechargeable, fully implantable brain sensor that has performed well in animal models for more than a year.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093829.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093823.htm Researchers have electronically linked the brains of pairs of rats for the first time, enabling them to communicate directly to solve simple behavioral puzzles. A further test of this work successfully linked the brains of two animals thousands of miles apart -- one in Durham, N.C., and one in Natal, Brazil.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093823.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093509.htm The salinity difference between fresh water and salt water could be a source of renewable energy. However, power yields from existing techniques are not high enough to make them viable. A solution to this problem may now have been found. Researchers have discovered a new means of harnessing this energy: osmotic flow through boron nitride nanotubes generates huge electric currents, with 1,000 times the efficiency of any previous system.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093509.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080242.htm Order tends towards disorder. This is also true for quantum states. Measurements show that in quantum mechanics this transition can be quite different from what we experience in our daily lives.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:02:02 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080242.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183502.htm Bearded capuchin monkeys deliberately place palm nuts in a stable position on a surface before trying to crack them open, revealing their capacity to use tactile information to improve tool use.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183502.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183311.htm For the first time, scientists have shown that transplanted eyes located far outside the head in a vertebrate animal model can confer vision without a direct neural connection to the brain. Biologists used a frog model to shed new light -- literally -- on one of the major questions in regenerative medicine and sensory augmentation research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183311.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151306.htm Researchers have achieved a major advance in understanding how genetic information is transcribed from DNA to RNA by providing the first step-by-step look at the biomolecular machinery that reads the human genome.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151306.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134425.htm Unique fossils literally 'lift the lid' on ancient creature's head to expose one of the earliest examples of food manipulating limbs in evolutionary history, dating from around 530 million years ago.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:44:44 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134425.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134340.htm After four years of confinement to a wheelchair, Rick Constantine, 58, is now walking again after undergoing an unconventional surgery to restore the use of his leg.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134340.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134336.htm As a bird sings, some neurons in its brain prepare to make the next sounds while others are synchronized with the current notes?a coordination of physical actions and brain activity that is needed to produce complex movements. The finding that may lead to new ways of understanding human speech production.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134336.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134334.htm A new study reports that a viral predator of the cholera bacteria has stolen the functional immune system of bacteria and is using it against its bacterial host. This provides the first evidence that this type of virus, the bacteriophage, can acquire an adaptive immune system. The study has implications for phage therapy, the use of phages to treat bacterial diseases.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134334.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227132544.htm Two X-ray space observatories, NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton, have teamed up to measure definitively, for the first time, the spin rate of a black hole with a mass 2 million times that of our sun.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227132544.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htm While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a new study, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers. Children may be most vulnerable.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htm A look at how the brain processes information finds distinct pattern in autistic children. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers found structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at expense of long-distance links. The study, using "network analysis" like with airlines or electrical grids, may help in understanding some classic autistic behaviors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101951.htm Oocytes of lions, tigers and other cat species survive the preservation in liquid nitrogen. Scientists have now succeeded in carrying out cryopreservation of felid ovary cortex.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101951.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htm Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htm A new study offers the first evidence of source memory in a nonhuman animal. The findings have fascinating implications, both in evolutionary terms and for future research into the biological underpinnings of memory, as well as the treatment of diseases marked by memory failure such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's, or disorders such as schizophrenia, PTSD and depression.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htm Scientists are using a novel fabrication process to create ultra-efficient solar energy rectennas capable of harvesting more than 70 percent of the sun's electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously converting it into usable electric power.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085842.htm Continuing a tradition stretching back more than 25 centuries, astronomers have used the new 2.3-meter 'Aristarchos' telescope, sited at Helmos Observatory (2340m high) in the Pelοponnese Mountains in Greece, to determine the distance to and history of an enigmatic stellar system, discovering it to likely be a binary star cocooned within an exotic nebula.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085842.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htm Pregnant women should avoid taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. Substitution appears to raise the risk of children developing a food allergy after birth.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htm An international team led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has documented a 78 percent decline in the number of nests of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at the turtle's last stronghold in the Pacific Ocean.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htm Researchers are testing the power of holography to artificially stimulate cells in the eye, with hopes of developing a new strategy for bionic vision restoration. Computer-generated holography, they say, could be used in conjunction with a technique called optogenetics, which uses gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to damaged retinal nerve cells. In conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), these light-sensing cells degenerate and lead to blindness.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htm Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, scientists have shown in a study of water fleas. Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htm Glass doesn't have to be brittle. Scientists propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile -- a property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum -- and assert that any glass could have either quality.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htm Scientists have developed a new method that better preserves the units necessary to power lightning-fast electronics, known as qubits. Hole spins, rather than electron spins, can keep quantum bits in the same physical state up to 10 times longer than before, the report finds.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htm Fresh insights into the protective seal that surrounds the DNA of our cells could help develop treatments for inherited muscle, brain, bone and skin disorders. Researchers have discovered that the proteins within this coating -- known as the nuclear envelope -- vary greatly between cells in different organs of the body.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htm Researchers have demonstrated a stretchable lithium-ion battery -- a flexible device capable of powering their innovative stretchable electronics. The battery can stretch up to 300 percent of its original size and still function -- even when stretched, folded, twisted and mounted on a human elbow. The battery enables true integration of electronics and power into a small, stretchable package that is wirelessly rechargeable.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htm Firefighters now have a new tool that could help save lives. A team of researchers have developed a new technique using digital holography that can "see" people through intense flames -- the first time a holographic recording of a live person has been achieved while the body is moving. The new technique allows imaging through both.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htm Scientists have long been dreaming about building a computer that would work like a brain. This is because a brain is far more energy-saving than a computer, it can learn by itself, and it doesn't need any programming. Scientists are experimenting with memristors -- electronic microcomponents that imitate natural nerves.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htm Researchers have successfully generated human kidney cells from human embryonic stem cells in vitro1. Specifically, they produced the renal cells under artificial conditions in the lab without using animals or organs. This has not been possible until now.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htm Researchers have succeeded in showing experimentally that vacuums have properties not previously observed. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, it is a state with abundant potentials. Vacuums contain momentarily appearing and disappearing virtual pairs, which can be converted into detectable light particles.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htm Results of a major study aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases show that such a diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htm Researchers have found significantly higher levels of toxic metals in children with autism, compared to typical children. They hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help lessen symptoms of autism, though they say this hypotheses needs further examination.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153130.htm For decades scientists around the world have attempted to regenerate primary liver cells known as hepatocytes because of their numerous biomedical applications, including hepatitis research, drug metabolism and toxicity studies, as well as transplantation for cirrhosis and other chronic liver conditions. But no lab in the world has been successful in identifying and growing liver stem cells in culture -- using any available technique -- until now.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153130.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153128.htm The world has suffered from severe regional weather extremes in recent years, such as the heat wave in the United States in 2011. Behind these devastating individual events there is a common physical cause, propose scientists in a new study. It suggests that human-made climate change repeatedly disturbs the patterns of atmospheric flow around the globe's Northern hemisphere through a subtle resonance mechanism.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153128.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153126.htm Particles from the upper atmosphere trapped in a deep pile of Antarctic snow hold clear chemical traces of global meteorological events, climate scientists from France have found. Anomalies in oxygen found in sulfate particles coincide with several episodes of the world-wide disruption of weather known as El Nino and can be distinguished from similar signals left by the eruption of huge volcanoes, the team reports.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153126.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153124.htm Scientists have concluded that during the Late Archaic, maize (corn) was a primary component in the diet of people living in the Norte Chico region of Peru, an area of remarkable cultural florescence in 3rd millennium B.C. Up until now, the prevailing theory was that marine resources, not agriculture and corn, provided the economic engine behind the development of civilization in the Andean region of Peru.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153124.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153122.htm Environmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread chemical found in plastics and resins, may suppress a gene vital to nerve cell function and to the development of the central nervous system, according to a new study.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153122.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131618.htm Even dying stars could host planets with life -- and if such life exists, we might be able to detect it within the next decade. This encouraging result comes from a new theoretical study of Earth-like planets orbiting white dwarf stars. Researchers found that we could detect oxygen in the atmosphere of a white dwarf's planet much more easily than for an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131618.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htm People become more politically liberal immediately after practising a spiritual exercise such as meditation, researchers have found.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122045.htm New maps by scientists show how rising sea temperatures are likely to affect all coral reefs in the form of annual coral bleaching events under different emission scenarios. If carbon emissions stay on the current path most of the world's coral reefs (74 percent) are projected to experience coral bleaching conditions annually by 2045, results of the study show.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122045.htm

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