শুক্রবার, ২৬ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Just what makes that little old ant? change a flower's nectar content?

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Ants play a variety of important roles in many ecosystems. As frequent visitors to flowers, they can benefit plants in their role as pollinators when they forage on sugar-rich nectar. However, a new study reveals that this mutualistic relationship may actually have some hidden costs. By transmitting sugar-eating yeasts to the nectar on which they feed, ants may be indirectly altering the nectar-chemistry and thus affecting subsequent pollinator visitations.

Many species of plants benefit from interacting with ants, and some even secrete special sugary substances to attract ants. Plants produce sugar, in the form of nectar, and in exchange ants provide services such as pollination or protection from herbivores.

The main components of nectar that attract pollinators include three dominant sugars -- sucrose, fructose, and glucose -- and amino acids (or proteins). The chemical composition of nectar differs among plant species and has been thought to be a conservative trait linked to pollinator type. For example, plants pollinated by hummingbirds tend to have nectar with high amounts of sucrose. In addition, nectar composition is thought to be regulated by the plant.

"When people think about how flowers are pollinated, they probably think about bees," notes Clara de Vega, a postdoctoral researcher at the Estaci?n Biol?gica de Do?ana, Spain. "But ants also pollinate flowers, and I am interested in the role ants play in pollination since it is still poorly understood."

De Vega joined forces with Carlos M. Herrera, an evolutionary ecologist at the Estaci?n Biol?gica de Do?ana, to investigate the relationship between ant pollinators and nectarivorous yeasts. Nectar-dwelling yeasts, which consume sugars, have recently been discovered in the flowers of many temperate and tropical plant species. De Vega and Herrera have already discovered that some ant species not only carry certain types of sugar-metabolizing yeasts on their bodies, but they also effectively transmit these yeasts to the nectar of flowers they visit.

In their most recent work, published in the American Journal of Botany, De Vega and Herrera investigated whether flowers visited by these ants differed from flowers that were not visited by ants in their sugar chemistry, and whether sugar-chemistry was correlated with the abundance of ant-transmitted yeasts found in the nectar.

By excluding ants from visiting inflorescences of a perennial, parasitic plant, Cytinus hypocistis, and comparing the nectar chemistry to inflorescences that were visited by ants, the authors tested these ideas experimentally.

When the authors compared the sugar content in the nectar of flowers visited by ants versus those enclosed in nylon mesh bags to exclude ants, they found that nectar of flowers exposed to ants had higher levels of fructose and glucose, but lower levels of sucrose compared with the ant-excluded flowers.

Interestingly, in flowers visited by ants, there was a high correlation between yeast cell density and sugar content. Nectar that had higher densities of yeast had more fructose and less sucrose, suggesting that the types of yeasts change the sugar content of the nectar. Flowers that were excluded from ants did not have any yeast in their nectar.

"Our study has revealed that ants can actually change the nectar characteristics of the flowers they are pollinating," says de Vega. "The microorganisms, specifically yeasts, that are present on the surface of ants change the composition of sugar in the flower?s nectar."

"This means that nectar composition is not completely controlled by the flower -- it is something created in cooperation with the ants that visit the flower," she notes. "We also think that these ant-transported yeasts might have the potential to affect plant reproduction."

Indeed, if a plant cannot control the sugar content of its nectar, then it may lose some of its target pollinators, which would potentially affect overall seed set and plant fitness.

Moreover, if introducing these yeasts to nectar changes the chemistry of the very components that serve to attract pollinators, then perhaps ants are indirectly changing the foraging behavior of subsequent flower visitors and thereby affecting seed dispersal patterns.

This study has revealed an additional layer in the complex association between ants and flowering plants, as pollinating ants alter sugar-nectar chemistry in flowers via sugar-consuming yeasts. But the story does not end here. De Vega plans to continue researching the role that these nectarivorous yeasts play on the reproduction of plants.

"I plan to study the whole interaction of plants, yeasts, and pollinators -- how are they interrelated and what mechanisms shape these relations?"

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Journal of Botany, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. C. de Vega, C. M. Herrera. Microorganisms transported by ants induce changes in floral nectar composition of an ant-pollinated plant. American Journal of Botany, 2013; 100 (4): 792 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200626

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/So3AeTCfj8w/130424185232.htm

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Apple confirms WWDC 2013 will take place June 10th to 14th, tickets go on sale tomorrow

This is one Apple event that's fairly constant, but the company has confirmed today that the 2013 edition of its Worldwide Developers Conference -- otherwise known as WWDC -- will take place from June 10th to 14th at Moscone West in San Francisco. In a statement, Apple's Phil Schiller says that its "developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we're excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to help them create innovative new apps," adding, "we can't wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC." Not exactly a huge surprise there, but you can rest assured we'll be there to cover that and anything else the company might have up its sleeve. Tickets are set to go on sale tomorrow.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/apple-wwdc-2013-announced/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Middle East and Africa Market Contribute Significantly to ...

The developed Middle East market, and the hugely potential African markets are contributing significantly to Panasonic?s global sales, and the company is confident that its new range of eco-friendly products and solutions will help drive sales across the region.

At the company?s annual? media convention for Middle East & Africa (MEA), which was held in Dubai, , Panasonic outlined its long and mid-term strategies for the coming year.

Globally, Panasonic is undertaking a concerted drive to increase profitability, by consolidating its 88 divisions into 49 new corporate entities. These will be divided into four divisions; Appliance, Eco Solutions, AVC Networks, and Automotive and Industrial Solutions.

This strategic plan will see Panasonic focusing on four major business areas; home networking, eco and business solutions, mobility systems, and personal devices.

?At Panasonic we always put people before our products. We aim to engineer a new and better world for our consumers, with products and technologies that enrich lives and contribute to society. Panasonic is a customer focused company, and we will continue to bring innovative eco products designed to fit the lifestyle of our customers across Middle East & Africa,? commented Yorihisa Shiokawa, Managing Director, Panasonic Asia Pacific.

In order to further boost sales across Middle East and Africa, Panasonic plans to actively promote and create new business-to-business opportunities, which is an operational shift that enables the organisation to become more B2B oriented, while continuing to increase profitability in the company?s traditional B2C business sphere.

?

The new products unveiled at the convention included product categories from Audio Video to Home appliances to System and Network Solutions and Eco Solutions as well.

?

?Panasonic clearly understands the importance of the Middle East and Africa markets for its global success. Our business model will have hands-on approach which will directly engage the consumers. Panasonic is enhancing customer touch points, thereby strengthening our presence in the potential African market, and cementing our industry leading position in the Middle East. We are confident that the new products we have introduced into the market, will help drive sales,? commented Masao Motoki, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa.

?

The concept of social contribution and commitment towards the betterment of the society also formed the core elements for the convention. Corporate Social Responsibility Activities (CSR) and eco activities currently dominate the company?s social calendar.

Coinciding with the global ?Earth Day?, as part of the celebrations during the convention, the company commemorated the global initiative by adorning a huge earth structure with environmentally conscious pledges by all its attendees.

Further, the regional winners were also felicitated during the convention where winning kids were given certificates and trophies as an appreciation towards their participation for the Panasonic ?Kids School? initiative that included the popular Eco-Picture Diary and Kids Witness News (KWN) video competition promoting eco-consciousness to young minds.

As a recent example of Panasonic CSR activities, the company donated 1,000 solar LED lanterns to the remote Mbola village in Tanzania. With proper lighting in homes and buildings, the residents of Mbola are now able to actively pursue evening activities, such as education, and provide more effective healthcare facilities.

The initiative forms a part of Panasonic?s global 100,000 Solar Lantern Project, and the organisation is donating a further 2,000 solar LED lanterns to refugee camps in Kenya, which will be delivered in May of this year.

Other regional initiatives include the Abu Dhabi University Scholarship Programme, the Kids Witness News Video Competition (KWN), and the UNESCO Eco Diary Learning Programme. Also, through the Lake Victoria Environment Education Program, Panasonic was able to aid in developing three schools, and in the process, assist over 15,000 community members in Kenya.

Panasonic is on track to become the leading green electronics manufacturer in the Middle East and Africa, through its ongoing creation of energy-saving and eco-friendly solutions.

Related Press Releases:

Source: http://web-release.info/2013/04/25/middle-east-and-africa-market-contribute-significantly-to-panasonics-global-success/

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Hubble brings faraway comet into view

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The NASA Hubble Space Telescope has given astronomers their clearest view yet of Comet ISON, a newly-discovered sun grazer comet that may light up the sky later this year, or come so close to the Sun that it disintegrates. A University of Maryland-led research team is closely following ISON, which offers a rare opportunity to witness a comet's evolution as it makes its first-ever journey through the inner solar system.

Like all comets, ISON is a "dirty snowball" ? a clump of frozen gases mixed with dust, formed in a distant reach of the solar system, traveling on an orbit influenced by the gravitational pull of the Sun and its planets. ISON's orbit will bring it to a perihelion, or maximum approach to the Sun, of 700,000 miles on November 28, said Maryland assistant research scientist Michael S. Kelley.

This image was made on April 10, when ISON was some 386 million miles from the Sun ? slightly closer to the Sun than the planet Jupiter. Comets become more active as they near the inner solar system, where the Sun's heat evaporates their ices into jets of gases and dust. But even at this great distance ISON is already active, with a strong jet blasting dust particles off its nucleus. As these dust particles shimmer in reflected sunlight, a portion of the comet's tail becomes visible in the Hubble image.

Next week while the Hubble still has the comet in view, the Maryland team will use the space telescope to gather information about ISON's gases.

"We want to look for the ratio of the three dominant ices, water, frozen carbon monoxide, and frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice," said Maryland astronomy Prof. Michael A'Hearn. "That can tell us the temperature at which the comet formed, and with that temperature, we can then say where in the solar system it formed."

The Maryland team will use both the Hubble Space Telescope and the instruments on the Deep Impact space craft to continue to follow ISON as it travels toward its November close up (perihelion) with the sun.

###

University of Maryland: http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/

Thanks to University of Maryland for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127887/Hubble_brings_faraway_comet_into_view

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N. Korea moves missile, could be preparing a test

U.S. officials suspect that North Korea may be preparing for a test of its Musudan medium-range missile after seeing evidence of it being transported to North Korea's eastern coast. Such a launch would be the latest in a series of provocations by North Korea in recent weeks.

Earlier Thursday, South Korea's defense minister told his nation's lawmakers that a North Korean missile with "considerable range" had been transported to that country's eastern coast. Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said he could not explain the movement and added that the missile was not capable of reaching the United States.

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U.S. officials have identified the missile as a mobile-launched Musudan missile estimated to have a range of between 1,800 and 2,500 miles that could put U.S. military bases in Okinawa and Guam within its range.

RELATED: North Korea Relocates Long-Range Missile in Latest 'Rhetorical Threat'

The officials said that, two days ago surveillance satellites detected the movement by train of a Musudan mobile launcher as well as fuel and equipment needed for a missile launch.

One official said it is possible that as many as two missiles could be readied for a potential launch because there were more missile components spotted than might be needed if only one missile was being launched.

The U.S. is trying to locate the location on the eastern coast where the launcher and missile components are currently located.

The officials said there is speculation that a missile test could be in the works and that it could occur soon. Unlike long-range missiles, which can spend weeks on a launch pad in preparation for a launch, mobile-launched missiles can be launched fairly quickly and with little warning.

PHOTOS: Inside North Korea

The Musudan is a medium-range missile that has never been tested before, though it has been publicly paraded by North Korea in the past. U.S. officials have been expecting it to be tested at some point over the past few years.

A U.S. official said that, so far, North Korea has not provided a notice to mariners about a potential missile launch. During previous long-range launches, the North Koreans have listed advance warnings to mariners and aviators. In addition to serving as safety warnings that a missile may land near a body of water, they have also served as indicators of a possible launch. The official said launching this missile without such an advance advisory would be seen as a provocation.

READ MORE: N. Korea's Real Power, Kim Jong Un's Aunt, Uncle

One of the officials said there is also concern about how Japan might react if a North Korean missile were to overfly its territory. Placing the Musudan on the eastern coast indicated the trajectory might take it over Japan. Last December, in advance of North Korea's long-range missile test that month, the Japanese government gave orders to its military shoot down a missile should it appear to be headed for Japanese territory.

That did not happen, as the Unha 3 missile was launched on a southward trajectory away from the Korean Peninsula. Japan has both land-based and ship-based missile interceptors like the ones aboard U.S. Navy ships.

In light of North Korea's recent threats to launch missiles at the United States, the Pentagon has assigned two of its missile-defense-capable Navy destroyers to provide missile defense if needed.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed the destroyers USS John S McCain and USS Decatur had been sent to pre-determined locations in the western Pacific.

The USS Decatur will soon be replaced by the destroyer USS Fitzgerald so that it can return to its homeport of San Diego after a seven-month deployment.

RELATED: U.S. Troops Stand 'Poised to Respond' at NKorea Border

Japan and South Korea both have short-range air missile defense systems, the U.S. Navy ships can provide backup if the trajectory is beyond that range and pose a threat to other partners in the region and U.S. territory.

In the wake of North Korea's missile threat on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that it was sending a land-based missile defense system to Guam.

North Korea also has a mobile-launched, long-range missile known as the KN-08. North Korea has never tested the missile, but it is of particular concern because it can be launched with little warning and is believed to be able to reach parts of the United States.

One official said there has been no worrisome activity related to the KN-08.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-moves-missile-could-preparing-test-224814101--abc-news-politics.html

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EXCLUSIVE: Tamar Braxton DISHES About CONCEIVING Her Baby ...

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"Love & War" singer?Tamar Braxton spoke exclusively to TheYBF.com about juggling pregnancy and her?burgeoning career. Find out how she does it inside.....

TheYBF.com attended a private viewing of "Braxton Family Values" with Tamar Braxton last night at the offices of Epic Records in NYC. ?During our exclusive chat, the expectant diva dished about her pregnancy, her career and what she's learned about herself from watching "BFV".

With her song "Love & War" still high on the charts, Tamar says she's ready to juggle motherhood and an exciting recording career.

?"This is something I want to do. ?My career is really taking off and I've been waiting for this opportunity all my life. And I don't want to miss one second of it. ?I want to have my baby with me. ?But I don't have to be at home."

Last season, "BFV" viewers watched as she struggled with fertility issues, but she jokingly revealed to us that she actually conceived her baby one "drunken" night. WOMP.

Though she wouldn't confirm if her good friend Tiny was correct when she blurted out that Tamar was expecting a baby boy on "Tiny Tonight", she did say that she would have a celebrity play date with T.I. and Tiny because she trusts Tiny with her baby. And when it comes to the Braxton sisters, she thinks Towanda would be the best babysitter because she's the most responsible.

We also talked about how she's grown personally over the past few years. Since filming "BFV" and "Tamar & Vince", she told us that she realized everything doesn't need a "comment." ?And now that she watches her "comments", she's in a better place with her sisters.

She also talked about husband and manager Vince Herbert whom her sisters call her "velcro" because they're always together. She says they are celebrating their 10th anniversary this month.

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Tamar was glowing in a short maternity dress which she paired with a black blazer and black Christian Louboutins.

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She says she's been craving?Apple Fritters from Dunkin Donuts since the pregnancy.

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We also talked to producer LaShawn Daniels, the writer of "Love & War". He revealed that he's committed to Tamar's project because she's like family to him.

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And for all the die-hard Tarmartians, Vince told us that Tamar's next single will be released in the next 2 to 3 weeks.

BONUS:

Watch a sneak peek of Tamar Braxton's performance from the BET's "CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL" which premieres Sunday, April 7th at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on BET.

EXTRAS:

1. ? Chaz Ebert released a statement about the death of her husband, film critic Roger Ebert saying,?"I've lost the love of my life and the world has lost a visionary and a creative and generous spirit who touched so many people all over the world." Story.

Photos/Video by?Shirley Vernae &?Shayla Sommerville

Source: http://theybf.com/2013/04/05/exclusive-tamar-braxton-dishes-about-conceiving-her-baby-pregnancy-cravings-and-celebrity

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Survivors angry over 'Pain & Gain' depiction

In this Monday, April 1, 2013 photo Marc Schiller speaks to the Associated Press at his office in Boca Raton, Fla. Schiller was kidnapped, tortured and left for dead by a South Florida gang in 1994. Schiller wrote about his experience in the book, "Pain and Gain: The Untold True Story." The kidnapping has been made into a movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It is set to be released April 26th. (AP Photo/Suzette Laboy)

In this Monday, April 1, 2013 photo Marc Schiller speaks to the Associated Press at his office in Boca Raton, Fla. Schiller was kidnapped, tortured and left for dead by a South Florida gang in 1994. Schiller wrote about his experience in the book, "Pain and Gain: The Untold True Story." The kidnapping has been made into a movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It is set to be released April 26th. (AP Photo/Suzette Laboy)

This book cover released by Marc Schiller shows the self published book, "Pain and Gain. The Untold True Story". Marc Schiller was abducted and tortured for a month by a South Florida gang in 1994. The gang also killed two people. The kidnapping has been made into a movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It opens April 26th. (AP Photo/Marc Schiller)

In this undated photo made available by the Florida Department of Corrections, shows Daniel Lugo. Lugo and two others were part of the Sun Gym crew that abducted and tortured a man for a month and killed two others in Miami in 1994. Lugo was convicted and sent to death row. The kidnapping has been made into an action-comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. "Pain and Gain" opens on April 26th. (AP Photo/Florida Department of Correction)

In this undated photo made available by the Florida Department of Corrections, shows Adrian Doorbal. Doorbal and two others were part of the Sun Gym crew that abducted and tortured a man for a month and killed two others in Miami in 1994. Doorbal was convicted and sent to death row. The kidnapping has been made into an action-comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. "Pain and Gain" opens on April 26th. (AP Photo/Florida Department of Correction)

MIAMI (AP) ? The real-life murder, torture and kidnapping case from South Florida that's behind the coming movie "Pain & Gain" indeed reads like a script ? just not a funny one.

The fact that the film, starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is an action-comedy has angered survivors of the Sun Gym gang's crimes and those who investigated them nearly two decades ago.

"You are talking about real people. And in this particular case, especially when you're talking about the murder victims, these were innocent victims," retired Miami-Dade Police Sgt. Felix Jimenez said.

Zsuzsanna Griga told The Miami Herald that the movie's depiction of the gang as sympathetic bumblers just trying to get ahead is "ridiculous." Her brother and his girlfriend were murdered and dismembered by them.

"It's horrible what happened to them," said Griga, who lives in Hungary. She could not be reached by The Associated Press. "I don't want the American public to be sympathetic to the killers," she said.

The Paramount film, which opens April 26 and is directed by Michael Bay of "Transformers" and "Armageddon" fame, is adapted from a series of Miami New Times articles about a group of 1990s bodybuilders who hatched a brutal get-rich-quick kidnapping scheme that eventually escalated to murder. Paramount declined comment.

The New Times series told of mastermind Daniel Lugo, played by Wahlberg, his sadistic muscleman Noel Doorbal, played by Anthony Mackie, and Jorge Delgado, who is not portrayed in the movie, who were denizens of the Sun Gym, which was known for its hardcore bodybuilders. Johnson plays Paul Doyle, a fictional member of the crew.

Lugo, a charming conman who had served prison time for defrauding seniors, was the gym's manager. He hired Doorbal, a gym rat and steroids abuser, as a part-time employee and cut him in on a lucrative Medicare fraud scheme. Delgado, one of Lugo's clients at the gym, had once worked for Marc Schiller, a wealthy Miami businessman whom they targeted for kidnapping.

They attempted to abduct Schiller about half a dozen times, once disguised as ninjas (which the movie pokes fun at). They finally succeed, snatching Schiller in 1994 outside his deli. They kept him at Delgado's warehouse for a month and tortured him with lighters, a Taser, sleep deprivation and water boarding until he had his wife and children move to Colombia and he signed over his home, a life insurance policy and millions of dollars in investments. Schiller, who later pled guilty to Medicare fraud, said he had earned the stolen money honestly through an accounting practice and other investments and businesses.

The gang moved into his house and then tried to kill him. They forced him to get drunk, put him in a car and set it on fire. They then crashed it into a utility pole. When he staggered out, they ran him over with another car ? twice. Somehow, he survived.

But Schiller, then 34, didn't call police. From the hospital he hired a private investigator, Ed Du Bois, to get his money back. Only after that failed four months later did he send Du Bois to the Miami-Dade police with the reams of evidence he had collected. Nothing happened.

Du Bois, who makes a cameo as a detective in the movie, gave the film company and director credit for making an adaption of the true story.

"If you read the original article, the basic elements are in the movie but there is a lot of Hollywood in that movie," he said.

In the movie, Schiller is renamed "Victor Kershaw." Played by Tony Shalhoub, who starred in TV's "Monk," Kershaw is described by Wahlberg's character as a criminal who deserves to have bad things happen to him. Surrounded by women in skimpy bikinis, he's seen in a pool while smoking a cigar.

That image, Schiller said, couldn't be further from the truth.

"It's not who I am," said Schiller, who now works in an accounting office. He says he was married and a homebody at the time of the kidnapping and never smoked cigars. "It's supposed to represent me but it doesn't."

The movie also gives some details about at least one killing that happened after Schiller's escape, although it is unclear how that is done. Paramount rejected an AP request to view the film in advance.

In reality, the gang targeted Frank Griga, a Hungarian immigrant who had gotten rich running a phone sex operation ? Doorbal's girlfriend knew him from the strip club where she worked. Under the pretense of proposing a business deal, the gang invited Griga and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton, to dinner with the intent to kidnap them.

But Griga fought back and was beaten to death. Furton was killed with an overdose of horse tranquilizer. Their bodies were taken to the same warehouse where Schiller had been held and dismembered. The bodies were dumped and the parts were put into drums and buckets and then discarded around South Florida. (One movie trailer shows a small dog carrying a severed toe in its mouth around a posh home).

When Griga and Furton were reported missing, the investigation quickly focused on the Sun Gym gang. Delgado became a prosecution witness against Lugo and Doorbal, who were convicted of murder in 1998 and sentenced to death. They are awaiting execution. Delgado got 15 years. Others were also convicted for their roles.

Jimenez, the detective, was often assigned to show actors ? including Kevin Bacon ? what it was like to ride in a squad car. As they cruised, he would tell them about the Sun Gym case.

"Their response was: 'I know it's true. But you can't even make a movie out of it because nobody will believe that it was true.'"

___

Online:

"Pain & Gain" trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvMsuONpTLo

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-04-Film-Pain%20and%20Gain/id-9391b874bb724902b6ff98706bf88c19

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Arrested Development Season 4 to Be Released On...

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/arrested-development-season-4-to-be-released-on/

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Video: Box CEO: Focus On Reliable & Secure Cloud Storage

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Autism linked to increased genetic change in regions of genome instability

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Children with autism have increased levels of genetic change in regions of the genome prone to DNA rearrangements, so called "hotspots," according to a research discovery to be published in the print edition of the journal Human Molecular Genetics. The research indicates that these genetic changes come in the form of an excess of duplicated DNA segments in hotspot regions and may affect the chances that a child will develop autism -- a behavioral disorder that affects about 1 of every 88 children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Earlier work had identified, in children with autism, a greater frequency of rare DNA deletions or duplications, known as DNA copy number changes. These rare and harmful events are found in approximately 5 to 10 percent of cases, raising the question as to what other genetic changes might contribute to the disorders known as autism spectrum disorders.

The new research shows that children with autism have -- in addition to these rare events -- an excess of duplicated DNA including more common variants not exclusively found in children with autism, but are found at elevated levels compared to typically developing children. The research collaboration includes groups led at Penn State by Scott Selleck; at the University of California Davis/MIND Institute by Isaac Pessah, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Flora Tassone, and Robin Hansen; and at the University of Washington by Evan Eichler.

The investigators also found that the balance of DNA duplications and deletions in children with autism was different from that found in more severe developmental disorders, such as intellectual disability or multiple congenital anomalies, where the levels of both deletions and duplications are increased compared to controls, and are even higher than in children with autism.

They also found that children who had more difficulty with daily living skills also had the greatest level of copy number change throughout their genome. "These measures of adaptive behavior provide an indication of the severity of the impairment in the children with autism. These behaviors were significantly correlated with the amount of DNA copy number change," Selleck said, emphasizing that the research revealed "clear and graded effects of the genetic change."

"These results beg the question as to the origin of this genetic change," Selleck said. "The increased levels of both rare and common variants suggests the possibility that these individuals are predisposed to genetic alteration."

A vigorous debate is ongoing in the research community about the degree of genetic versus environmental contributions to autism. Selleck said the finding of an overall increase in genetic change in children with autism heightens the need to search for the basis of this variation. "We know that environmental factors can affect the stability of the genome, but we don't know if the DNA copy number change we detect in these children is a result of environmental exposures, nutrition, medical factors, lifestyle, genetic susceptibility, or combinations of many elements together," Selleck said. "The elevated levels of common variants is telling us something. It suggests that pure selection of randomly generated variants may not be the whole story."

The Penn State team includes Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Associate Professor Marylyn Ritchie and Assistant Professor Santhosh Girirajan. "The relationship between the level of copy number change and the degree of neurodevelopmental disability is something we have noted previously for large, rare variants" says Girirajan, "but this work extends those observations to common copy number variants, suggesting the level of copy number change in children with autism is larger than we had appreciated." Girirajan, the first author of the study, coordinated the effort between the Penn State and University of Washington researchers.

The research collaboration began with studies supported by the Minnesota Medical Foundation and the Martin Lenz Harrison Endowed Chair in Pediatrics when Selleck was Director of the Autism Initiative at the University of Minnesota. When Selleck arrived at Penn State in 2009, he began a new phase of the analysis with replication studies of early findings conducted with the help and expertise of Evan Eichler and colleagues at the University of Washington using the clinical data and DNA collected by Isaac Pessah, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Flora Tassone, and Robin Hansen at the University of California Davis/MIND Institute group, which directs a large population-based case-control study of autism called CHARGE (Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment). In this multiyear study, clinical history, environmental, nutritional, family, and medical data are collected from the families of children with autism and other developmental disorders, as well as from randomly selected control children from the general population. The research took advantage of the CHARGE study, supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency.

"The CHARGE study is a true population-based case-control cohort for the study of autism, the only one of its kind that I am aware of" says Selleck, and allows for comparisons between the children with autism and controls matched for geographical location and time of birth. The research team plans to continue its collaboration to further characterize the more common genetic variants found to be associated with autism and to explore the relationship between genome variation and environmental exposures.

###

Penn State: http://live.psu.edu

Thanks to Penn State for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127571/Autism_linked_to_increased_genetic_change_in_regions_of_genome_instability

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Scientist: White House brain project among most ambitious (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/296304790?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Obama launches research initiative to study human brain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House unveiled details on Tuesday on a new initiative to study the human brain with the goal of treating or curing Alzheimer's disease and other disorders.

Called the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, the program is to be funded with $100 million from President Barack Obama's fiscal 2014 budget. The White House is slated to release Obama's budget next week.

"The BRAIN Initiative will accelerate the development and application of new technologies that will enable researchers to produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact at the speed of thought," the White House said in a statement.

"These technologies will open new doors to explore how the brain records, processes, uses, stores and retrieves vast quantities of information, and shed light on the complex links between brain function and behavior."

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-launches-research-initiative-study-human-brain-133725005.html

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It's Time to Invest in Your Future - Texas Tech University ...

What if you could launch your career with the skills to make great decisions about your personal income, and use the same skill to enhance your employability? www.depts.ttu.edu/distancelearning/minors/online-finance/

Studies in Personal Finance provide basic knowledge needed to manage personal financial activities in day-to-day life.? It is great preparation for any career but is especially applicable to careers in social services, education, communications, and business.

The minor involves 18 credit hours and two of the 6 courses comprise the educational requirements for the Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) designation, which is coordinated directly with the Personal Finance department. www.afcpe.org

The minor does not satisfy the eligibility requirements to take the Certified Financial Planner Comprehensive Exam.? If you are interested in the CFP exam please reference the Personal Financial Planning website. www.pfp.ttu.edu

To pursue the Studies in Personal Finance minor you should first contact your academic advisor.? Both your academic advisor and Academic Advising in the College of Human Sciences (mail to: donna.burt@ttu.edu ) will work with you to complete the process necessary to declare your minor.

Source: http://techannounce.ttu.edu/Client/ViewMessage.aspx?MsgId=150713

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Antibiotic studied to reduce hemorrhagic stroke damage

Antibiotic studied to reduce hemorrhagic stroke damage [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@gru.edu
706-721-4421
Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University

AUGUSTA, Ga. A new study will help determine if an antibiotic is a partial antidote for the poisonous effect blood has on the brain following a hemorrhagic stroke, researchers say.

They want to know if minocycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, can reduce high rates of disability from this comparatively rare stroke type characterized by spontaneous bleeds into the brain, said Dr. Jeffrey A. Switzer, stroke specialist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

"We hope that, given early, minocycline can help reduce the damage of a type of stroke for which there is currently no proven therapy," Switzer said. He is principal investigator on an American Heart Association grant funding a trial enrolling 24 patients over two years, half of whom will get minocycline.

Dr. David Hess, Chair of the MCG Department of Neurology, and Dr. Susan C. Fagan, Assistant Dean of the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, have shown minocycline is safe and potentially effective at combating some collateral damage of the more common clot-based strokes.

In a follow-up analysis, minocycline also appeared to reduce the inflammation that follows the initial stroke as well as levels of matrix metalloproteinases, or MMPs, a family of enzymes that destroys the basement membrane of blood vessels, making rupture more likely.

Elevated levels of MMPs and inflammatory cells have been found in the blood of both kinds of stroke patients and high levels correlate with poor outcomes. Minocycline also is known as a powerful collector of iron, a vital blood component that helps transport oxygen inside blood vessels but poisons brain tissue upon direct contact.

Switzer hopes minocycline will reduce levels of all three in hemorrhagic stroke, reducing bleeding and the size and impact of the stroke. Nearly 40 percent of hemorrhagic strokes increase in size during the first 24 hours. Most of the growth occurs within the first few hours, so timely intervention could reduce brain tissue loss, he said.

In fact, if minocycline proves safe in hemorrhagic strokes, the researchers believe the best place to give it would be in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Minocycline may be able to expand the window during which the clot buster tPA can be given to ischemic stroke patients. Switzer and his colleagues have first-hand experience that the earlier the better with stroke intervention. "If we could give something in the field before we can confirm the type of stroke because we know it's safe for both, that would be a novel strategy to help patients," he said.

For the study, they will use computerized tomography, or CT, to confirm a hemorrhagic stroke then get baseline assessments of blood levels of agents of interest, such as MMPs, as well as the patient's cognitive and physical abilities before giving the first dose of minocycline intravenously. Subsequent doses will be given orally, if the patient can swallow, over the next four days. Measures of outcomes and biomarkers will be reassessed at 24 hours, seven days or at time of hospital discharge and again at 90 days post-stroke.

They hope that decreasing blood levels of MMPs will serve as an indicator of how well the therapy works.

Risk factors for hemorrhagic stroke include uncontrolled hypertension; use of older blood thinners commonly prescribed for conditions such as heart disease and clots in the legs; and amyloid angiopathy, a deposit of Alzheimer's-like plaque that weakens the walls of blood vessels on the brain surface, typically in older individuals.

In addition to the substances in the blood that do harm, the physical mass created by bleeding causes damage. "It's tearing and pushing on structures in the brain and can cause a shifting of tissue that can be fatal in the closed chamber of the skull," Switzer said. "However, for those with smaller bleeds, better treatments, such as perhaps minocycline, are needed to combat the toxic effects of blood on brain tissue."

###

For more information, contact Clinical Research Assistant Brian Close at 706-721-2675.


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

?


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


Antibiotic studied to reduce hemorrhagic stroke damage [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@gru.edu
706-721-4421
Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University

AUGUSTA, Ga. A new study will help determine if an antibiotic is a partial antidote for the poisonous effect blood has on the brain following a hemorrhagic stroke, researchers say.

They want to know if minocycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, can reduce high rates of disability from this comparatively rare stroke type characterized by spontaneous bleeds into the brain, said Dr. Jeffrey A. Switzer, stroke specialist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

"We hope that, given early, minocycline can help reduce the damage of a type of stroke for which there is currently no proven therapy," Switzer said. He is principal investigator on an American Heart Association grant funding a trial enrolling 24 patients over two years, half of whom will get minocycline.

Dr. David Hess, Chair of the MCG Department of Neurology, and Dr. Susan C. Fagan, Assistant Dean of the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, have shown minocycline is safe and potentially effective at combating some collateral damage of the more common clot-based strokes.

In a follow-up analysis, minocycline also appeared to reduce the inflammation that follows the initial stroke as well as levels of matrix metalloproteinases, or MMPs, a family of enzymes that destroys the basement membrane of blood vessels, making rupture more likely.

Elevated levels of MMPs and inflammatory cells have been found in the blood of both kinds of stroke patients and high levels correlate with poor outcomes. Minocycline also is known as a powerful collector of iron, a vital blood component that helps transport oxygen inside blood vessels but poisons brain tissue upon direct contact.

Switzer hopes minocycline will reduce levels of all three in hemorrhagic stroke, reducing bleeding and the size and impact of the stroke. Nearly 40 percent of hemorrhagic strokes increase in size during the first 24 hours. Most of the growth occurs within the first few hours, so timely intervention could reduce brain tissue loss, he said.

In fact, if minocycline proves safe in hemorrhagic strokes, the researchers believe the best place to give it would be in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Minocycline may be able to expand the window during which the clot buster tPA can be given to ischemic stroke patients. Switzer and his colleagues have first-hand experience that the earlier the better with stroke intervention. "If we could give something in the field before we can confirm the type of stroke because we know it's safe for both, that would be a novel strategy to help patients," he said.

For the study, they will use computerized tomography, or CT, to confirm a hemorrhagic stroke then get baseline assessments of blood levels of agents of interest, such as MMPs, as well as the patient's cognitive and physical abilities before giving the first dose of minocycline intravenously. Subsequent doses will be given orally, if the patient can swallow, over the next four days. Measures of outcomes and biomarkers will be reassessed at 24 hours, seven days or at time of hospital discharge and again at 90 days post-stroke.

They hope that decreasing blood levels of MMPs will serve as an indicator of how well the therapy works.

Risk factors for hemorrhagic stroke include uncontrolled hypertension; use of older blood thinners commonly prescribed for conditions such as heart disease and clots in the legs; and amyloid angiopathy, a deposit of Alzheimer's-like plaque that weakens the walls of blood vessels on the brain surface, typically in older individuals.

In addition to the substances in the blood that do harm, the physical mass created by bleeding causes damage. "It's tearing and pushing on structures in the brain and can cause a shifting of tissue that can be fatal in the closed chamber of the skull," Switzer said. "However, for those with smaller bleeds, better treatments, such as perhaps minocycline, are needed to combat the toxic effects of blood on brain tissue."

###

For more information, contact Clinical Research Assistant Brian Close at 706-721-2675.


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

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/mcog-ast040113.php

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Credit Suisse says NY mortgage case too little, too late

By Karen Freifeld

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Credit Suisse Group AG asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that accuses the Swiss bank of deceiving investors in mortgage-backed securities that resulted in $11.2 billion of losses.

In a Monday filing in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Credit Suisse said the attorney general waited too long, was precluded by federal law, and was not specific enough in detailing the alleged wrongdoing to allow the case to go forward.

Schneiderman sued in November, accusing Credit Suisse of misrepresenting the quality of loans underlying securities it sponsored and underwrote in 2006 and 2007.

But Credit Suisse said the lawsuit substantially mimicked other lawsuits filed as much as five years ago, and used "hindsight" to buttress stale claims that could ultimately only benefit sophisticated investors, who should have known the securities were risky to begin with.

"It is striking how threadbare the allegations are even with all of the extra time the NYAG took to file it," the bank's lawyers wrote.

Damien Lavera, a Schneiderman spokesman, said the attorney general is confident he will prevail, and hold accountable "those responsible for the misconduct that led to the crash of the housing market and the collapse of the American economy."

Schneiderman is co-chair of a state-federal task force including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, that is investigating misconduct in the packaging and sale of mortgage-backed securities that helped lead to the financial crisis.

The SEC in November reached a $120 million settlement with Credit Suisse, and the bank said Schneiderman's lawsuit rehashed some claims addressed in that accord.

Credit Suisse also said the lawsuit was barred by a three-year statute of limitations and by the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which preempts state securities laws.

Schneiderman has argued that a six-year statute applies.

In October, Schneiderman sued JPMorgan Chase & Co over mortgage-backed securities created by Bear Stearns Cos, the investment bank it acquired in 2008.

The JPMorgan case was the first lawsuit to come out of the task force. JPMorgan is trying to dismiss that case, raising some of the same arguments as Credit Suisse.

The case is People of the State of New York v Credit Suisse AG, New York State Supreme Court, New York County No. 451802-2012.

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/credit-suisse-says-ny-mortgage-case-too-little-211313648--finance.html

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Tanzania pulls 29 bodies from rubble of fallen building

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Rescue workers have pulled 29 bodies from the rubble of a collapsed building in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, a senior official said on Sunday.

The building of more than 12 storeys, which had been under construction near a mosque in the Kariakoo district around the city center, caved in on Friday morning. Several cars were crushed and boys playing soccer nearby were among the dead.

"We have now recovered a total of 29 bodies from the rubble of the collapsed building," Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Said Meck Sadick told Reuters.

He said workers were now reaching the basement where there was a store for equipment and more bodies might be found. He said digging would continue until all bodies were recovered.

Tanzania's buoyant economy has fuelled a building boom, especially in Kariakoo and the city center. But the speed of construction has raised concerns about safety standards.

President Jakaya Kikwete, who visited the scene on Friday, ordered authorities to act against responsible parties. Police said four people had been arrested over the incident.

(Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tanzania-pulls-29-bodies-rubble-fallen-building-163048814--finance.html

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Shain Gandee Fans Mourn 'Buckwild' Star Like Family

Gandee Candy fans react on MTV and Twitter and share their shock.
By Emilee Lindner


Shain Gandee on "Buckwild"
Photo: MTV

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704715/shain-gandee-dead-fan-reactions.jhtml

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Three killed in 75-vehicle accident in Virginia

By Brendan O'Brien

(Reuters) - Three people were killed and 25 injured on Sunday in a 75-vehicle pile-up along a fog-shrouded stretch of Virginia highway, local media reports and the state's department of transportation said.

The accident occurred at about 1:15 p.m. in the Fancy Gap Mountain area of Virginia, shutting down Interstate 77 in both directions, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.

It said the accident backed up traffic for eight miles.

Police said heavy fog was to blame for the accident.

(Reporting By Brendan O'Brien)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/three-killed-75-vehicle-accident-virginia-004726757.html

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