Big-Mouthed Toucans Key To Forest Evolution

Channel-billed toucans are important seed dispersers in rain forests.

Courtesy of Lindolfo Souto/AAAS/Science

Brazil is a paradise for birds; the country has more than 1,700 species. Among them is the colorful toucan, a bird with an almost comically giant bill that can be half as long as its body. There are lots of different types of toucan ? red-breasted, channel-billed, keel-billed, saffron toucanet ? each with its own color-scheme and distinctive call.

The jucara is the dominant palm tree in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Its seeds are dispersed mostly by birds.

Courtesy of Mauro Galetti/AAAS/Science

The jucara is the dominant palm tree in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Its seeds are dispersed mostly by birds.

Courtesy of Mauro Galetti/AAAS/Science

Unfortunately, as more humans have moved into Brazil's Atlantic coastal forests, the increase in hunting, logging and farming has taken a toll on the number of toucans. Now scientists have discovered that the drop-off in birds is reshaping the forest as well.

According to research published this week in the journal Science, here's what happened: The forest's dominant palm tree, called the jucara (Euterpe edulis), depends on birds to eat its fruit and then defecate the seed in a place where it can germinate and grow to become a new tree. According to Mauro Galetti, a biologist at the Estadual Paulista University in Brazil who studies the process, the toucans give jucara palms with large seeds a reproductive edge.

"These large birds, they have an extremely important role in the forest," Galetti says, "not only because they disperse seeds, but because they disperse large seeds."

The largest palm seeds ? some the size of marbles inside a thin-skinned fruit ? are too big for most birds, except for those big-mouthed toucans. So as the toucans disappeared, the palms that made big seeds were out of luck ? no seed dispersers. Meanwhile, jucara trees that were genetically predisposed to make small seeds did just fine. In fact, they thrived and started to dominate the forest.

"The extinction of large birds changed the evolution of this palm," Galetti says. His team checked other possible causes of evolutionary change ? shifts in soil fertility or rainfall, or in other seed dispersers. But the genetic change in the palm populations occurred most often where the toucans were scarcest.

A yellow-legged thrush eats the fruit of the jucara tree. These birds eat only small seeds and spread them throughout the Atlantic rain forests.

Courtesy of Lindolfo Souto/AAAS/Science

A yellow-legged thrush eats the fruit of the jucara tree. These birds eat only small seeds and spread them throughout the Atlantic rain forests.

Courtesy of Lindolfo Souto/AAAS/Science

Now, humans have always been messing with nature. When we cut down forests or prairie or when we overhunt, we change a region's mix of plants and animals. That's an "ecological" change, Galetti explains. But in this case, humans actually altered the genetic makeup of a wild palm tree population ? in just a century, indirectly, and by accident.

So what happens if these small-seed palms eventually take over? Well, it turns out that smaller seeds aren't so good. They dry up and die faster than big ones in hot, dry weather. And scientists predict that climate change will make parts of Brazil hotter and drier, so much so that the jucara may not survive. Says Galetti: "The impacts on the forest could be quite dramatic because several animal species ... rely on this palm for food." In fact, about 60 species of animals depend on this palm for food. So the take-home message is: As the toucan goes, so goes the forest.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/05/31/187165764/big-mouthed-toucans-key-to-forest-evolution?ft=1&f=1007

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Vietnam PM seeks regional unity as China pushes maritime claims

By John O'Callaghan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Vietnam's prime minister called for unity among Southeast Asian countries as China asserts its claims to the energy-rich South China Sea, warning that any conflict could disrupt international trade and the global economy.

Tensions in the decades-old territorial dispute between six Asian claimants have risen in recent weeks after Chinese vessels converged near a ship the Philippines ran aground on a reef in 1999 to mark its territory.

"Somewhere in the region, there have emerged preferences for unilateral might, groundless claims and actions that run counter to international law and stem from imposition and power politics," Nguyen Tan Dung said in a speech on Friday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual regional security forum in Singapore.

"A single irresponsible action or instigation of conflict could well lead to the interruption of huge trade flows, causing unforeseeable consequences not only to regional economies but also to the entire world," he said in remarks translated from Vietnamese.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its territory, setting it directly against the Philippines and Vietnam as it displays the growing "blue water" reach of its navy and the United States turns more of its attention to Asia.

Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also claim parts of the South China Sea, whose waters are vital to the international flow of goods and energy and whose seabed is believed to contain rich deposits of oil and natural gas.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is attending the three-day forum convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), with the U.S. "pivot" toward Asia, the region's military build-up and the South China Sea high on the agenda.

Stressing the need for "strategic trust", Dung said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must stay united and strong, without any of its 10 members "forced to take sides with one country or the other for the benefit of their own relationships with big powers."

ASEAN has been talking to China about a binding code of conduct to ease tensions but Beijing has said it will negotiate "when the time is ripe". ASEAN foreign ministers are due to meet in Thailand in August to forge a position on the code of conduct before meeting Chinese officials in Beijing.

Vietnam will not be a military ally to anyone or allow any country to set up military bases on its soil, Dung said, adding the modernisation of its forces was "only for self-defence and to safeguard our legitimate interests".

"OPPORTUNISTIC ASSERTIVENESS"

China's response to the actions of its rival claimants may be part of a very long-term negotiating strategy, said Christian Le Miere, a senior fellow at the IISS.

"I would call it a form of opportunistic assertiveness whereby China is often aware that these actions are going to happen and then uses them as a justification for its overzealous reactions," Le Miere told a news conference.

"What we will continue to see is China trying to change the facts on the water and trying to build a stronger legal case and adapt the legal environment to its own benefit wherever possible and continue with its maximalist claims because they will, in the future, provide China with a stronger negotiation position."

A Chinese military think-tank, the Centre for National Defence Policy, said this week the U.S. pivot to Asia had "shattered" the relative calm of the South China Sea.

"While the conditions do not yet exist for a large-scale armed clash, the dispute is becoming normalised and long-term ... and ineffective management may lead to a serious crisis," the report said, according to the China News Service.

Washington says it is focusing more security, economic and diplomatic attention on Asia to engage the fast-growing region, which has fuelled Chinese suspicions that the United States is trying to contain its economic and military might.

(Additional reporting by Kevin Lim; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vietnam-pm-seeks-regional-unity-china-pushes-maritime-151628079.html

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Trustees: Medicare trust fund exhausted in 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The government said Friday that Medicare's giant hospital trust fund will be exhausted in 2026, two years later than projected last year, while the date that Social Security will exhaust its trust fund remained unchanged at 2033.

The latest projections were included in the annual report of trustees of the trust funds. The new report warned that despite the small improvement in Medicare, both it and Social Security face significant funding challenges as the giant baby boom generation continues to retire. Currently, 58 million Americans are receiving Social Security benefits.

"Under current law, both of these vitally important programs are on unsustainable paths," Robert D. Reischauer, one of two public trustees, told reporters at a news conference.

The reasons given for the improved financial outlook for Medicare were an overall slowdown in the rate of increase in health care spending, particularly on skilled nursing care, as well as lower projected costs for popular insurance plans available within the Medicare program.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, the chairman of the trustees, said President Barack Obama is committed to working with Congress to put both programs on a stronger footing.

"Protecting Social Security and Medicare is one of the most significant challenges we face today as a nation. And it is a challenge that we can and must meet," Lew told reporters.

With almost 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age and qualifying for benefits each day, those dates have been creeping closer, but Washington has been unable to reach consensus on an agreement to strengthen the finances of the government's biggest benefit programs, which together accounted for about 38 percent of federal spending last year.

Depletion of the reserves in the giant trust funds would not end the benefit programs but would trigger sharp reductions in benefits. For Social Security, retirees would continue to receive about 75 percent of benefits once the Social Security trust fund was exhausted in 2033. For the Medicare hospital trust fund, the depletion of that fund in 2026 would mean a cut in benefits to about 87 percent of the full level.

While the combined Social Security trust fund was projected to be depleted in 2033, the trustees warned that the funding threat to one of the component trust funds that makes payments for workers on disability is much more urgent. It was projected that the disability trust fund would deplete its reserves in just three years in 2016. That date is unchanged from last year's report.

Charles Blahous III, one of two public members of the trustees group, said that while Congress could decide to correct the shortfall in the disability program by moving tax revenue away from Social Security, that would only worsen the funding problems facing the Social Security retirement program.

A solution to the funding problems for Social Security and Medicare has proven elusive because of the political dangers posed by any agreement that would trim benefits for millions of Americans or raise taxes to cover the projected shortfalls.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said it remains to be seen how much of the slowing in the growth of health care costs simply reflected the impact of the country's deep recession and how much might reflect savings from the passage of the Obama-backed health care law.

"The day of reckoning for Medicare has been pushed off a bit, but only a bit," Zandi said. "The entitlement programs are still in big trouble, and if we don't change them, they will break."

Obama has already offered to break a pledge he made in his 2008 re-election campaign not to trim Social Security benefits. Twice in negotiations with GOP leaders, he agreed to adopt a new measure of inflation that would result in smaller cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, for Social Security recipients. He formally put forward that proposal in the budget he sent to Congress in April.

His proposed change in the COLA, once phased in, would mean a cut in Social Security benefits of nearly $1,000 a year for an average 85-year-old recipient of Social Security benefits.

Obama and Republican leaders in Congress have held off-and-on talks about various other possible fixes for the entitlement programs since 2011 as part of their efforts to reduce the government's soaring budget deficits. But both sides remain far apart. Republicans insist any budget agreement must include deep spending cuts, while Obama is seeking what he calls a balanced deal that would include not only cuts in government spending including reductions in entitlement programs but also higher taxes.

Nancy LeaMond, executive vice president of the 37-million member AARP, said in reaction to the trustees report that her organization would continue to oppose Obama's suggested reduction in cost-of-living increases and similar proposals, which she said would jeopardize Americans' retirement security.

"Washington needs to get its budget under control without breaking the promise of Social Security," she said.

Many Democrats in Congress have also expressed strong opposition to the COLA trim that Obama has put forward.

House Republicans earlier this year passed a budget that would eventually turn Medicare into a voucher-like program for people younger than 55. But Obama and other Democrats reject that approach.

Obama's approach to Medicare savings would trim payments to drug companies, hospitals and other service providers. He has also proposed having a growing share of seniors pay higher premiums over time, based on their incomes. In addition, Obama would have wealthy taxpayers pay a higher Medicare payroll tax.

___

Associated Press reporters Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Alan Fram contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/trustees-medicare-trust-fund-exhausted-2026-172226674.html

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Mutant mosquitoes can't sniff out humans

Zach Veilleux (The Rockefeller University)

Genetically engineered mosquitoes can't tell the difference between human and animal scents.

By Tanya Lewis
LiveScience

Campers, take comfort: Scientists have found a way to genetically alter mosquitoes so they lose their preference for the scent of humans.

The pesky insects hunt down their hosts using odor cues, body heat and exhaled carbon dioxide.?The?mosquito species Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti?strongly prefer human odors, and by targeting humans, they spread nasty diseases like malaria and dengue fever.

In the study, researchers created mosquitoes with a mutant olfactory gene that disrupted the insects' sense of smell. The mutant mosquitoes failed to respond to human scent except in the presence of carbon dioxide, and even then, they were no more attracted to humans than to other animals. The modified bloodsuckers also lost their aversion to the smell of the insect repellent DEET, but could still detect the potent chemical on the surface of human skin. [Gallery: Drop-Dodging Mosquitoes]

Knowing the factors that attract mosquitoes to humans opens the door to finding new ways of repelling them. "By disrupting a single gene, we can fundamentally confuse the mosquito from its task of seeking humans," senior study author Leslie Vosshall, a neurogeneticist at The Rockefeller University in New York, said in a statement from Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Vosshall had been studying a gene called "orco" in flies, which played an important role in the flies' ability to detect odors. There were hints that mosquitoes utilized smells in their environment, so Vosshall suspected the orco gene might be important for mosquitoes as well as flies.

Using genetic engineering techniques, Vosshall and her colleagues mutated the orco gene in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The team exposed normal and mutant mosquitoes to nylon sleeves smelling of humans, in the presence or absence of carbon dioxide. The scientists also tested the mosquitoes' ability to distinguish between air that passed over a human arm or a live guinea pig.

The mutant mosquitoes?couldn't detect human scent in the absence of carbon dioxide. Even with carbon dioxide, the mutants showed no preference for human scent, and were equally attracted to the human and guinea pig scents.

In another experiment, Vosshall's team measured how the insect mutants responded to DEET, the active ingredient in many insect repellants. The mosquitoes were offered a choice of a human arm slathered in DEET or a clean arm.

Mosquitoes with the mutant scent gene flew toward both arms indiscriminately. Upon landing, however, the bugs found the DEET arm strongly repulsive. The findings suggest mosquitoes use two distinct mechanisms to detect DEET ? one that acts at a distance and one used in close proximity to the skin.

Further research will explore how the orco gene affects the odor receptors that mosquitoes use to sniff out human flesh. Once scientists understand how current insect repellants work, they can develop better ones, Vosshall said.

The findings were reported online Wednesday?in the journal Nature.

Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter?and Google+.?Follow us @livescience, Facebook?and Google+. Original article on?LiveScience.com.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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A Cheap HTC One on Sprint Is Your Deal of the Day

The HTC One Google Edition running stock Android that Google announced earlier today is pretty cool, but it's still a $600 contract-free phone, and most people opt for a carrier-subsidized handset. If you like HTC Sense and you're eligible for a Sprint upgrade, you can get the HTC One for $80 with a new contract.

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FW2WVsgO0uI/a-cheap-htc-one-on-sprint-is-your-deal-of-the-day-510496881

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US vs. European hurricane model: Which is better?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- When forecasters from the National Weather Service track a hurricane, they use models from several different supercomputers located around the world to create their predictions.

Some of those models are more accurate than others. During Hurricane Sandy last October, for instance, the model from the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasting in the United Kingdom predicted eight days before landfall that the large storm would hit the East Coast, while the American supercomputer model showed Sandy drifting out to sea.

The American model eventually predicted Sandy's landfall four days before the storm hit ? plenty of time for preparation ? but revealed a potential weakness in the American computer compared to the European system. It left some meteorologists fuming.

"Let me be blunt: the state of operational U.S. numerical weather prediction is an embarrassment to the nation and it does not have to be this way," wrote Cliff Maas, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington on his weather blog.

Meteorologists agree that the two American supercomputers that provide storm models are underpowered ? which is why the National Weather Service plans on upgrading those computers in the next two years. The two main forecasting computers ? one in Orlando, Fla. and the other in Reston, Va., ? will receive $25 million in upgrades as part of the Hurricane Sandy supplemental bill that was recently approved by Congress.

"This will improve weather forecasting across the board," said Christopher Vaccaro, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Certainly one area of concern that has received some attention were these larger high-impact extreme weather events. The European model is able to pick up on those storms earlier than our model."

Jeff Masters, meteorology director at the online forecasting service Weather Underground, said that other than Hurricane Sandy, the American model outperformed the European model during the 2012 hurricane season ? but if you look at a three-year period, the European model still comes out on top.

"If the U.S. did invest more money and people into making the model better, then the forecast would be better," Masters said. "The money we spend on weather forecasts and improving them pays for itself."

Still, with hurricane season starting Saturday, forecasters say the average person living in a coastal area shouldn't worry about the capability gap between the computers.

"I really could care less which is the better model because we have access to them both," said James Franklin, branch chief of the hurricane specialist unit. "It's immaterial to us."

And forecasters say that hurricane modeling and forecasting has become more accurate overall in the last 10 years.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami use both American and European models ? and other models ? then average them together for a storm's projected path. The computers take data from weather satellites, observations and weather balloons, then plug the data into complex algorithms.

The fact that the American supercomputer is lacking in processing power does need to be addressed. In the long run, improving its computing power will increase the overall quality of data for scientists drawing from multiple sources.

"You want to have the best information possible when you're trying to decide what to do," Masters said. "Having better forecast models is going to improve your chances."

Experts also say the quality of a nation's computer capability is emblematic of its underlying commitment to research, science and innovation.

"If you just bought a bigger computer, it will help but it will not solve the problem. There are many other aspects that need to be addressed," said Richard Rood, a professor at the University of Michigan's department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science.

Rood said that the meteorologists who run the European computer have invested time, effort and money into developing algorithms.

Another issue, he said, is the long-term maintenance of the satellites run by NASA and NOAA.

"If they fail to continue to deliver the observations, then our forecast is going to be less good," he said "We all use the same set of raw data. For the most part, we all start from the same observations. If there is a threat to safety and property and people, it is far more related to the state of the observing system than it is to any deficiencies or any gap we might have with the Europeans on the predictive model."

There are other reasons why the European model has outperformed the American model, many of them having to do with the structure of the two agencies that run each computer, according to NOAA:

?The European model focuses on medium-range weather prediction, while the American model does a lot more ? it looks at short-, medium- and long-range global weather, along with atmospheric, ocean, coastal, hurricane and space weather.

?The European center has one budget that focuses only on research and development relating to medium-range weather, while NOAA has a fragmented budget and multiple research and development projects "loosely" managed under multiple organizations.

?The European center doesn't build observational systems while NOAA does.

"There's some differences in the basic goals and purposes of these different centers," said Chris Davis, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. "That often has to be kept in mind when trying to understand differences in the performance models used."

___

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-vs-european-hurricane-model-191242513.html

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Change, conflict cue memories of life's milestones

May 29, 2013 ? What will your kids remember about the life stories you tell them? New University of Alberta research shows that they're likely to be able to recall transitional moments you share with them, be it promotions or pets. The research offers strong evidence that societal values significantly affect how people think about and recall events in their lives -- and how we potentially carry old values and beliefs forward in a new country.

Psychology researchers Connie Svob and Norman Brown conducted interviews with two groups of participants, split evenly between people born in Canada and people whose parents emigrated from a country in upheaval. Each group was asked to identify the 10 most important events in their lives, when they occurred and whether the event had a psychological impact on them.

The results paint similar pictures of what people considered important, but showed striking differences in terms of the milestone events that often served as a backdrop.

"We were mainly interested in the historical context and how that gets transmitted," said Svob. "When a parent has lived through a historical event, how does that get passed on to the next generation -- and to what extent does it get passed on?"

Marking transitions: Dogs and divorce

Education, birth, death and marriage were among the top five major events mentioned by both groups, and most other major types of life events were separated by only a couple of percentage points.

What separated the groups were distinct elements or life markers that only appeared within one group. Seven per cent of what was labelled the conflict group recounted historical events their parents lived through, or their military service. Among the non-conflict group, six per cent cited attendance at a major sporting event, or the acquisition or loss of a family pet.

"We seem to be positively predisposed to detect and remember change," said Svob. "This cognitive capacity appears to extend to higher levels of cognition -- specifically, the ways in which we remember our lives and our histories."

Tying life to historical context: The Cup and coups

The researchers also asked participants to tie the events in their parents' lives to historical events. Svob notes that 25 per cent of the events mentioned by the conflict group were related to wars or other strife. For the Canadian contingent, the respondents anchored the memories to another type of conflict: sporting events.

"That's our history -- the Stanley Cup, the riots, the Olympics -- that's probably what we're going to remember," she said.

Thanks for the memories: Remembrance and public impact

Svob says Edmonton and the U of A were ideal places to undertake a research project like this, noting the city's rich and open ethnic diversity, and the institution's diverse international student base.

She says determining what people retain from their cultural history has benefits in terms of helping them retain their identity. But she notes that it also identifies lingering cultural issues related to ethnic out-groups -- issues that become important to manage, especially in Canada's ever-expanding cultural landscape.

She hopes the results from the study can be used to develop ways of bridging these narratives to the Canadian context, ensuring that newcomers thrive in adopting the peace and harmony of their new home.

"We were able to collect data that explore potentially contentious issues," said Svob. "It implies that the conflict-knowledge -- and its related attitudes and beliefs -- are carried forward among first-generation Canadians.

"To minimize xenophobia in Canada, interventions in schools and within other transition-related immigration programs could happen at the level of parental narratives concerning their war experiences."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Mft-ewCc9cg/130529144416.htm

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HTC rumored to debut ?Liquidmetal? smartphone this year

By Toby Davis PARIS, May 27 (Reuters) - With a piercing flat forehand and a serve launched from high in the Parisian sky, Daniel Brands laid out a blueprint for how to upset claycourt king Rafa Nadal in his own backyard. For the best part of two sets on Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday, Nadal was lost for ideas and looking up into the ether for a drip of inspiration to help him fathom a solution to Brands' hard hitting, heavy-pressure tennis. It was not the first time the seven-times champion had been shaken by a big server with the hammerhead approach shot. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/htc-rumored-debut-liquidmetal-smartphone-195008835.html

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Jul. 26, 2013: Andrea Passmore Memorial Scholarship Golf Benefit

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The Visual Effects Behind Iron Man's HUD in Iron Man 3

Iron Man's HUD has always been one of the cooler details in any sci-fi movie. The way it pops up, the way it shields the face, the way it works?it's fantastically unreal and yet completely believable. And the beauty is in its impressive details.

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Down syndrome neurons grown from stem cells show signature problems

May 27, 2013 ? Down syndrome, the most common genetic form of intellectual disability, results from an extra copy of one chromosome. Although people with Down syndrome experience intellectual difficulties and other problems, scientists have had trouble identifying why that extra chromosome causes such widespread effects.

In new research published this week, Anita Bhattacharyya, a neuroscientist at the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reports on brain cells that were grown from skin cells of individuals with Down syndrome.

"Even though Down syndrome is very common, it's surprising how little we know about what goes wrong in the brain," says Bhattacharyya. "These new cells provide a way to look at early brain development."

The study began when those skin cells were transformed into induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be grown into any type of specialized cell. Bhattacharyya's lab, working with Su-Chun Zhang and Jason Weick, then grew those stem cells into brain cells that could be studied in the lab.

One significant finding was a reduction in connections among the neurons, Bhattacharyya says. "They communicate less, are quieter. This is new, but it fits with what little we know about the Down syndrome brain." Brain cells communicate through connections called synapses, and the Down neurons had only about 60 percent of the usual number of synapses and synaptic activity. "This is enough to make a difference," says Bhattacharyya. "Even if they recovered these synapses later on, you have missed this critical window of time during early development."

The researchers looked at genes that were affected in the Down syndrome stem cells and neurons, and found that genes on the extra chromosome were increased 150 percent, consistent with the contribution of the extra chromosome.

However, the output of about 1,500 genes elsewhere in the genome was strongly affected. "It's not surprising to see changes, but the genes that changed were surprising," says Bhattacharyya. The predominant increase was seen in genes that respond to oxidative stress, which occurs when molecular fragments called free radicals damage a wide variety of tissues.

"We definitely found a high level of oxidative stress in the Down syndrome neurons," says Bhattacharyya. "This has been suggested before from other studies, but we were pleased to find more evidence for that. We now have a system we can manipulate to study the effects of oxidative stress and possibly prevent them."

Down syndrome includes a range of symptoms that could result from oxidative stress, Bhattacharyya says, including accelerated aging. "In their 40s, Down syndrome individuals age very quickly. They suddenly get gray hair; their skin wrinkles, there is rapid aging in many organs, and a quick appearance of Alzheimer's disease. Many of these processes may be due to increased oxidative stress, but it remains to be directly tested."

Oxidative stress could be especially significant, because it appears right from the start in the stem cells. "This suggests that these cells go through their whole life with oxidative stress," Bhattacharyya adds, "and that might contribute to the death of neurons later on, or increase susceptibility to Alzheimer's."

Other researchers have created neurons with Down syndrome from induced pluripotent stem cells, Bhattacharyya notes. "However, we are the first to report this synaptic deficit, and to report the effects on genes on other chromosomes in neurons. We are also the first to use stem cells from the same person that either had or lacked the extra chromosome. This allowed us to look at the difference just caused by extra chromosome, not due to the genetic difference among people."

The research, published the week of May 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was a basic exploration of the roots of Down syndrome. Bhattacharyya says that while she did not intend to explore treatments in the short term, "we could potentially use these cells to test or intelligently design drugs to target symptoms of Down syndrome."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/oDvMzhsq7NE/130527153656.htm

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Hotel Texas: An Art Exhibition for the President ...

Every Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. until September 5 ? Dallas started gearing up for the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy?s assassination a year ago, and it will be interesting to see how much revision and hand-wringing goes into November?s ?festivities.? On a more interesting note, the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 N. Harwood St?
Dallas Observer | Events |

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Microsoft Thinking About Giving You Achievements For Watching TV

Achievements are changing on the new Xbox One. They might be changing even more than we realise, though, if a Microsoft patent application for TV achievements ever actually comes to fruition.

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Riots put Sweden's open-door immigration policy in spotlight

By Alistair Scrutton and Simon Johnson

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's worst riots in years might benefit a far-right party in elections next year if scenes of immigrants burning cars and smashing up buildings cause voters to rethink their traditional welcome to foreigners.

Even before the week of riots in the poorer neighborhoods of Stockholm, immigration had become a hot political issue, as the number of asylum seekers reached record levels.

The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party shot to third place in polls earlier this year and the riots could help them secure more political clout at 2014 elections.

The riots, where many youths torched cars and threw stones at police and rescue services, happened as violent attacks on soldiers in Britain and France, blamed on Islamist militants, raised urgent questions about intolerance and integration.

"It is tragic. This is not good for us as immigrants. It becomes harder for us to live here," said Rahimzadagan Abdolsaheb, 49, an Iranian-born taxi driver. "There will surely be more racism because of this."

Many Nordic anti-immigration parties - backed by just a small minority in a region famous for its tolerance of minorities - lost support after Anders Behring Breivik, a white supremacist, murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.

But they are once again on the rise.

Immigration Minister Tobias Billstrom broke government ranks earlier this year to say that Sweden's intake of immigrants was "not sustainable".

Billstrom sparked furor when he said people protecting illegal immigrants were no longer "blonde and blue-eyed" but fellow migrants exploiting cheap labor.

Rising concern about immigration has coincided with worries about employment, with heavy job losses in the car industry and at companies including Ericsson and airline SAS.

Reflecting a hardening in rhetoric, the pro-immigration prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, called the rioting "hooliganism".

INCREASING POLARISATION

Opinion polls show most Swedes support immigration and that many are more tolerant of foreigners than 20 years ago.

But while those opposed to immigration are in a minority, their number may be on the rise and could be further boosted by the riots.

"It will be a step to increasing polarization on the issue of integration in Sweden," said Andreas Johansson Heino, a political scientist at Sweden's Timbro think-tank. "These kinds of things benefit parties like the Sweden Democrats."

Some 43,900 asylum seekers arrived in 2012, a nearly 50 percent jump from 2011 and the second highest on record. Nearly half were from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia and will get at least temporary residency. There was a total of 103,000 new immigrants.

Some 15 percent of Sweden's population is foreign born, the highest in the Nordic region. Asylum seekers in particular are drawn by Sweden's robust economy and tradition of helping refugees.

Sweden's liberal-minded mainstream parties are concerned about what happened in Denmark when an anti-immigrant party held the balance of power in the last government, pushing policies including tightening border controls that fuelled tension with other European nations.

The Sweden Democrats have advanced in voter surveys to nearly 10 percent from 5 percent at the last election in 2010. Before the riots, a poll by Novus showed around 20 percent of Swedes believed the Sweden Democrats had the best immigration policy.

"What is happening on the fringes of our big cities is a direct result of irresponsible immigration politics which have created deep divisions in Swedish society," said Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson.

"These splits can't be bridged by building more recreation centers or by the police grilling sausages with youths."

But there are also those who believe Sweden's asylum policies will remain intact after the disturbances and that the Sweden Democrats may have reached a poll ceiling.

"The government and opposition have made it very clear ever since the Sweden Democrats got into parliament it would not in any way affect Swedish immigration," said Ulf Bjereld, professor of political science at Gothenburg. "They have kept their promise."

(Additional reporting by Johan Ahlander, Mia Shanley and Philip O'Connor; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/riots-put-swedens-open-door-immigration-policy-spotlight-160138170.html

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Travel Daily IndiaGlobal Spa & Wellness Summit announces ...

Top global spa and wellness industry executives attending the 2013 Summit will have the opportunity to experience Vana Retreats's first property, Vana, Malsi Estate, before it opens to the public later in 2013. A special pre-summit experience will ?

Best Prices on all YOUR Health and Fitness Requirements! CLICK HERE

Source: http://www.16g.org/travel-daily-indiaglobal-spa-wellness-summit-announces-titanium-sponsor/

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Kerry presses Egypt on economic reform, says aid depends on it

By Arshad Mohammed

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry urged Egypt to act swiftly on economic reforms to secure a $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan, saying the measures were needed to get further aid from the U.S. Congress, an American official said.

Kerry met Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi for about an hour on the sidelines of an African Union summit on Saturday, discussing Syria's civil war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, human rights in Egypt and the country's faltering economy, the official said.

Egypt's Islamist-led government has been resistant to introducing the austerity measures needed to win the IMF funding, including raising taxes and cutting fuel subsidies, fearing such painful reforms could provoke social unrest.

However, an IMF deal could help shore up investor and donor concerns after two years of political instability since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak in early 2011. The instability has depressed tourism, a crucial industry for Egypt.

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Kerry had made the argument that the reforms were necessary to persuade American lawmakers to proceed with further economic support for the country, which borders U.S. ally Israel.

"He urged action on making reforms happen now to move towards requirements to get the IMF package," the official said.

During his first visit to Cairo as secretary of state, on March 3, Kerry told Mursi the United States would provide the first $190 million of $450 million in pledged budget support because of Mursi's commitment to see the IMF process through.

The remainder, however, would depend on the economic reforms, a point Kerry made again in the Ethiopian capital.

"He said ... we need to be able to show Congress that you have taken the necessary reforms," said the official. "I have been a strong advocate of support for Egypt. I continue to support aid for Egypt, but ... we need to see reforms in place that will encourage my former colleagues back at home to act."

Kerry served in the U.S. Senate for nearly 30 years before becoming the country's top diplomat on February 1.

Egypt has in recent years received about $1.3 billion in military aid from Washington, support that dates back to its signing of a peace treaty with Israel more than 30 years ago. That assistance, however, is not seen as contingent on Egyptian economic reform.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-presses-egypt-economic-reform-says-aid-depends-213544729.html

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Bob Dole: GOP should be 'closed for repairs' (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/308417527?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Peter Mutharika attacks Malawi govt. for ignoring 'Ndata' University ...

By Nyasa Times Reporter

May 25, 2013 ????? 40 Comments

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President of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Peter Mutharika says he is very disappointed with government?s lack of reference to centers of higher learning and Nsanje inland port in the 2013/14 national budget which finance minister Ken Lipenga presented in parliament?on Friday.

In his preliminary reaction to the budget statement, Mutharika said he was surprised and disappointed that nothing was said about universities which he said showed government?s lack of ?commitment towards institutions of higher learning in the country.

?I am surprised that nothing was said about universities. There was no reference to higher education. No reference to Malawi University of Science and Technology which is sitting there [Ndata Farm in Thyolo]. I was hoping that there would reference on when the university should be opened to our children. We understand that the existing universities have no spaces and I thought there will be a reference to that,? he said.

He emphasized this is another area that needed more attention.

Peter Mutharika: Why abandoning Nsanje port?

?When I was the minister of education, for the first time in the history of Malawi I established the Council for Higher Education to make sure that there is quality control but??nothing has been mentioned about that and I was surprised about that,? said Mutharika a former minister of education and university lecturer in United States.

According to the budget on education, the government is expected to employ 10,500 primary and 1,975 secondary school teachers.

He added: ?Another thing is that I was surprised to that there was no reference to Nsanje port, this is another important project. To me there is a personal commitment to it but I am disappointed that the government decided to ignore that?.

Mutharika however said there are a number of things which he is happy with like government?s commitment to continue with some of social programs that the DPP started , citing the farm input subsidy and school feeding programs, saying ?these are extremely important programs.?

In the budget the government has maintained the fertilizer subsidy program with the allocation of K60.1 billion, at the same subsidized price of K500 per 50kg bag of both basal and top dressing fertilizers.

Lipenga said that it is expected that the fertilizers will have been bought from the suppliers by September 2013 and that distribution will start immediately.

?Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has already worked out the specific details on the distribution modalities and schedule which includes the participation of the private sector to ensure timely distribution and without regularities,? he said.

In the same budget government has totally removed import duty on bicycles and also reduced import duty on motorbikes as a way of providing cheaper and affordable modes of transport to the under-privileged.

?Import duty on motorbikes of engine capacity not exceeding 250cc has been reduced to 15 percent and exercise tax on these motorbikes has also widely been removed considering that this mode of transport is widely used especially in the rural market areas,? said Lipenga.

On taxation of buses, Lipenga said duty on motor vehicles of seating capacity of eleven to 31 persons including the driver had been reduced to 15 percent. This also includes motor vehicles of seating of 32 to 44 people including the driver depending on the year of make.

?Zero percent for new and used motor vehicles not exceeding eight years, 10 percent for used motor vehicles exceeding years but not exceeding 12 years and 25 percent for used motor vehicles exceeding 12 years.?

He then urged operators in the sector to ensure that the benefits trickle down to the consumer through reduced transport fares.

In order to make clean energy affordable to all Malawians, Lipenga said import duty payable on inverters has been removed considering that inverters are critical in the generation of solar power.

He added that exercise tax on products such as matches has been removed considering that it is a basic commodity and has no negative externality that could make it liable for tax.

?In addition, exercise tax in ball point pens has been removed,? said Lipenga.

Leader of Opposition in parliament, John Tembo described the budget as ?creative? as it was just a summary, did not contain full details and that it would not benefit the poor. ?Additional reporting by Malawi News Agency.

Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/2013/05/25/peter-mutharika-attacks-malawi-govt-for-ignoring-ndata-university-nsanje-port-in-budget/

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What Is Flat Design?

With the release of iOS7 just around the corner, clamor over the changes Jony Ive will institute is growing. The general consensus?on this site and elsewhere?is that Apple is about to get a flat makeover. But for the uninitiated, ?flat design? can be a confusing term. So let?s talk it out, shall we?

Flat design is shorthand for a design philosophy...

Think about your computer?s desktop. Or your iPhone?s calculator. Or your iPad?s newstand. Those things are designed to sound, and more importantly look, just like the real-life analogues they?re named after. Do we really need all of those visual cues and extra details? People who advocate for flat design don?t think so.

?that argues for simplicity, clarity, and honesty of materials in user interfaces...

Instead, flat advocates (flatvocates?) argue that GUIs?graphical user interfaces?should eschew style for functionality. That means getting rid of beveled edges, gradients, shadows, and reflections, as well as creating a user experience that plays to the strengths of digital interfaces, rather than limiting the user to the confines of the familiar analog world. In web design as well, "flat" pages rarely introduce dimensionality, shadows, or textures into the equation, relying instead on parallax scrolling and visual clarity to communicate.

A great example of flat design is Google Now, which uses a card-like system to display information brackets. Rather than ghettoizing information inside of static icons, Now displays data on a standard-sized card that's easy to read and easy to swipe away. Another example? Windows 8, descended from Microsoft's Metro design language, which values typography?or the delivery of information?over graphics that help the user understand what type of content they're reading.

?usually couched as a reaction to the problems of skeuomorphic design...

To understand flat design, you have to understand the thing it?s revolting against: skeuomorphism. Skeuomorphism boils down to visual trickery, or the use of details and ornamentation to make one thing look like another. In architecture, false facades are skeuomorphic. In car design, fake wood panelling is. Skeuomorphism in UI design usually refers to a digital element designed to look like something from the physical world. That can mean anything from Pinterest?s ?pin board? to the rich leather stitching that boarders Find My Friends.

Examples of skeuomorphic design.

...which uses gradients, textures, and other details to make digital objects look ?real.?

Skeuomorphism in digital space dates back to the early 1980s. For example, Apple?s first consumer GUI, from 1984, introduced the concept of a ?desktop? and icons that looked like folders and pieces of paper. Back then computer interfaces were a totally foreign concept to most users, which made skeuomorphism a valuable tool. It let designers create visual metaphors between old, familiar objects (a manilla file folder) and a new, confusing tool (a digital file). Skeuomorphs helped us learn.

An Apple Lisa desktop in 1984, image via.

But as personal computers became ubiquitous, fewer and fewer people needed those visual cues to understand the function of an icon or button. Skeuomorphism became an overwrought style?a kind of digital Potemkin that cluttered screens and overburdened the user with unnecessary details. And so it became a pariah for a new generation of designers?most of whom don?t remember a world without computers.

This should all sound pretty familiar. Modernists have argued these same basic ideas since the turn of the last century: don?t add extraneous details that don?t support functionality. Do be honest about materials and structure. Don?t create a fake front just to make users feel safe. It?s the same basic war cry of every modern designer since Le Corbusier came screaming into the world. In a way, ?flat design? isn?t anything new?it?s just the contemporary shorthand for modernism with a capital ?M.?

And what?s after flat?

Though the world is definitely going flat, it won?t be flat forever. We can glean where UI and UX are going, after flat design runs its course, by looking at the last century?during which each wave of modernism revolted against the one that had came before. For example, after the strict modernism of the Bauhaus and the International Style took the world by storm in the 1930s, a second generation of designers introduced the concept of Critical Regionalism into the discussion, arguing that one-size-fits-all credo of early modernists was sort of... reductive. It?s likely that the same thing will happen with interface design. After radical flatness, we?ll probably see designers carefully reintroduce dimensionality where it?s really needed.

But that?s all a few years down the line. For now, we?ll wait and see whether Jony Ive takes the flat design bait, or if he revolts?in which case, things are about to get a lot more interesting.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/what-is-flat-design-508963228

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PFT: Ryan thinks he's perfect fit with Saints' 'D'

AP

Though it took him a little longer than his self-proclaimed five minutes, Rob Ryan found a job this offseason.

And considering his personality, it might have been in the perfect spot.

Ryan talked to reporters in New Orleans for the first time Thursday, and said he was fortunate to land with a team that had the worst defense in league history last year, because they both have something to prove.

He referred back to his firing by the Cowboys, and the Super Bowl he won in New Orleans as a member of the Patriots staff, calling himself ?lucky? to be where he was.

?These guys have been well-coached before. They?re smart. They?re just ready to win,? Ryan said, via Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. ?I think we all have a chip on our shoulder after last season. . . .

?I know everybody is on the same path. That big sign that used to be up there [in the Saints' indoor practice facility] ? ?Do Your Job? ? I?ve heard those words before. I plan on doing it. I?ve got two Super Bowl rings, one of them won out here in sweet, live ass New Orleans as part of a great organization.?

Yeah, he should fit right in.

The Saints could use a shot of confidence, after allowing a league-record 7,042 yards last year. Ryan can provide that.

He admitted he ?got my feelings hurt? when he was fired, but said he was ?very fortunate? to land with Sean Payton, and he clearly enjoys the challenge ahead of him.

?I like his passion,? Payton said. ?You know, he?s someone that I spent a lot of time researching and arriving at that decision, guys that I know very well that have worked with him.

?I like the way players respond and I think he?s a perfect fit for what we?re looking for.?

Now all he has to do is find enough players to adapt to his scheme, and he might finally end up a coordinator for a team with a winning record.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/24/rob-ryan-thinks-hes-a-perfect-fit-for-saints-defense/related/

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Your New Favorite Video: If Tumblr Were a Person

Cloying, GIF-happy, nostalgic, attention span devoid?this woman-as-website impression could only be better if she, well, did some really horrible things! But it's otherwise perfect.

Really, Yahoo could have spent a lot less and just hired Dara Katz.

Source: http://valleywag.gawker.com/your-new-favorite-video-if-tumblr-were-a-person-509741054

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 Developer Edition coming soon to AT&T and Verizon

Samsung will be releasing developer editions of the Galaxy S 4 for AT&T and Verizon, according to the company's site. At least for now, the phone will only be offered in Black Mist, and internal storage is listed as 16GB. It's not clear exactly when the devices will come to their respective carriers, but they likely won't be offered with a subsidy when they do. For those considering purchasing Sammy's latest flagship handset, this offers an alternative to the several variants across service providers, not to mention the stock Jelly Bean version announced at Google I/O. Hit up the source link for more info.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Via: Phandroid

Source: Samsung

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/23/samsung-galaxy-s-4-developer-edition-att-verizon/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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HTC One with stock Android will reportedly be announced within two weeks

For two days John McCain and Ted Cruz have been fighting on the Senate floor over the rules for negotiating a budget, but, like so many fights, it's also about so much more. Cruz is being annoying about the budget, but worse, he just doesn't?get the Senate.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/htc-one-stock-android-reportedly-announced-within-two-133008567.html

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Moms Are Power Users Of Social Media - Business Insider

This news note comes from?BI Intelligence, Business Insider's research and and analysis service. The?charts and data featured here are available for download in the?BI?Intelligence?library.?Please sign up up for a free trial here.

We already know that general audiences spend more time on social media if they access it through mobile devices. This effect is even more pronounced among U.S. women with kids.?

For example,?89% of moms who own mobile devices and have Facebook pages access the site on mobile at least weekly,?according to?BabyCenter's 2013 Social Mom Report.?Among non-moms with the same characteristics, the proportion was 73%.?

Also, 61% of mobile moms who tweet access the site at least weekly on their smartphone or tablet.?Among non-mom Twitter members who owned mobile devices, the proportion was 55%.?

(Pinterest mobile was a surprising exception to this trend, with non-moms accessing it weekly in greater proportions than mothers, but it may be that with smaller user bases than Facebook's, data for Pinterest and Twitter isn't as reliable.)

According to the study, moms in general tend to be heavy users of all the major social networks: YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. They also tend to have larger networks of friends and followers than the general population.

The rise of mobile-powered social networking among moms is an important data point for retailers, because social moms spend more than consumers who are not active on social media, according to BabyCenter's data, which was provided by comScore.

Overall, moms were responsible for 32% of total online spending in the holiday quarter of 2012, despite representing less than 20% of all Internet audiences.?

These findings are worth keeping in mind as we approach Mother's Day on May 12???a holiday on which?Americans spent more than $18 billion on in 2012.?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/moms-are-power-users-of-social-media-2013-55

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Carney to press: ?You?re good at your jobs and you?re smart?

Think of it as a sort of reverse birthday gift.

After a tense few days in the White House Brady Press Briefing Room as the Internal Revenue Service scandal, Benghazi emails and the Justice Department's secret seizure of journalists' phone records put White House press secretary Jay Carney on defense, he decided to strike a much lighter note and offer effusive praise for the 50 or so journalists gathered for the daily briefing on Wednesday (which happened to be Carney's birthday).

Carney defended his handling of the recent scandals, in part by suggesting that the journalists covering the White House are just too good at their jobs.

From Carney:

We have a team here that works really hard trying to anticipate the questions you're going to ask. The problem is, there's a lot of you and you're good at your jobs and you're smart. And we almost invariably do not anticipate every question that you ask. So sometimes we don?t have the answers, and sometimes we need to go back and get them.

The day before, he called a reporter "petulant" for asking questions about who knew what and when in regard to the IRS' improper targeting of conservatives.

Carney revealed on Monday that contrary to earlier statements, some members of the White House staff did previously know about an inspector general's report on the IRS scandal. That the story out of the White House has been evolving has been the subject of criticism.

Carney conceded on Wednesday that "there have been some legitimate criticisms about how we're handling this. And I say ?legitimate? because I mean it."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/carney-press-good-enough-smart-enough-doggone-200324217.html

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