Cost of resiliency in kids uncovered

May 30, 2013 ? Children living in poverty who appear to succeed socially may be failing biologically. Students able to overcome the stress of growing up poor are labeled "resilient" because of their ability to overcome adversity, but University of Georgia researchers found this resiliency has health costs that last well into adulthood.

"Exposure to stress over time gets under the skin of children and adolescents, which makes them more vulnerable to disease later in life," said Gene Brody, founder and director of the UGA Center for Family Research.

Looking at a sample of 489 African-American youths from working poor families in south Georgia, Brody evaluated the overall poverty-related risks experienced by children annually at ages 11 to 13 as well as teacher-reported competence. Allostatic load, a measure of wear and tear on the body, was taken for each child at age 19. Allostatic load is a measure of stress hormones, blood pressure and body mass index.

The results, which were published May 30 in the journal Psychological Science, found kids 11 to 13 who experienced high levels of stress and whose teachers evaluated them as performing well emotionally, academically and socially had a high allostatic load at age 19.

"The children who are doing good at school, playing well with friends, have high self-esteem and don't have behavior problems are often thought of as beating the odds or being resilient in the face of adversity," said Brody. "We hypothesized maybe at one level they are resilient, but looking at their biology and asking what is the cost, we find a physiologic toll to attaining behavior resilience."

The body adapts to stressful situations through the activation of neural mechanisms, including the release of stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, which have both protective and damaging effects on the body. Short-term, these hormones are important for adapting to stress, particularly stress associated with financial hardship. When used frequently over time, stress hormones can compromise immune system functions and other bodily systems, potentially speeding up disease processes-meaning that they can end up with chronic diseases at a much younger age.

"We used to assume that cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer just happen to people as they get older," Brody said. "But, we see the success-oriented, highly active coping style these youth employed in the presence of high risk is associated with cumulative wear and tear on their bodies that increases the risk for these young adults for the chronic diseases of aging."

The findings support the suggestion that poor health and health disparities during adulthood are tied to earlier experiences. Youths who don't cope as well, have low self-esteem and struggle in school and with friends show elevated levels of stress hormones, blood pressure and body mass index, or BMI, as well.

About 10 percent of the population surveyed in Brody's research fell into this category. These health markers are risk factors for early onset diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension and cancer.

"For kids who are doing well and have outwardly beaten the odds, it is very important for them to be monitored and have yearly checkups so that if they have elevations in these risk factors they can be attended to," he said.

Consistent with the research at the Center for Family Research, Brody is now researching the impact of prevention programs on at-risk youth. Tianyi Yu, Edith Chen, Gregory Miller, Steven Kogan and Steven Beach co-authored this paper.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/iUlrlkAcmsg/130530132439.htm

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Jennifer Lopez Too Sexy For ?Britain?s Got Talent?? (VIDEO)

Jennifer Lopez Too Sexy For “Britain’s Got Talent”? (VIDEO)

Jennifer Lopez performed on “Britain’s Got Talent” on Tuesday night promoting her new single, but gave television viewers an eyeful! The singer took to the stage in a tiny black leotard with her famous asset on display, drawing criticism from angry viewers over her “inappropriate” attire. The broadcasting industry regulator Ofcom received tons of complaints ...

Jennifer Lopez Too Sexy For “Britain’s Got Talent”? (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/05/jennifer-lopez-too-sexy-for-britains-got-talent-video/

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New treatment for stroke set to increase chances of recovery

May 29, 2013 ? University of Leicester researchers have contributed to a landmark study which has revealed a new way to treat strokes caused by bleeding inside the brain.

The study found that intensive blood pressure lowering in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, the most serious type of stroke, reduced the risk of major disability and improved chances of recovery by as much as 20 per cent.

The study, which involved more than 2800 patients from 140 hospitals around the world, was announced today at the European Stroke Conference in London, and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Professor Thompson Robinson, Deputy Head of the University of Leicester's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, was the UK co-ordinator for the study and co-authored the paper.

The study was led by the George Institute for Global Health, in Sydney, Australia.

Professor Thompson Robinson said: "Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK and the most common adult cause of neurological disability. Approximately 1 million people are living with the consequences of stroke in the United Kingdom, a third with life-changing severe disability. Every year an estimated 152,000 people in the UK have a stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage -- spontaneous bleeding within the brain most often due to hypertension -- accounts for at least 10 per cent of all cases.

"Intracerebral haemorrhage kills about half of those affected within one month and leaves most survivors disabled, and to date there is no specific treatment for this type of stroke.

"The results of the study show that intensively reducing high blood pressure within 6 hours of onset of a bleeding-related stroke is safe, and results in a significant shift from being dead and dependent to being alive and independent after stroke. Because it involves treatment with already available blood pressure-lowering treatments, the results should be easy to implement in all hospitals and be of benefit to patients. It is important to reinforce that stroke is a medical emergency, and individuals who suspect that they may have had a stroke should dial 999 and seek urgent medical attention.

"Leicester has a long-standing interest in acute stroke and blood pressure research, and hosts the NIHR Trent Stroke Local Research Network. There are many opportunities for Leicester patients presenting with stroke to participate in research to improve outcomes for future patients with stroke."

Professor Bruce Neal of The George Institute and The University of Sydney said the study challenges previous thought about blood pressure lowering in intracerebral haemorrhage.

He said: "The study findings will mean significant changes to guidelines for stroke management worldwide. They show that early intensive blood pressure lowering, using widely available therapies, can significantly improve the outcome of this illness.

"We hope to see hospital emergency departments around the world implement the new treatment as soon as possible. By lowering blood pressure, we can slow bleeding in the brain, reduce damage and enhance recovery.

"The study findings are tremendously exciting because they provide a safe and efficient treatment to improve the likelihood of a recovery without serious disability -- a major concern for those who have experienced stroke.

"The only treatment option to date has been risky brain surgery, so this research is a very welcome advance."

The study found patients who suffered an acute intracerebral haemorrhage and received the blood pressure lowering treatment were better off from both a physical and psychological perspective.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/MPsBSvpexqo/130529111248.htm

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IRS Woes May Taint 'Obamacare' Dems (ABC News)

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Stocks rise as lackluster reports ease Fed concern

Specialist Peter Giacchi, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, May 29, 2013. The stock market fell Wednesday, giving back much of its gain from the day before, as traders cut their holdings of high-dividend stocks that were investor favorites at the beginning of the year. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Peter Giacchi, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, May 29, 2013. The stock market fell Wednesday, giving back much of its gain from the day before, as traders cut their holdings of high-dividend stocks that were investor favorites at the beginning of the year. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The stock market rose Thursday after a pair of lackluster economic reports convinced traders that the U.S. central bank will continue to boost the economy with its stimulus program.

Unemployment claims rose and an initial estimate of first-quarter economic growth was revised slightly lower. That suggests the U.S. economy may still need some time to recover from its funk and that the Fed will keep up its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases.

"The big worry that's been hitting the market lately, that the Fed might step back prematurely, might be fading a little today on the idea that the economy does need a bit more support," Jeff Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL Financial, said.

The rise in the Standard & Poor's 500 index was led by banking and insurance stocks, which gained 1.1 percent. Among individual bank stocks, Bank of America rose 35 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $13.87. The stock is trading at its highest in more than two years. JPMorgan gained 95 cents, or 1.7 percent, $55.62.

Banks and other stocks that stand to benefit the most from an improving economy have surged this week, a change from earlier in the year when investors favored dividend-rich stocks like utilities. Now investors are selling dividend-rich stocks and buying so-called growth stocks. The S&P's financial index is up 2.1 percent this week, and its utilities index is down 2.5 percent.

Even after that increase, by one measure bank stocks are still less expensive than the broader market. The price-to-earnings ratio for financial companies is still lower than that of S&P 500 average. The so-called P/E ratio is 14.4 for banks and insurers, compared with 16.2 for all companies in the S&P, according to FactSet.

Stocks also got a boost from deal news.

NV Energy surged $4.34, or 23 percent, to $23.62, leading a broad advance in utility companies. Clearwire, a wireless network operator, surged $1.02 cents, or 29 percent, to $4.50 after satellite TV operator Dish Network raised its bid for the company to $6.9 billion.

In economic news, the number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose last week, a sign layoffs have increased, the Labor Department said Thursday. Claims for unemployment aid rose 10,000 last week to 354,000. The government also lowered its estimate for U.S. economic growth in the first three months of the year to 2.4 percent from 2.5 percent.

Trading has been choppy on Wall Street this week as investors wrestle with the question of whether the Fed will ease its economic stimulus. Minutes released last week from the Fed's last policy meeting showed that some central bank officials favored slowing the purchases as early as next month, if the economy improves enough. The program has been a major factor supporting a rally in stocks by encouraging investors to buy riskier assets.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 106 points Tuesday, then fell by the same amount Wednesday, leading some market watchers to ask whether the rally that has pushed the Dow and S&P 500 index to record levels may be fizzling out.

While the prospect of a change in Fed strategy is unsettling investors, ultimately, they should welcome the end of the Fed's stimulus because it means that the economy is strong enough to stand on its own two feet, JJ Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist at TD Ameritrade, said.

"It's the vote of confidence," Kinahan said. "It should mean that the overall economy is healthy."

The S&P 500 rose in early trading, climbing as much as 13.6 points, or 0.8 percent, by late afternoon. The index then gave up some of the gains in the last hour of trading to end up just 6.05 points, or 0.4 percent, at 1,654.41.

Phone companies and the makers of consumer staples were the biggest decliners, dropping 1 percent and 0.4 percent respectively. These so-called defensive stocks that pay rich dividends have fallen out of favor this month after investors pushed their prices higher at the start of the year.

The Dow closed up 21.73 points, or 0.1 percent, at 15,324.53 points.

In other trading, the Nasdaq composite index rose 23.78 points, or 0.7 percent, to 3,491.30.

Stock investors have had a good year so far. The Dow is 16.9 percent higher and has set record closing highs on nine days in May. The S&P 500 index is up 16 percent and is on track to rise for a seventh straight month, its longest winning streak since 2009.

In commodities trading, oil rose 48 cents to $93.61 a barrel. Gold rose $20.20, or 1.5 percent, to $1,411.50 an ounce. The dollar fell against the euro and the Japanese yen.

In government bond trading, the yield on the 10-year note was unchanged at 2.12 percent.

Among other stocks making big moves:

? EMC, a data storage equipment maker, rose $1.27, or 5.4 percent, to $24.93 after the company said it will ramp up its stock buyback program and begin paying a quarterly dividend.

? Big Lots, a discount store chain, fell $3.45, or 9 percent, to $34.93 after the company reported a 21 percent drop in quarterly income and lowered its full-year revenue forecast.

? First Solar rose $3.39, or 6.5 percent, to $55.15 after the company's stock was upgraded to "buy" from "neutral" by Goldman Sachs. The investment bank says the solar energy's company's earnings may rise more than Wall Street forecasts and that it might buy other companies or its own stock as it generates more cash.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-05-30-Wall%20Street/id-4f518badb4144200b84f2bcd2a0edf70

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High Blood Pressure Linked to Declining Brain Function

WASHINGTON ? High blood pressure, particularly in the arteries that supply blood to the head and neck, may be linked with declining cognitive abilities, according to a new study from Australia.

Researchers found that people with high blood pressure in the central arteries ? including the aorta, the largest artery in the human body, and the carotid arteries in the neck ? performed worse on tests of visual processing, and had slower thinking and poorer recognition abilities.

Typically, blood pressure measurements are taken from the brachial artery in the arm, but looking at the health of the central arteries may be a more sensitive way to assess cognitive abilities, said study researcher Matthew Pase, of the Center for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University in Melbourne. The central arteries directly control bloodflow to the brain.

"If we can estimate the blood pressure in central arteries, we might be able to better predict cognitive function and cognitive decline," Pase said. [10 Odd Facts About the Brain]

Pase presented the findings here on May 24 at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science.

How it all works

A beating heart pumps blood in spurts, but the central arteries are flexible, expanding and contracting to maintain steady bloodflow to the brain.

As people age, the central arteries stiffen, and with less elasticity, the brain receives more high-pressure blood, which may damage cognition, Pase said. [7 Ways the Mind and Body Change With Age]

In the study, Pase and his colleagues looked at whether associations between blood pressure and cognition were stronger for measurements taken in the arm, or the central arteries. The researchers examined 493 Australians between ages 20 and 82. The participants were mostly Caucasians, and all were nonsmokers with no history of stroke or dementia, Pase said.

Study participants performed tasks to measure various types of cognition, such as visual processing, working memory, recognition abilities and processing speed. The researchers also took blood pressure measurements from the arm and central arteries.

Blood pressure and cognition

The researchers found that high brachial blood pressure was linked to worse performance on the visual processing test, but high central blood pressure correlated to worse performance across several tests, including visual processing, recognition and processing speed.

"This suggests central blood pressure is a more sensitive predictor of cognitive aging," Pase said.

To expand upon these findings, Pase said he wants to look at whether reducing central blood pressure ?? which can be done by quitting smoking, doing regular exercise or limiting salt intake ? might protect people against mental deterioration.

The researchers will detail their results in an upcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Follow Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook?& 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.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/high-blood-pressure-linked-declining-brain-function-165812288.html

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Are children who take Ritalin for ADHD at greater risk of future drug abuse?

May 29, 2013 ? UCLA research has shown that that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are far more likely than other kids to develop serious substance abuse problems as adolescents and adults. But do stimulant medications used to treat ADHD contribute to the risk?

UCLA psychologists have conducted the most comprehensive assessment ever on this question and have found that children with ADHD who take medications such as Ritalin and Adderall are at no greater risk of using alcohol, marijuana, nicotine or cocaine later in life than kids with ADHD who don't take these medications.

The psychologists analyzed 15 long-term studies, including data from three studies not yet published. These studies followed more than 2,500 children with ADHD from childhood into adolescence and young adulthood.

"We found the children were neither more likely nor less likely to develop alcohol and substance-use disorders as a result of being treated with stimulant medication," said Kathryn Humphreys, a doctoral candidate in UCLA's Department of Psychology and lead author of the study. "We found no association between the use of medication such as Ritalin and future abuse of alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and cocaine."

The children assessed in the studies, who had a mean age of 8 years old when the studies began and 20 at the most recent follow-up assessment, come from a broad geographical range, including California, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Germany and Canada. The research is published in the May 29 issue of the journal JAMA Psychiatry, a psychiatry research journal published by the American Medical Association.

What does this study mean for parents of children with ADHD?

"For any particular child, parents should consult with the prescribing physician about potential side effects and long-term risks," said Steve S. Lee, a UCLA associate professor of psychology and senior author of the study. "Saying that all parents need not be concerned about the use of stimulant medication for their children is an overstatement; parents should have the conversation with the physician. As with other medications, there are potential side effects, and the patient should be carefully evaluated to, for example, determine the proper dosage."

"For parents whose major concern about Ritalin and Adderall is about the future risk for substance abuse, this study may be helpful to them," Humphreys said. "We found that on average, their child is at no more or less at risk for later substance dependence. This does not apply to every child but does apply on average. However, later substance use is usually not the only factor parents think about when they are choosing treatment for their child's ADHD."

Ritalin is associated with certain side effects, such as suppressing appetite, disrupting sleep and changes in weight, Lee said.

Lee, Humphreys and their colleagues reported in 2011 that children with ADHD are two to three times more likely than children without the disorder to develop serious substance-abuse problems in adolescence and adulthood, including the use of nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and other drugs. This new study does not challenge that finding but finds that, on average, children who take stimulant medication for ADHD are not at additional risk for future substance abuse.

"The majority of children with ADHD -- at least two-thirds -- show significant problems academically, in social relationships, and with anxiety and depression when you follow them into adolescence," Lee said.

As the individuals in the studies get older, researchers will be able to study the rate at which they graduate from college, get married, have children and/or get divorced and to assess how well they function, Humphreys said.

ADHD occurs in approximately 5 percent to 10 percent of children in the U.S., and figures in many other industrialized countries with compulsory education are comparable, according to Lee. ADHD is about three to three-and-a-half more prevalent in boys than girls, he said.

Symptoms of the disorder include being easily distracted, fidgeting, being unable to complete a single task and being easily bored. However, to receive a diagnosis of ADHD by a child psychologist or psychiatrist, a child must have at least six of nine symptoms of either hyperactivity or inattention, the child's behavior must be causing problems in his or her life, and the symptoms must not be explainable by any medical condition or any other mental disorder.

Children can be hyperactive, distracted and inattentive for a variety of reasons, Lee said, not only because of ADHD but also because some of them are abused, malnourished, depressed or have impaired vision, Lee said.

Many more children meet the criteria for ADHD than are being treated for it, and many children may benefit from treatment who are not receiving it, Lee and Humphreys said.

Lee's laboratory is conducting a study of 230 children, both with and without ADHD, who were 6 to 9 years old at the beginning of the research and are now 10 to 13, to identify predictors of early and problematic alcohol use. That research is federally funded by the National Institutes of Health.

As children with ADHD enter adolescence and adulthood, they typically fall into three groups of roughly equal size, Lee said: one-third will have significant problems in school and socially; one-third will have moderate impairment; and one-third will exhibit only mild impairment.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/kKMdGxhW_5M/130529191039.htm

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Former No. 1 Jankovic advances at French Open

PARIS (AP) ? Former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic won 12 consecutive games Thursday to beat the rain and Garbine Muguruza at the French Open.

Jankovic fell behind early but rallied past Muguruza 6-3, 6-0 shortly before showers interrupted the first matches of the day on 12 other courts.

Zheng Jie also reached the third round, beating Melanie Oudin of the United States 6-3, 6-1.

With the midday temperature in the mid-50s, Jankovic took the court wearing pink leggings and a long-sleeve pink shirt. She looked uncomfortable at the start, losing the first three games, then won the rest after adjusting to the strokes of Muguruza, a 19-year-old Spaniard.

"She's a great up and coming player," Jankovic said. "She hits the ball very hard, very flat. And especially in the beginning of the match she gave me a lot of trouble. I figured out the way to play against her, and I think I did pretty well."

Jankovic won with steady play from the baseline, while the big-swinging Muguruza committed 29 unforced errors.

Jankovic, seeded 18th, is a three-time semifinalist at Roland Garros.

Oudin, a former U.S. Open quarterfinalist, won only 19 of 51 points on her serve and held just once. Her elimination left six U.S. women still in draw midday through the second round.

No. 16 Philipp Kohlschreiber advanced to the men's third round when Yen-hsun Lu withdrew because of a right ankle injury.

On Wednesday, No. 1-ranked Serena Williams extended her career-high winning streak to 26 matches ? and improved to 69-3 since a first-round loss at the French Open a year ago ? by beating French wild-card entry Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-2.

Garcia's takeaway?

"She's very accurate in her shots," Garcia said, "despite the fact that they're very hard."

When Garcia won the second point of the match on a missed forehand by Williams, someone in the crowd yelled, "Allez, Caroline!" Not much to cheer for after that, though: Williams won the next three points with a 111 mph ace, a 100 mph ace, and a 101 mph service winner. In all, Williams hit six aces and won 32 of 39 service points to reach the third round.

"I came out strong," Williams said, "because I knew I had to."

The 19-year-old Garcia is ranked only 114th, but much is expected of her. Against Maria Sharapova in the 2011 French Open, she won the first set and led 4-1 in the second before collapsing completely, losing the next 11 games and the match. Her performance was good enough to inspire Andy Murray to write on Twitter that Garcia "is going to be No. 1 in the world one day."

For now, it's Williams who holds that distinction in the rankings, and she certainly looks like someone intent on keeping it that way.

"It's important for me to win easily," said the 15-time major champion, who won the French Open in 2002. "It's also important for me to play well. If I play well, it will bode well for me at Roland Garros."

Among the past Grand Slam title winners hoping to join her in the third round with victories Thursday: defending French Open champion Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Li Na and Petra Kvitova. There wasn't much time to rest for Azarenka and Kvitova, both of whom finally got to play on Wednesday and won first-round matches that had been postponed by rain.

In men's play, seven-time champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic were scheduled to play second-round matches.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-no-1-jankovic-advances-french-open-110244411.html

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Taliban deputy believed dead after drone strike

The Pakistani Taliban's deputy commander was believed killed in a U.S. drone strike along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, according to Pakistani and U.S. officials.

The strike, which took place early this morning, comes just days after President Obama spoke publicly about the controversial drone attacks, announcing restrictions on how and where they would be used, including in Pakistan.

Pakistani officials said Wali ur Rehman was killed in the strike in North Waziristan, part of Pakistan's lawless tribal region along the border. A senior U.S. official confirmed Rehman was targeted and was believed dead, but said there had been no official confirmation. U.S. officials often wait for confirmation from the Taliban themselves, but so far, the Taliban have not confirmed Rehman's death.

Rehman is the deputy commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, often referred to as the TTP. The U.S. State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. The State Department describes him as "the TTP's chief military strategist" who "led several attacks against U.S., NATO, and Pakistani forces on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border." The department also accuses Rehman of recruiting new fighters to join the Taliban.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly denounced the controversial drone strikes, saying they're against international law and a violation of the country's sovereignty, although Pakistan's former prime minister and ex-military commander, Pervez Musharraf, recently admitted his government had signed off on a limited number of strikes. In response to today's strike, Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a statement expressing "serious concerns," but stopped short of denouncing it altogether.

Pakistan's newly elected opposition leader, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, strongly condemned the attack on Twitter. Both Khan and Pakistan's new Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, oppose the U.S. drone strikes, and Khan has previously suggested the drones should be shot down. Sharif's ruling party, the Pakistani Muslim League-N, won't officially be sworn into government until June 1.

When asked about drone strikes during his campaign, Sharif told ABC News the drones were "a violation of our sovereignty," but remained non-committal when asked if he would order the Pakistani military to shoot them down.

If the reports of Rehman's death are true, it would be a big blow to the Taliban and its senior leadership, though it is unclear how long lasting the repercussions will be. The Pakistani Taliban is a coalition of militant groups, each with their own tribal and ethnic loyalties. Infighting among the TTP is common, and each sub-group is primarily loyal to its own clan. Pakistani Taliban commanders have been killed in the past, only to quickly be replaced. Like most militant groups, the TTP has a hierarchical structure with others ready to move up the ladder.

Collectively, they operate in the lawless tribal regions, along the Afghan-Pakistan border. The area is generally off limits for journalists, making it difficult to independently verify information in the region.

The Pakistani Taliban generally focus their attacks primarily on targets within Pakistan, although they are believed to provide safe havens and safe passage for militants who conduct cross-border attacks on US targets in Afghanistan.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistani-talibans-number-2-possibly-154722220.html

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How turtles got their shells: Fossil of extinct South African reptile provides clues

May 30, 2013 ? Through careful study of an ancient ancestor of modern turtles, researchers now have a clearer picture of how the turtles' most unusual shell came to be. The findings, reported on May 30 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, help to fill a 30- to 55-million-year gap in the turtle fossil record through study of an extinct South African reptile known as Eunotosaurus.

"The turtle shell is a complex structure whose initial transformations started over 260 million years ago in the Permian period," says Tyler Lyson of Yale University and the Smithsonian. "Like other complex structures, the shell evolved over millions of years and was gradually modified into its present-day shape."

The turtle shell isn't really just one thing -- it is made up of approximately 50 bones. Turtles are the only animals that form a shell through the fusion of ribs and vertebrae. In all other animals, shells are formed from bony scales on the surface; they don't stick their bones on the outsides of their bodies.

"The reason, I think, that more animals don't form a shell via the broadening and eventually suturing together of the ribs is that the ribs of mammals and lizards are used to help ventilate the lungs," Lyson says. "If you incorporate your ribs into a protective shell, then you have to find a new way to breathe!" Turtles have done just that, with the help of a muscular sling.

Until recently, the oldest known fossil turtles, dating back about 215 million years, had fully developed shells, making it hard to see the sequence of evolutionary events that produced them. That changed in 2008 with the discovery of Chinese Odontochelys semitestacea, a reptile about 220 million years old, which had a fully developed plastron -- the belly side of the shell -- but only a partial carapace on its back.

Eunotosaurus takes the turtle and its shell back another 40 million years or so. It had nine broadened ribs found only in turtles. And like turtles, it lacked the intercostal muscles running between its ribs. But Eunotosaurus didn't have other features common to Odontochelys and turtles, including broad spines on their vertebrae.

Lyson says he and his colleagues now plan to investigate various other aspects of turtles' respiratory systems, which allow them to manage with their ribs locked up into a protective outer shell. "It is clear that this novel lung ventilation mechanism evolved in tandem with the origin of the turtle shell," he says.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/ZLvLd3u8cIM/130530132431.htm

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Sara Murnaghan: Parents Of 10-Year-Old With End-Stage Cystic Fibrosis Challenging Organ Transplant Rule

PHILADELPHIA ? The parents of a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who has been waiting for a lung transplant for a year and a half are calling for a change in the policy governing organ transplants that they say has prevented their increasingly sick daughter from getting life-saving surgery.

Sarah Murnaghan of Newtown Square has end-stage cystic fibrosis and has been unable to leave Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for three months, needing a ventilator to breathe, according to an online petition that had drawn more than 17,000 supporters by Monday. Her mother, Janet, said her daughter has only a matter of weeks to live.

Janet Murnaghan said Sarah has been awaiting a transplant from a pediatric donor and is also eligible for a lung from an adult donor. Under a policy instituted in 2005, organ allocation policies are supposed to be based on severity of illness rather than the amount of time on the waiting list, but that approach only applies to patients over the age of 12. Sarah is a top priority on the pediatric list, but officials say there are far fewer pediatric donors due to improved treatment.

Her parents say the severity of Sarah's illness would normally make her the highest priority for an adult lung, but all adults in the region with her blood type will be offered the lungs first, even those more stable and with less severe conditions. After an appeal was declined, the online petition was launched calling for that policy to change and for federal officials to make an "exceptional ruling" on behalf of the child.

"We don't want preferential treatment for Sarah, we want equal treatment," Janet Murnaghan said Sunday. "We want it to be a triage system like they do for everyone else where the sickest patient goes first and ones with ability to wait, wait."

Dr. Stuart Sweet, director of the pediatric lung transplant program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who helped draw up the pediatric lung allocation guidelines, said a prioritization system wasn't set up for children younger than 12 because of a lack of data to set up proper statistical models, and an "apples-to-apples" comparison of relative illness between the two groups wasn't possible.

"Each time we direct a set of organs to a given patient, because there's a limited supply, that reduces the likelihood that another patient will get that organ and survive to transplant," he said.

While those advocating on behalf of younger donors fear that adult candidate may receive an organ despite being less sick, "there's no way to really answer that question," and the number of adults who die waiting for a transplant vastly outnumber the number of children who do, Sweet said.

"The reality is ... the numbers suggest that there's lots of patients who are running out of time on the waiting list and many more patients run out of time ... in the older age group than the younger group," he said.

Janet Murnaghan and her sister, Sharon Ruddock, said that although fewer children were dying while awaiting transplants, the number represented a much higher proportion relative to the number on the waiting list.

"They're allowing children to die at a far greater rate than adults," Janet Murnaghan said. "The system is set up is to prefer adults, and the data supports that."

Sweet said officials recently changed the pediatric system to give sicker children higher priorities for transplants and also cast a wider net for suitable candidates, searching beyond existing donor regions to an area 1,000 miles from a donor hospital for a suitable candidate before moving on to adolescent or adult candidates.

"The policy is designed to be fair to everyone, and we can't make exceptions on a case-by-case basis beyond the exceptions that are built into the policy to cover circumstances where the patient's not being served well," Sweet said.

However, he said it would be possible for an appeal to be made directly to an adult transplant center, and the Murnaghans said such appeals had begun Friday on behalf of Sarah.

"We only learned that we could do this the day before yesterday," Janet Murnaghan said, adding that her daughter had been stable that day and was sleeping.

"She knows she's very sick, but she doesn't have perspective on exactly how high the stakes are," she said. "She has very groggy moments and has hearing loss from some of her medication ... so it's been a little rough, but we still try and play games and do things. We're sort of pushing through and trying to be positive with her."

Sweet said the system is re-examined regularly in an effort to remove any inequities based on both the outcomes for patients and feedback from organ donors and recipients.

"The allocation policies are not static, they're dynamic, and they are adapting on a regular basis to try and address concerns that are raised," he said.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/sara-murnaghan-organ-transplant-rule-cystic-fibrosis_n_3348653.html

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Key to development of peripheral nervous system uncovered

May 28, 2013 ? Patients suffering from hereditary neuropathy may have hope for new treatment thanks to a Geisinger study that uncovered a key to the development of the peripheral nervous system.

In an article published today in the online medical journal Nature Communications, Geisinger researchers found that a protein present within immune system cells plays a larger role than previously thought in the development of the peripheral nervous system.

Nikolaos Tapinos, M.D., Ph.D., director of neurosurgery research and staff scientist at Geisinger's Sigfried and Janet Weis Center for Research, said the findings could have implications in how hereditary neuropathy is treated. Hereditary neuropathy affects the peripheral nervous system, causing subtle symptoms such as muscle weakness, wasting and numbness that worsen over time.

"When the peripheral nervous system develops in utero, certain proteins control how the cells travel throughout the body to the proper locations," Dr. Tapinos said. "Some of those proteins are already known, but this is the first time that the protein Lck has been identified as integral to this process."

Lck, or lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase, is a protein that is found inside specialized cells of the immune system. Dr. Tapinos' research found that Lck controls how cells called Schwann cells migrate across neurons throughout the peripheral nervous system.

Schwann cells function by creating the myelin sheath, the fatty covering that acts as an insulator around nerve fibers. In humans, the production of myelin begins in the 14th week of fetal development and continues through infancy and adolescence. When errors occur in the creation of myelin, hereditary neuropathy such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a motor and sensory neuropathy, can result.

"What we have found is that Lck is essentially the 'switch' that signals migration of the Schwann cells and production of the myelin sheath," Dr. Tapinos said. "This finding sets the stage for further research into the specific molecular mechanisms that occur in order for this process to break down, and eventually toward developing treatments to prevent it."

Nature Communications is an online-only, multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research in all areas of the biological, physical and chemical sciences. Papers published by the journal represent important advances within each field.

Other authors on the article are Jennifer Ness Myers and Kristin Snyder, both of Geisinger's Sigfried and Janet Weis Center for Research.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/u8tCNObmBDU/130528180842.htm

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Soyuz takes shortcut to International Space Station

A Russian Soyuz rocket made the journey to the ISS in six hours, instead of two days. How did the Russians shorten the trip?

By Irene Klotz,?Reuters / May 29, 2013

US astronaut Karen Nyberg, right, Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, center, and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano shown here prior to the launch of their Soyuz-FG rocket in Kazakhstan, Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

(AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

Enlarge

A Russian spaceship took a shortcut to the International Space Station on Tuesday, delivering a veteran cosmonaut, a rookie Italian astronaut and an American mother on her second flight to the outpost in less than six hours.

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The capsule slipped into its berthing port at 10:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday? about 250 miles (400 km) above the south Pacific Ocean.
"Everything went very well," NASA mission commentator Kelly Humphries said during a televised broadcast of the docking.

Typically, the journey takes two days, but Russian engineers have developed new flight procedures that tweak the steering maneuvers and expedite the trip.

One other crew capsule and several cargo ships previously have taken the fast route to the station.

The express ride to the station began at 4:31 p.m. EDT when a Russian Soyuz rocket soared off its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and deposited the crew's capsule into orbit. The spaceship circled around the planet less than four times before catching up to the station, a $100 billion project of 15 nations.

Overseeing operations from aboard the capsule was veteran cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, 54, who will be living aboard the station for the third time. The former commander also flew on NASA's now-retired space shuttle.

He was joined on the Soyuz by first-time astronaut Luca Parmitano, 36, a major in the Italian Air Force. Parmitano, who initially studied political science and international law at the University of Naples, is the first Italian to be assigned to a long-duration mission aboard the station, which is a laboratory for biomedical, materials science and other research.

"This is very momentous," Parmitano said in a preflight NASA interview.

NASA gave the crew slot to the Italian Space Agency as part of a barter agreement for Italian-made cargo haulers used during the shuttle program.

Rounding out the crew is U.S. astronaut Karen Nyberg, a 43-year-old mechanical engineer who has one previous spaceflight on her resume, a two-week shuttle mission. Back on Earth, her astronaut husband, Doug Hurley, is looking after their three-year-old son, Jack.

Nyberg, an avid quilter, said she was bringing along sewing supplies, a sketch book and pencils.

"I'm really hoping to spend some of my free time drawing," Nyberg said in a preflight interview. "I used to mostly draw portraits, and gave them to friends, but I haven't done it in a long time."

Awaiting their arrival were Russian station commander Pavel Vinogradov and flight engineers Alexander Misurkin, also a Russian, and Chris Cassidy, an American. The men are two months into a planned six-month mission.

The combined crews will oversee more than 100 research experiments and technology tests under way aboard the station. They also plan to conduct five spacewalks over the next three months, most of which are needed to prepare the station for a new Russian laboratory module due to arrive in December. (Editing by Jane Sutton and David Brunnstrom)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/_dqnTNF7PoM/Soyuz-takes-shortcut-to-International-Space-Station

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Tutu urges UEFA to strip Israel of U-21 championship

UEFA has resisted the requests but Tutu?s letter, to Britain?s Guardian newspaper, which was also signed by ex-Mali striker Frederic Kanoute and a number of prominent sympathisers of the Palestinian cause, is aimed at increasing the pressure.

Last week UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, speaking after the UEFA Congress in London, refused to condemn Israel or accept that the competition, which runs from June 5-18, should be moved.

Infantino told a news conference: ?UEFA and the Israeli FA is responsible for football, it cannot be held responsible for the politics of a national government.

?And we have no plans to move the tournament, which is being held legitimately in a UEFA member association.?

After last week?s Congress, pro-Palestine demonstrators broke into a banquet being held for UEFA delegates, interrupting proceedings, but were removed by security officers.

Palestinians complain that Israeli authorities restrict the movement of their athletes between the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Islamist Hamas faction that calls for Israel?s destruction, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank in which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas? Fatah group exercises limited civilian rule.

Israel limits the movement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank citing security concerns but says it has eased travel for athletes.

UEFA, European soccer?s governing body, last week agreed tougher sanctions to combat racism among players and officials and the authors of the letter feel the same standards should be applied to Israel.

Tutu?s letter read: ?On Friday, delegates from European football associations gathered in a London hotel for UEFA?s annual congress. They agreed new, strict guidelines to deal with racism, suggesting a commendable determination to combat discrimination in the sport.

?We find it shocking that this same organisation shows total insensitivity to the blatant and entrenched discrimination inflicted on Palestinian sportsmen and women by Israel.

?We call on UEFA, even at this late stage, to reverse the choice of Israel as a venue.?

The Israeli FA has consistently said that UEFA will not bring political issues into the soccer arena.

Tutu, 81, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for standing up against white-minority rule in South Africa.

He played a pivotal role in the downfall of apartheid and subsequently worked to heal wounds in South Africa?s traumatised society.

Source: http://www.sportlive.co.za/soccer/moresoccer/2013/05/28/tutu-urges-uefa-to-strip-israel-of-u-21-championship

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Sonos enhances Spotify connections and more in new update

Sonos is already one of the most flexible music systems available, and with the latest 4.1 update to its controller software for iOS, OS X, Android and Windows, it's gotten even better.

Improvements include the ability to create playlists without using the queue - all you have to do is choose a track from any available source and add to your Sonos Playlist. You can edit playlists easier, too.

If you have a Spotify account, Sonos has some improvements there, too - you can create and edit Spotify playlists, and access and play music from Spotify playlist folders using your Sonos controller. You can also use Facebook or Spotify account credentials to link Spotify to Sonos.

New alarm options have been added and Sonos has improved component update speeds.

• Free - Download now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/0v7ezbpIDXM/story01.htm

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Top US tax breaks to cost $12 trillion over decade, benefit wealthy : CBO

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top ten U.S. tax deductions, credits and exclusions will keep $12 trillion out of federal government coffers over the next decade, and several of them mainly benefit the wealthiest Americans, a new study from the Congressional Budget Office shows.

The top 20 percent of income earners will reap more than half of the $900 billion in benefits from these tax breaks that will accrue in 2013, the non-partisan CBO said on Wednesday.

Further, 17 percent of the total benefits would go to the top 1 percent of income earners -- families earning roughly $450,000 or more. The same group that was hit with a tax rate hike in January.

The benefits of preferential tax rates on capital gains and dividends, a break worth $161 billion this year, go almost entirely to the wealthy, including 68 percent to the top one percent of earners.

House Democrats, who requested that Congress' budget referee conduct the study, argued that it backs up President Barack Obama's proposed approach to tax reform and deficit reduction: raise revenues by limiting the amount tax preferences for the wealthy.

"This shows that we could achieve a significant amount of deficit reduction by limiting the preferences to the highest income earners," said Representative Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

Although the study did not provide income thresholds, U.S. Census Bureau data for 2011 shows the top 20 percent of household income extends to down to $101,582, a level that is considered middle-class in many parts of the United States. The lowest quintile topped out at $20,262 in the Census data.

MIDDLE-CLASS AID

But the study also showed that benefits for the largest of the tax preferences, the exclusion for employer-paid health benefits, worth $3.4 trillion over 10 years, are more evenly distributed, with well over half of the benefits going to the middle 60 percent of earners.

The middle 20 percent of earners also got the biggest benefit from excluding a portion of Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits, a perk worth $414 billion over 10 years.

Three other big tax breaks, the $2 trillion exclusion of net pension contributions and earnings over 10 years, the $1 trillion deduction for mortgage interest and the $1.1 trillion deduction for state and local taxes, also benefited the top 20 percent disproportionately.

Representative Sander Levin, the highest ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, the panel that is trying to advance tax reform this year, said the study shows that Republicans would have to greatly reduce tax breaks that benefit the middle class in order to achieve their goals of reducing tax rates and balancing the budget.

"The CBO report underscores the need to go beyond the rhetoric of lowering tax rates without indication of how that would be achieved or the implications for economic growth and tax equity," Levin said.

A spokesperson for Ways and Means Committee's Republican Chairman, Dave Camp, could not immediately be reached for comment on the study.

Republicans want to reform the tax code by eliminating certain deductions, credits and exclusions, but they do not want to divert any resulting revenues toward deficit reduction. Instead they want to use the savings to lower rates, which they say will accelerate economic growth and increase revenue collection.

Democrat Van Hollen said his favored approach would be to limit the total amount of deductions for the top 2 percent of income earners, or families earning $250,000 or more, while leaving intact much of the top 10 tax breaks, which also include deductions for charitable contributions and tax credits for earned income and children.

These latter two tax breaks, which are largely aimed at the working poor, provide two thirds of their $118 billion in 2013 benefits to the lowest 40 percent of wage earners, the CBO said in the study. Over 10 years, these two credits will cost $1.2 trillion.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/top-us-tax-breaks-cost-12-trillion-over-230339087.html

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Scientists Recover Wooly Mammoth Blood

The half life of all DNA is 521 years.

Did you even READ that article?

"After cell death, enzymes start to break down the bonds between the nucleotides that form the backbone of DNA, and micro-organisms speed the decay. In the long run, however, reactions with water are thought to be responsible for most bond degradation. Groundwater is almost ubiquitous, so DNA in buried bone samples should, in theory, degrade at a set rate."

So, that 'half life' is for buried bones in fairly specific situations. It doesn't apply everywhere.

Best part of all, is that story you linked to has its own related stories, and the first link is another story where they recovered DNA from 19,000 year old eggshells.

The second link is a story about sequencing the DNA from 100,000+ year old polar bears. Where the 'cold DRY' environment allows DNA to be preserved.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/-8mlRUm_c4g/story01.htm

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Beer-pouring robot programmed to anticipate human actions

May 28, 2013 ? A robot in Cornell's Personal Robotics Lab has learned to foresee human action in order to step in and offer a helping hand, or more accurately, roll in and offer a helping claw.

Understanding when and where to pour a beer or knowing when to offer assistance opening a refrigerator door can be difficult for a robot because of the many variables it encounters while assessing the situation. A team from Cornell has created a solution.

Gazing intently with a Microsoft Kinect 3-D camera and using a database of 3D videos, the Cornell robot identifies the activities it sees, considers what uses are possible with the objects in the scene and determines how those uses fit with the activities. It then generates a set of possible continuations into the future -- such as eating, drinking, cleaning, putting away -- and finally chooses the most probable. As the action continues, the robot constantly updates and refines its predictions.

"We extract the general principles of how people behave," said Ashutosh Saxena, Cornell professor of computer science and co-author of a new study tied to the research. "Drinking coffee is a big activity, but there are several parts to it." The robot builds a "vocabulary" of such small parts that it can put together in various ways to recognize a variety of big activities, he explained.

Saxena will join Cornell graduate student Hema S. Koppula as they present their research at the International Conference of Machine Learning, June 18-21 in Atlanta, and the Robotics: Science and Systems conference June 24-28 in Berlin, Germany.

In tests, the robot made correct predictions 82 percent of the time when looking one second into the future, 71 percent correct for three seconds and 57 percent correct for 10 seconds.

"Even though humans are predictable, they are only predictable part of the time," Saxena said. "The future would be to figure out how the robot plans its action. Right now we are almost hard-coding the responses, but there should be a way for the robot to learn how to respond."

The research was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office, the Alfred E. Sloan Foundation and Microsoft.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaa_wEkCvG0

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/Q-WusbqRSK8/130528143623.htm

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Ancient plants reawaken: Plants exposed by retreating glaciers regrowing after centuries entombed under ice

May 28, 2013 ? When University of Alberta researcher Catherine La Farge threads her way through the recently exposed terrain left behind by retreating glaciers, she looks at the ancient plant remains a lot closer than most. Now, her careful scrutiny has revealed a startling reawakening of long-dormant plants known as bryophytes.

La Farge, a researcher in the Faculty of Science, and director and curator of the Cryptogamic Herbarium at the University of Alberta, has overturned a long-held assumption that all of the plant remains exposed by retreating polar glaciers are dead. Previously, any new growth of plants close to the glacier margin was considered the result of rapid colonization by modern plants surrounding the glacier.

Using radiocarbon dating, La Farge and her co-authors confirmed that the plants, which ranged from 400 to 600 years old, were entombed during the Little Ice Age that happened between 1550 and 1850. In the field, La Farge noticed that the subglacial populations were not only intact, but also in pristine condition -- with some suggesting regrowth.

In the lab, La Farge and her master's student Krista Williams selected 24 subglacial samples for culture experiments. Seven of these samples produced 11 cultures that successfully regenerated four species from the original parent material.

La Farge says the regrowth of these Little Ice Age bryophytes (such as mosses and liverworts) expands our understanding of glacier ecosystems as biological reservoirs that are becoming increasingly important with global ice retreat. "We know that bryophytes can remain dormant for many years (for example, in deserts) and then are reactivated, but nobody expected them to rejuvenate after nearly 400 years beneath a glacier.

"These simple, efficient plants, which have been around for more than 400 million years, have evolved a unique biology for optimal resilience," she adds. "Any bryophyte cell can reprogram itself to initiate the development of an entire new plant. This is equivalent to stem cells in faunal systems."

La Farge says the finding amplifies the critical role of bryophytes in polar environments and has implications for all permafrost regions of the globe.

"Bryophytes are extremophiles that can thrive where other plants don't, hence they play a vital role in the establishment, colonization and maintenance of polar ecosystems. This discovery emphasizes the importance of research that helps us understand the natural world, given how little we still know about polar ecosystems -- with applied spinoffs for understanding reclamation that we may never have anticipated."

The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/P0SV9veptBk/130528202549.htm

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Lull in winds aids fight against Calif. wildfire

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) ? Firefighters took advantage of a lull in winds on Tuesday to gain ground against a forest fire in mountains northwest of Santa Barbara, Calif., as some crews were diverted to a second fire that broke out nearby and jumped two highways.

The Santa Barbara County blaze erupted Monday in Los Padres National Forest, carving its way through 3.2 square miles of dry chaparral, oak and pine. Firefighters had it 65 percent contained by sunset Tuesday, despite feared wind gusts of up to 40 mph, fire spokesman Manuel Madrigal said.

More than 600 firefighters, supported by a dozen aircraft, were on the lines about 10 miles northwest of downtown Santa Barbara.

At the fire's height, thousands of campers and day visitors scrambled out of the forest on the Memorial Day holiday. The fire also prompted the evacuation of about 50 homes, mainly cabins and vacation rentals, but residents were allowed to return home Tuesday night.

The fire, which remained under investigation, burned two vehicles and a U.S. Forest Service garage.

Winds were calm through midday, and the blaze was moving east along the Santa Ynez Mountains northwest of Santa Barbara.

Crews were worried, however, that a wind change could push the fire south toward the scenic coastal city, county fire Capt. David Sadecki said.

"There's a lot of dry vegetation in its path," Sadecki said. "It's still spring ? it's not even summer ? and it's burning like it's August or September."

The fire was burning near Paradise Road, which meanders along the north side of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Santa Barbara and neighboring communities sit on the other side of the coastal range, which rises quickly from near the Pacific shoreline to peaks topping 3,000 feet.

Later Tuesday, a second wildfire broke out in the nearby wine country hills of Santa Ynez at about 3:30 p.m.

It quickly grew to 170 acres, jumping Highway 154 and 246, but dozens of firefighters and two water-dropping helicopters stopped its forward movement, Sadecki said.

The Sheriff's Department sent out an evacuation warning to roughly 2,000 people living in the city that is home to many horse ranches and vineyards.

Despite its bucolic setting, the area 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles has seen terrible wildfires, including a 1990 blaze that destroyed 641 structures, most of them homes. The summer of 2007 was marred by a gigantic fire that erupted on July 4 and burned for months.

A new blaze flared just before noon Tuesday near the Magic Mountain theme park and Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles. It quickly consumed 55 acres of brush, but was 80 percent contained and expected to be surrounded after hundreds of Los Angeles County firefighters responded with air support.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lull-winds-aids-fight-against-calif-wildfire-200821880.html

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Century-old ocean data provides further confirmation of global warming

May 28, 2013 ? A new NASA and university analysis of ocean data collected more than 135 years ago by the crew of the HMS Challenger oceanographic expedition provides further confirmation that human activities have warmed our planet over the past century.

Researchers from the University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Australia; and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., combined the ship's measurements of ocean temperatures with modern observations from the international Argo array of ocean profiling floats. They used both as inputs to state-of-the-art climate models, to get a picture of how the world's oceans have changed since the Challenger's voyage.

The Challenger expedition, from 1872 to 1876, was the world's first global scientific survey of life beneath the ocean surface. Along the way, scientists measured ocean temperatures, lowering thermometers hundreds of meters deep on ropes.

"The key to this research was to determine the range of uncertainty for the measurements taken by the crew of the Challenger," said Josh Willis, a JPL climate scientist and NASA project scientist for the upcoming U.S./European Jason-3 oceanography satellite, scheduled to launch in 2015. "After we had taken all these uncertainties into account, it became apparent that the rate of warming we saw across the oceans far exceeded the degree of uncertainty around the measurements. So, while the uncertainty was large, the warming signal detected was far greater."

Uncertainties around the Challenger's measurements were caused by the limited areas measured during the voyage; the actual depths the thermometers descended to; and the likely natural variation in temperature that could occur in each region during the voyage.

"Our research revealed warming of the planet can be clearly detected since 1873 and that our oceans continue to absorb the great majority of this heat," said researcher and lead author Will Hobbs of the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science. "Currently, scientists estimate the oceans absorb more than 90 percent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases, and we attribute the global warming to anthropogenic (human-produced) causes."

The Challenger expedition measurements also revealed that thermal expansion of sea water caused by global warming contributed about 40 percent of the total sea level rise seen in tide gauges from 1873 to 1955. The remaining 60 percent was likely to have come from the melting of ice sheets and glaciers. Prior to this research, climate models offered the only way to estimate the change before the 1950s.

Results of the study are published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

For more on the study, visit: http://www.imas.utas.edu.au/right-column-content/whats-new3/news/century-old-science-helps-confirm-global-warming .

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/DBgPvHcp73w/130528104542.htm

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Krups EA9000 Automated Espresso Machine: Turn Your Kitchen into a Private Starbucks

You've been standing in line for 15 minutes already as the neck-beards behind the counter discuss the high points of the latest Vampire Weekend release. Do you really pay $5 a cup to put up with this shit? Instead, invest your hard-earned cash in a barista that will get your order right every, single, time.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FJ6G2VGp3G4/krups-ea9000-automated-espresso-machine-turn-your-kitc-506708953

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Do it (Tomorrow) for iPhone and iPad review: Productive procrastinating, at last!

Are you a procrastinator who tries time and time againt to make use of an elaborate "get things done" system in order to bring some organization into your life to only put off using said system? Then Do it (Tomorrow) for iPhone is for you! Do it (Tomorrow) is simply two lists, Today and Tomorrow, with the ability to move tasks between lists with just one quick tap.

There are only three different screens in To it (Tomorrow). A "Today" list, a "Tomorrow" list, and the settings screen. You simply swipe left and right to move between screens. The lists look like notebooks and the Tomorrow list even has a fake coffee stain on it. Next to each task, there is an arrow that will move it to the other list.

Do it (Tomorrow) includes two fonts, one that looks like handwriting and another that is a more traditional.

Do it (Tomorrow) for iPhone is free with the option to purchase Cloud sync for $4.99. The univeral version is $4.99 and automatically includes Cloud sync.

The good

• Simple design
• Two font options
• Move tasks between lists with just one tap
• Cloud sync available for $4.99

The bad

• Soon and Someday lists would be a great addition

The bottom line

If there was an Olympic competition in procrastination, I'd hold the gold medal, and it feels like Do it (Tomorrow) was designed specifically for me. No due dates; no annoying alarms that make me feel guilty. Just two simple lists of what I need to do today and tomorrow... and the ability to push things back to "tomorrow" indefinitely.

• Free for iPhone - Download now
• $4.99 for iPhone and iPad (includes sync) - Download now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/8Y_ZjB6OMYA/story01.htm

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