Saturday, January 28, 2012

Notebak Anti-Theft


When your laptop goes missing, your first reaction may be blind, unreasoning panic. If the laptop has Notebak Anti-Theft ($29.95/year direct) installed, though, you can relax a bit. That is, as long as you've configured the product correctly for maximum security. Notebak offers a wide variety of features to help you protect and recover your laptop and the data that it holds.

During installation you define a password for connecting with the Notebak Web portal, along with a separate secret key which can't be the same as the password. To make remote requests of the client installed on the laptop you'll need to enter this secret key.

To open the local Notebak client on the laptop itself you can either double-click its icon or press Shift+Ctrl+V. If desired you can set Notebak for stealth mode, hiding the icon. In that case, the special keystroke becomes the only way to open Notebak.

Lock and Alarm
Any time you have to leave your laptop unattended, you really should lock Windows, so nobody can even look at what you've been doing. Notebak can't do that for you, since it can't tell that you've walked away. However, it can lock automatically if a thief closes the lid or unplugs the power in preparation for running off with the laptop.

From the local client you can choose several alarm and lock options. Just setting it to sound the alarm if the laptop is unplugged or the lid closed won't help you much, since the thief can just click a big on-screen button to turn Notebak off. Instead, set it to sound the alarm and lock the computer. You can choose from a dozen alarm sounds.

As with Laptop Superhero ($29.99/year direct, 2.5 stars) and LaptopSentry 3.1 ($9.99 direct, 2.5 stars), Notebak's alarm could be silenced by plugging headphones (or even a simple audio jack) into the headphone socket. The startled thief probably won't think of this ploy.

Serious Lockdown
The DigitaLabel feature goes way beyond merely invoking Windows's computer lock. When active, it displays a big notice on the laptop screen before Windows ever boots, saying "REWARD FOR RETURN." The notice contains a unique identifier along with Notebak's Web address. An honest user can report the find using the unique ID, without ever receiving your personal connection information. As the owner, you can bypass that screen by typing in a four-digit code that you'll find by logging in to the Notebak Web portal.

Naturally I tried to break through this protection, to somehow gain access without entering the four-digit code. I couldn't do it. The product includes advice to foil a thief who wants to reformat the drive, though of course there's no hope if the thief physically extracts the drive and installs it in another computer.

When a good Samaritan reports finding a lost laptop, the recovery process is flexible. If you want to pay a reward, Notebak will negotiate with the finder. They can set up a meeting or have the finder ship them the laptop (at your expense). You (and the finder) can remain anonymous. The point is to give you the best a chance at recovery.

For maximum security, you can set DigitaLabel so it's always active. That means each time you restart or unlock the computer for your own use, you'll need to enter that four-digit code. You can also set it to activate any time the laptop's location is outside a user-defined geofence (more about geofencing shortly).

At a minimum, the company recommends you set DigiaLabel to turn on automatically if the laptop hasn't connected to the Internet for a full day. Like the offline lock feature in Laptop Superhero, this helps ensure that a thief can't totally foil Notebak by isolating it from your remote commands.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/F-oqJNfbmLk/0,2817,2399391,00.asp

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Selling a Business on Facebook - NYTimes.com

An independent florist with a reputation for unusual arrangements, Bloom is a fixture in historic downtown Bentonville, Ark., an area whose rapid growth was recently accelerated by the opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

I don?t usually work with businesses as small as Bloom, but it?s a special business that?s held a special place in the community. Plus, I?d been a customer since it opened and knew the owner well. I dispensed with the usual formalities under which my business brokerage firm accepts clients, made a hand-shake agreement with the seller and immediately got to work. There was one big problem: I had four months to sell the business before the seller was going to pack up and move to Chicago to take a job.

Four months to sell a business is not a lot of time. Most businesses take approximately a year to sell, regardless of their size; surveys say you should expect anywhere from six to 18 months. By the time the listing advertisements went live in mid-August, I could hear the clock ticking. I knew I would have to step up the intensity to get Bloom sold, and I asked the seller if I could unleash an all-out blitz on social media. She agreed.

Despite years of tweeting, posting, liking and friending, I had had no luck finding a buyer for any of my firm?s listings using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Still, I kept at it, hoping that one day my investment in social media would prove worthwhile.

On Sept. 12, I posted the following on about a dozen Facebook pages with a link to my ad on BizBuySell.com:

Charming Florist in Heart of Historic Downtown: Sitting pretty in one of the most desirable locations in Benton County! Escape the cubicle. Stop and sell the flowers.

A little corny, I know, but it got people?s attention.

One of those people was Daniel Hintz, executive director of Downtown Bentonville, Inc. ? an organization that facilitates capital projects, business partnerships and community events in the historic downtown area. When he saw the post, Mr. Hintz said, ?Our first instinct was to generate buzz to help foster new investment and keep a dynamic and successful brand in downtown.? He hit the ?share? button. With the help of 3,792 ?likes? on the Downtown Bentonville Facebook page, the ad?s reach was immediately amplified.

The downside of my Facebook post was that many people guessed the identity of the business, even though it wasn?t named in the ad. Most sellers hope that their business will be sold quickly, confidentially and for the highest possible price. When you?re trying to sell a business quickly, however, those last two items can be tricky. In the case of Bloom, the seller was contacted repeatedly, and confidentiality pretty much went out the window. The owner dutifully referred those who inquired at the store to my firm.

Ultimately we fielded close to 20 inquiries. One came from Russ Dietz, who saw the Downtown Bentonville post in his Facebook news feed. He and his partner, Heath Nicholas, owned a catering company in Bentonville and were interested in complementary businesses. Mr. Nicholas clicked through to my ad, where he was able to see some high-level financial information on the business. He and Mr. Dietz closed the sale in December (another co-owner, Kim Murray, signed on after the sale). The seller did not get her full asking price ? the 2011 average sales-to-asking price across industries was 88 percent ? but she made it to Chicago in time to start the new job.

I?m far from having figured out how social media will help my firm sell businesses, but I?ve had my first taste of success. I?ve tried to analyze why the Bloom post on Facebook received such an overwhelming response, while similar Main Street posts have fallen flat. I think Bloom?s ties with the a local community were especially strong. ?Our organization can activate a wide network of influencers to help make things happen,? Mr. Hintz said. ?Someone knows someone who knows someone.?

Have you gotten unexpected results for your business using social media?

Barbara Taylor is co-owner of a business brokerage firm, Synergy Business Services, in Bentonville, Ark. You can follow her on Twitter.

Source: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/selling-a-business-on-facebook/

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Dow will remain a sponsor, says London Olympics organising committee

London:? Despite growing voices against Dow Chemical's association with the 2012 London Olympics, the mega sporting event's organiser, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), has said that the multinational will continue to remain a sponsor. The LOCOG is responsible for preparing and staging the 2012 Games.

The announcement was made by Paul Deighton, the chief executive of the LOCOG. It comes a day after a commissioner of an ethics watchdog for the event, Meredith Alexander, resigned over Dow Chemical's links to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster.

Reacting to Meredith Alexander's resignation, Mr Deighton said today, "It is absolutely her right to resign. She is one of 12 members of that sustainability commission who signed off on the way we approached awarding the wrap to Dow. I think that it is great that we have got this independent function to oversee so all this is washed through transparently. I think that is fine but we are moving on."

Yesterday, Meredith Alexander said she was stepping down from her unpaid position on the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 (CSL), which monitors sustainability at the Olympics and Paralympics. "I don't want to be party to a defence of Dow Chemicals, the company responsible for one of the worst corporate human rights violations in my generation," she said.

After Meredith Alexander quit her post, more politicians in the UK have joined the protest. Opposition Labour Party's Shadow Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell also joined the chorus against Dow and called for a review of Dow's sponsorship decision.

"I have called today for an audit of the steps taken that led the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 to recommend to the London Olympics organisers, the LOCOG, that Dow Chemicals' sponsorship of the wrap was consistent with the high sustainability aims that we set for 2012 (Games). We also need to understand what the role of other Commissioners was in the process which reached that conclusion.

"We need a solution not a row. Dow Chemicals need to understand the seriousness with which people take the continuing situation in Bhopal following the tragic disaster in 1984. I will do everything I can to make sure this issue does not overshadow the Games. There is still time for a solution to be found," Tessa Jowell said in a statement.

Meanwhile, speaking to NDTV, Barry Gardiner, another Labour MP who has been spearheading the anti-Dow protests, said "it is time for Indian politicians to take a stand on the issue."

"Investigations need to be made into the Dow tender. But pressure needs to come from India. This is not just a UK campaign, and quite frankly, I want to see Indian politicians now getting involved," he added.

Dow is a major sponsor of both the London Games and the International Olympic Committee, and has stepped in to fund a high-tech "wrap" around the stadium. The London Olympics organisers, LOCOG, said in December that Dow's name would not be on the wrap during the Games or on five 'test' panels either.

India is strongly opposed to the company's involvement with the Games. Dow is the parent company of Union Carbide, whose pesticide plant leaked gas into Bhopal in 1984, killing thousands of people in the world's worst industrial accident. The company has said all liabilities for the disaster were resolved after Union Carbide settled with the Indian government in 1989 by paying $470 million to the victims. (With Inputs from AFP)

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NdtvNews-TopStories/~3/rbjshUcawdE/story01.htm

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Cold Plasma Layer Detected High Above Earth (SPACE.com)

Cold, electrically charged particles have long been suspected to exist tens of thousands of miles above the Earth's surface, and now scientists have detected such ions there for the first time. And they are significantly more abundant at those heights than previously imagined.

Cold is, of course, a relative term. Although these low-energy ions are 1,000 times cooler than what researchers might consider hot plasma, these particles still have an energy that would correspond to about 1 million degrees Fahrenheit (500,000 degrees Celsius). But because the density of the "cold" ions in space is so low, satellites and spacecraft can orbit through them without getting destroyed.

Scientists had detected the ions at altitudes of about 60 miles (100 kilometers), but for decades, researchers wanted to look for them much higher, between 12,400 and 60,000 miles (20,000 and 100,000 km). Knowing how many cold ions dwell up there could help better understand how our planet interacts with storms of charged particles from the sun ? like the one that slammed into the planet yesterday (Jan 24) ? that create auroras, damage satellites and sometimes wreak havoc with power grids on Earth.

However, detecting cold plasma at those high altitudes has proven difficult. Spacecraft that far up accumulate an electrical charge, due to sunlight that makes them repel the cold ions.

The breakthrough came with one of the European Space Agency's four CLUSTER spacecraft. These are equipped with a detector composed of thin wire arms that measure the electric field between them as the satellite rotates.

"It is surprising we found the cold ions at all with our instrument," researcher Mats Andr?, a space scientist at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Uppsala, told OurAmazingPlanet. "It was not at all designed to do this. It was designed to observe electric fields."

'Ugly' electrical fields

Two mysterious trends appeared when the scientists analyzed data from these detectors ? strong electric fields turned up in unexpected regions of space, and as the spacecraft rotated, the measurements of the electrical fields did not fluctuate in the smoothly changing manner that investigators expected.

"To a scientist, it looked pretty ugly," Andr? said. "We tried to figure out what was wrong with the instrument. Then we realized there's nothing wrong with the instrument."

Their findings suggest that cold plasma was influencing electrical fields around the satellite. Once the scientists understood that, they could measure how much of the once-hidden ions there were.

"The more you look for low-energy ions, the more you find," Andr? said. "We didn't know how much was out there. It's more than even I thought."

Although the concentration of the previously hidden cold ions varies, about 50 to 70 percent of the time the researchers find they make up most of the mass of high-altitude zones. These previously elusive low-energy ions were detected even at altitudes of about 60,000 miles (100,000 km), about a third of the distance to the moon. Finding so many relatively cool ions in those regions is surprising, because the solar wind blasts Earth's high altitudes.

"It is surprising that there were so many cold ions," Andr? said. "There have been hints for a long time, and with previous spacecraft, but I do not think anyone, not me, thought this cold, hidden population could dominate so-large volumes, [for] so-large fractions of the time."

Losing ions

Space physicists have struggled to accurately determine how many low-energy ions are leaving the planet. The new findings suggest that about two lbs. (1 kilogram) of cold plasma escape from Earth's atmosphere every second.

Knowing that rate of loss for Earth might help scientists better figure out what became of the atmosphere of Mars, which is thought to once have been denser, and more similar to Earth's. The new cold plasma results might also help researchers explain atmospheric traits of other planets and moons, including alien worlds or exoplanets, Andr? said.

"If someone is living on an exoplanet, they probably want an atmosphere that is not blowing away," Andr? said.

Moreover, as scientists further map cold plasma around Earth, they could discover more about how it reacts during solar storms and other events, deepening our understanding of space weather. Andr? compared the swaths of low-energy ions to a low-pressure area in our familiar, down-to-Earth weather. "You may want to know where the low-pressure area is, to predict a storm," he said.

Andr? and his colleague Christopher Cully detailed their findings Dec. 23 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

This story was provided by OurAmazingPlanet, a sister site to SPACE.com. Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120126/sc_space/coldplasmalayerdetectedhighaboveearth

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

In Romney's tax returns, details on Mormon tithe (AP)

Mitt Romney's newly released tax returns provide more than an accounting of the Republican presidential candidate's remarkable personal wealth. The documents also give a rare glimpse into tithing to the Mormon church by one its most prominent members.

Romney reports he will give a total of $4.13 million to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over two years as part of his overall charitable donations. The former Massachusetts governor reported income of about $43 million for the two years. Separately, over the past decade, Romney and his wife, Ann, have given more than $4.7 million to the denomination through the Tyler Charitable Foundation, a multimillion-dollar trust the couple leads.

The LDS church famously seeks a high level of commitment from its members ? in prayer, study, service to others and charity. A lifelong Mormon, Romney served as a missionary in France as a young man and as a top Latter-day Saint leader in the Boston area.

However, the Republican candidate's commitment to the church is a double-edged sword in the contest for the presidential nomination. Many GOP voters are Christians who do not consider Mormons to be part of historic Christianity. Romney supporters worry that details of his church donations contained in the tax returns could fuel opposition to him based on his religion.

"I feel it can be misconstrued if the sums of money he's giving to the church struck observers as unusual or as indicating some particular loyalty that threatens his independence as a politician," said Terryl Givens, a professor at the University of Richmond and author of several books on Latter-day Saints.

The annual 10 percent donation is a Bible mandate taught throughout Christianity. (Evangelical pastor Rick Warren, author of the bestselling book "The Purpose Driven Life," is known to "reverse tithe," keeping 10 percent of his earnings for his family while giving away 90 percent.)

Particular to Mormon teaching, Latter-day Saints must pay the tithe to remain a church member in good standing and participate in temple rituals. The Doctrine & Covenants, a collection of revelations from church founder Joseph Smith, says of tithing that Mormons "shall observe this law, or they shall not be found worthy to abide among you." Nearly 80 percent of Latter-day Saints said they paid a tithe in a recent survey by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Mormon giving is shaped by an ethic of self-reliance from the church's pioneer heritage, and by the history of anti-Mormon persecution over religious beliefs and past support for polygamy, which the church renounced in 1890.

Smith was assassinated by a mob in 1844. The earliest Mormons were driven from their homes, often under violent attack. Settlers in the Salt Lake Valley faced food shortages, disease and other hardships. Out of these experiences, the church developed its own massive welfare system, which it still operates today, providing food and other goods from its own factories and farms.

"They had to learn very early on in their history to provide for the material needs of their own people," Givens said.

In addition to the tithe, Mormons also give what they call a "fast offering." One day a month, Mormons fast, then donate the money they would have spent on the food to their local church leaders. The funds are used to help anyone struggling in the community because of unemployment, illness or other difficulty.

In addition, Latter-day Saints are expected to donate to a variety of church charities, including a low-interest education loan fund, a publishing fund for the Book of Mormon, and the church's international disaster relief and aid fund ? the denomination's equivalent to the Red Cross ? which responds to tragedies such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

The giving process is private, making the details of Romney's charitable donations that much more noteworthy. No collection plates are passed during worship services. No financial records are used. Mormons are expected to give according to their conscience. Once a year, local LDS bishops hold tithing settlement meetings with families to ask if they've paid their full 10 percent. The church, based in Salt Lake City, releases no specifics of what it collects in tithes annually, although the amount by some estimates is several billion dollars.

On his tax returns, Romney reported that he gave the church $1.53 million in 2010 on income of $21.7 million, and in 2011 estimates he'll donate $2.6 million to the church, on expected income of $21 million. The 2010 amount is less than 10 percent, while the 2011 figure is higher than the expected tithe. A campaign official said the governor bases his tithes on estimated income, since he donates to the church at the end of the calendar year before his taxes are finalized. He plans to pay above the 10 percent in 2011, to make up for the underestimate the year before, the campaign official said.

For many Mormons, the percentage of tithing varies from year to year.

"In one given calendar year, I might actually `pre-pay' some tithing and then the next year, I'll kind of work that into my calculation," said Paul Edwards, editor of the Deseret News, which is owned by the LDS church. "I think that most Latter-day Saints can recognize it looks like he's giving roughly a 10th, whether it's one calendar year or over an extended period of time."

In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," one day after his loss in South Carolina, Romney said he'd be surprised "if people want to discriminate against someone based upon their commitment to tithe."

"The Bible speaks about providing tithes and offerings. I made a commitment to my church a long, long time ago that I would give 10 percent of my income to the church. And I followed through on that commitment," Romney said. "And, hopefully, as people look at various individuals running for president, they'd be pleased with someone who made a promise to God and kept that promise."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re/us_rel_romney_tithing

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Gates defends focus on high-tech agriculture

In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates smiles while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates smiles while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates listens to a question while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Bill Gates answers a question while being interviewed in Kirkland, Wash. Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for would hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

(AP) ? Bill Gates has a terse response to criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates for world hunger are too expensive or bad for the environment: Countries can embrace modern seed technology and genetic modification or their citizens will starve.

When he was in high school in the 1960s, people worried there wouldn't be enough food to feed the world, Gates recalled in his fourth annual letter, which was published online Tuesday. But the "green revolution," which transformed agriculture with high-yield crop varieties and other innovations, warded off famine.

Gates is among those who believe another, similar revolution is needed now. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spent about $2 billion in the past five years to fight poverty and hunger in Africa and Asia, and much of that money has gone toward improving agricultural productivity.

Gates doesn't apologize for his endorsement of modern agriculture or sidestep criticism of genetic modification. He told The Associated Press that he finds it ironic that most people who oppose genetic engineering in plant breeding live in rich nations that he believes are responsible for global climate change that will lead to more starvation and malnutrition for the poor.

Resistance to new technology is "again hurting the people who had nothing to do with climate change happening," Gates said.

Groups resistant to genetic modification and other hallmarks of modern agriculture, such as pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers, generally object on two grounds ? concerns about the environment and the high cost of the seed and chemicals used in modern farming.

Bill Freese, a science policy analyst for the Washington-based Center for Food Safety, said everyone wants to see things get better for hungry people, but genetically modified plants are more likely to make their developers rich than feed the poor. The seed is too expensive and has a high failure rate, he said. Better ways to increase yields would be increasing the fertility of soil by adding organic matter or combining plants growing in the same field to combat pests, he said.

The biggest problem with those alternatives, Freese said, is the same one that Gates cited in high-tech research: A lack of money for development.

In his 24-page letter, the Microsoft Corp. chairman lamented that more money isn't spent on agriculture research and noted that of the $3 billion spent each year on work on the seven most important crops, only 10 percent focuses on problems in poor countries.

"Given the central role that food plays in human welfare and national stability, it is shocking ? not to mention short-sighted and potentially dangerous ? how little money is spent on agricultural research," he wrote in his letter, calling for wealthier nations to step up.

The Gates Foundation is heavily engaged in political advocacy to get governments to spend more money on agriculture and improve policies on issues such as trade and land ownership. Along with advocacy and seed research, it spends its money on buying and distributing fertilizer, educating farmers and improving their access to world markets.

Gates said most of the seed research paid for by his foundation involves conventional plant breeding. In those cases, DNA research allows scientists to pinpoint which genes are responsible for desirable traits. He compares the work to changes in modern libraries.

"We used to have to use the card catalogue and browse through the books to find the information we needed," he wrote in his letter. "Now, in the same way we know ... the precise page that contains the piece of information we need, we can find out precisely which plant contains what gene conferring a specific characteristic. This will make plant breeding happen at a much faster clip."

But in some cases, researchers have inserted foreign genes, such as with cassava, a plant that when processed makes tapioca. It is a stable in Africa, but has been stricken by two diseases, causing more widespread hunger. Scientists injected genes from the disease-causing viruses into the plant's DNA to create a vaccine-like effect.

While Gates is a strong supporter of such work, he said scientists and government need to proceed with caution.

"I think the right way to think about GMOs is the same way we think about drugs," Gates said in an interview. "Whenever someone creates a new drug, you have to have very smart people looking at lots of trial-based data to make sure the benefits far outweigh any of the dangers.

"You can't be against all drugs, but drugs in general are not safe."

Gates' letter also addressed the foundation's work on combating AIDS and eradicating polio. He noted India recently celebrated its first polio-free anniversary and expressed optimism during an interview that other countries will soon have similar celebrations.

He said good progress is being made toward developing an AIDS vaccine and on AIDS treatment, and he hopes the U.S. will fulfill its pledge to provide $4 billion over three years to The Global Fund for AIDS research. It paid only $1 billion of that pledge in the first year.

Gates expressed in his letter and in person concern that the U.S. and other rich nations continue to support foreign aid during the recession.

"If you ask people should we provide AIDS drugs to people who need them, you get an overwhelming yes. When you ask people, do you believe in foreign aid, you get a very skeptical view," he said. "But the fact is that the biggest single program in foreign aid is providing those AIDS drugs. People need to connect those things."

___

Online:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: http://www.gatesfoundation.org

Center for Food Safety: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/

___

Associated Press writer Donna Blankinship can be reached at http://twitter.com/dgblankinship

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-24-Food%20and%20Farm-Gates/id-b226777971734b47b1605c02dac3f964

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Yahoo delivers another listless performance in 4Q (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Yahoo slipped further behind in the online advertising race during the fourth quarter as the Internet company entered the fourth year of a revenue slump.

The results announced Tuesday marked the latest in a succession of disappointing performances. The persisting malaise led to the firing of Carol Bartz as CEO four months ago.

Yahoo Inc. recently replaced Bartz with PayPal executive Scott Thompson, anointing him as the fourth CEO in less than five years to try to snap the company out of a funk that has depressed its stock. Thompson, who was hired just three weeks ago, promised to move quickly to fix the problems.

"There is no question we need to do better and we will," Thompson assured analysts in a Tuesday conference call.

The company earned $296 million, or 24 cents per share, in the October-to-December period. That is down 5 percent from $312 million, or 24 cents per share, a year earlier.

The earnings matched analysts' estimates, but the company missed Wall Street's revenue target.

Fourth-quarter revenue dropped 13 percent from the previous year to $1.32 billion. After subtracting advertising commissions, Yahoo's revenue totaled $1.17 billion, or $20 million below analyst projections. It's the 13th straight quarter that Yahoo's net revenue has declined from the prior year.

Although Thompson said it was still too early to share precise details about his turnaround strategy, he said he will close some Yahoo services. That could mean layoffs. Yahoo added 400 employees in the fourth quarter to end the year with 14,100 workers. It lost one of its co-founders last week when Jerry Yang resigned from the company's board and gave up his role as "Chief Yahoo."

Bartz had also closed or sold some of Yahoo's less popular services while jettisoning jobs to cut costs and sharpen the company's focus. Those moves, though, didn't increase Yahoo's revenue or stock price, leading the company's board to fire her in September with more than 15 months remaining on her contract.

"This company has been through such a rotating cast of characters that it's reached the point where it needs action, not words," BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said.

Besides closing services, Thompson said Yahoo will expand into some fields where he sees opportunities to make money. He didn't elaborate on that or on which services to close.

Thompson also pledged to develop more innovative products to keep Yahoo's audience of 700 million users on its websites for longer periods. Accomplishing that could make Yahoo more attractive to online advertisers. Thompson said he hopes to harness the data that Yahoo collects about its audience to help advertisers do a better job of putting their marketing messages in front of the people most likely to buy their products.

"I'll always ask a lot of questions and I'll immerse myself in the details but when it comes to making decisions, I make them quickly and then push to move fast, fast, fast," Thompson said.

But Yahoo isn't promising a quick start under Thompson's leadership. Yahoo predicted its net revenue in the current quarter will range from $1.02 billion to $1.1 billion. The mid-point of that target works out to $1.06 billion, unchanged from last year's first quarter.

Investors appear to be taking a wait-and-see attitude with Thompson. Yahoo's stock shed 14 cents to $15.55 in extended trading after the report came out. The stock price has fallen by about 40 percent from five years ago.

Yahoo's downturn in revenue has occurred as advertisers are shifting more of their budgets to the Internet as people spend more of their time on the Web. The biggest beneficiaries of this boom so far have been Internet search leader Google Inc. and Facebook, the owner of the largest online social network.

While Yahoo continued to struggle during the final three months of last year, Google's revenue rose 25 percent from the same period in 2010. As a privately held company, Facebook doesn't disclose its financial results, but data compiled by independent research firms show that its website has been luring advertisers away from Yahoo.

Google has become so dominant in Internet search that Yahoo teamed up with another rival, Microsoft Corp., in an effort to become more competitive and save money. Yahoo's search engine now relies on Microsoft's technology to handle most requests. The alliance, forged in mid-2009, hasn't generated as much revenue so far as Yahoo had hoped, although there were signs of progress in the fourth quarter.

Net revenue from search totaled $376 million in the fourth quarter, a 3 percent decrease from a year earlier. The company, which is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., had been suffering year-over-year declines of more than 10 percent in previous quarters.

As it tries to boost its revenue and lift its stock price, Yahoo is considering selling its stakes in China's Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan. Yahoo is pursuing those negotiations with "great enthusiasm," according to Tim Morse, the company's chief financial officer. Neither Morse nor Thompson elaborated on when a deal might be reached.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_hi_te/us_earns_yahoo

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Federer's 1,000th match a lot like his others (AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia ? Roger Federer's 1,000th match was similar to most in his career ? no-nonsense, dominating from the start, some incredible shots, and yes, victory.

Four-time champion Federer advanced to his ninth straight Australian Open semifinal with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win Tuesday over Juan Martin del Potro, the man who beat him for the U.S. Open title in 2009.

"It's a lot of matches and a lot tennis," Federer said. "Either I have been around for a long time or I'm extremely fit. You decide which way you want to describe it. But I'm happy."

In the semifinals, Federer will play the winner of the Tuesday's other quarterfinal between second-seeded Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych, a rematch of the 2010 Wimbledon final won by Nadal.

Defending women's champion Kim Clijsters, still dealing with a left ankle injury, advanced to a semifinal against third-seeded Victoria Azarenka by beating No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (4) Tuesday. Clijsters' victory ensured that Wozniacki would lose the top ranking she has held for most of the last 15 months.

Azarenka beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-7 (0), 6-0, 6-2. Azarenka is one of three women who could finish at No. 1 in Melbourne ? Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova are the others

On Wednesday, Sharapova plays Ekaterina Makarova, who beat five-time champion Serena Williams in the fourth round, and No. 2 Kvitova takes on unseeded Sara Errani of Italy.

Federer's career, including a record 16 Grand Slam singles victories, can be enhanced even more if he wins the title this year at Melbourne Park. With a 232-34 record in Grand Slam singles matches, he'd overtake Jimmy Connors' mark of 233 wins with victories in the semifinals and Sunday's final.

The quarterfinals on the other side of the men's draw are on Wednesday ? Andy Murray plays Kei Nishikori of Japan and top-seeded Novak Djokovic takes on David Ferrer. They'll have a tough time matching the quality of the Federer-Del Potro encounter.

Del Potro, who has recovered from the right wrist injury that sidelined him for most of 2010, played well in flashes. But Federer was at another level, hitting lobs, drop shots, cross-court winners and generally negating Del Potro's big forehand.

"We have played some big matches against each other, so just knowing how well he's been playing as of late, I was just hoping that I would get off a good start," Federer said. "I was able to mix it up well and control the ball, and right away sort of felt confident, which then sort of helped me to use all aspects of my game."

The end of the match came in a most fitting way, one of Federer's backhand winners.

Before that, Federer saved his fourth break point at 5-3 in the second set after a long rally. He let out a loud yell, unusual for a player not prone to big celebrations.

"That's why I didn't celebrate when I won the set, just to make it up," Federer said, smiling. "I really knew how important that game was for me."

Clijsters has needed continual treatment on her ankle since Sunday, when she injured it and had to save four match points in her fourth-round win over Li Na, a rematch of the 2011 final.

"Yeah, instead of really focusing on the match you're focusing on trying to get the ankle as good as possible," Clijsters said of her preparation. "Laying on the couch, every 20 minutes ice, 20 minutes off, 20 minutes ice, 20 minutes off. Leg elevated. Lymphatic drainage, all that stuff."

Wozniacki needed to reach the semifinals to retain the top ranking.

"I will get it back eventually, so I'm not worried," she said. Critics "talk to me like I'm finishing my career and I only have one year left and time is running out. The fact is I still have quite a few good years in front of me."

Azarenka struggled through a match that contained 15 service breaks, including eight in the first set. After being comprehensively outplayed in the opening tiebreaker, Azarenka won seven straight games to gain control.

The 22-year-old Azarenka, who makes a distinctive hooting sound as she hits the ball, extended her winning streak this season to 10 matches, including a title at Sydney, where she beat Radwanska in the semifinals. She served six double-faults and had 38 unforced errors.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_sp_te_ga_su/ten_australian_open

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Monday, January 23, 2012

"Shahs of Sunset" puts young Iranians on U.S. TV map (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? California's vibrant Iranian-American community is getting its own reality TV show -- its stars spending, squabbling and showing off in what looks like a cross between the gossipy "Real Housewives" series and splashy "Keeping up with the Kardashians".

"Shahs of Sunset", premiering on cable TV channel Bravo on March 11, follows six "passionate socialites" in their 30s who try to juggle their careers and social lives with family and tradition, Bravo said on Monday.

Four of those taking part in the show work in real estate in Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Hills and other pricey areas of Los Angeles. Most enjoy a lavish lifestyle where expensive cars, huge mansions, gold jewelry and shopping are a must, judging by a short promotional trailer for the new series.

Among the cast is one of the few openly gay men in southern California's Iranian-American community, Bravo said.

The series is thought to be one of the first on U.S. TV to document the lives of young Persians whose parents fled Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, or who settled in California as young children.

An estimated 500,000 Iranian-Americans live in the Los Angeles area -- the largest Persian community outside Tehran -- and some 20 percent of the population of Beverly Hills are of Iranian descent.

"From outings on Rodeo Drive to traditional Persian feasts at home, this series celebrates the unique lifestyle of a group of friends who have worked hard for what they have and are not afraid to flaunt it," Bravo said.

"Shah's of Sunset" is produced by Ryan Seacrest, host of "American Idol" and the producer of the popular "Keeping up with the Kardashians", about Armenian-American socialite sisters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney, and its spinoff series.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/tv_nm/us_shahsofsunset

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The Fink?s Royal Rumble Memories: 2003-2007

The Royal Rumble has been one of WWE?s most unusual and unpredictable events. From what I would call the ?best seat in the house,? I?ve witnessed - and on many occasions introduced - a number of defining occurrences through the years. Therefore, as we celebrate the 25th edition of this long-running WWE staple on Jan. 29, WWE.com revisits some of the magical moments that took place over the past 24 Royal Rumbles - some from the Royal Rumble Matches themselves, others?from clashes that took place in?the titularly named pay-per-view?event.

?

1402610554001|01:25BROCK 'N' ROLL TO 'MANIA
1/20/03 - Boston, Mass.

Brock + Boston = Brilliant. The Superstar known as ?The Next Big Thing? had two mountains to climb that night, and succeeded. Lesnar first won a qualifying match against Big Show that punched his ticket into the Royal Rumble Match, then continued his momentum by winning the 30-man event, thus earning him a WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania XIX.

?

1397937583001|01:08LAST MAN STANDING OVATION
1/24/04 ? Philadelphia, Pa.

There was no ?brotherly love? between Triple H and Shawn Michaels on this occasion. The two squared off in a Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. However, both men?s human energy tanks were emptied out in this intense battle, and the end result was that neither man could answer the ring official?s 10-count. By that point, only the capacity crowd remained standing in appreciation.

?

1397907790001|01:29TIE GOES TO THE ANIMAL
1/22/05 - Fresno, Calif.

Another brutally competitive Royal Rumble Match took place in Fresno. As was the case between Lex Luger and Bret Hart 11 years earlier in Providence, R.I., the final two competitors in this match, John Cena and Batista, were simultaneously eliminated, once again evoking a controversy between referees and fans alike. However, when an irate Mr. McMahon demanded that this match continue, The Animal barely succeeded in sending Cena over the top rope.

?

1397931014001|00:59 REY OF HOPE
1/23/06 ?Miami, Fla.

Having drawn the No. 2 entry, the dynamic Rey Mysterio competed for more than an hour ? a record time that remains. By out-lasting the other 29 entrants, The Master of the 619 won his first-ever Royal Rumble Match ? a victory he dedicated to his late friend, Eddie Guerrero.

1397937586001|01:13A PHENOMENAL WIN
1/24/07 -San Antonio, Texas

It was an extremely successful evening for The Undertaker for two reasons: Not only did he win his very first Royal Rumble Match, but The Phenom also became the first Superstar in WWE history to have won this prestigious event after entering at No. 30. Many would also surmise that it fueled the fire for two historic WrestleMania confrontations between The Phenom and runner-up Shawn Michaels.

?

MORE ROYAL RUMBLE MEMORIES: 1988-1992 | 1992-1997 | 1998-2002

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/2012/finkel-royal-rumble-16-20

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

cchalktalk: College Chalktalk Diary Series: Jeremy Shyatt, Asst. Coach - Wyoming: http://t.co/1LuIXCUu

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Good parents are predictable -- at least when it comes to corn

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

In order to breed new varieties of corn with a higher yield faster than ever before, researchers at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and other institutions are relying on a trick: early selection of the most promising parent plants based on their chemical and genetic makeup, as well as on new statistical analysis procedures. The work has now been published in the authoritative journal Nature Genetics on Sunday evening, Jan. 15.

The problem is the sheer number: In the family tree of modern-day corn, there are two main groups with 10,000 pure-breed lines each. Each of these lines could potentially be used for producing a new variety by means of cross-breeding. In mathematical terms, that equates to 100 billion possibilities. In terms of corn, however, a parent's performance is no indicator of what potential lies hidden in their offspring. Even the feeblest of parents can produce mighty offspring when cross-bred.

But time is of essence: Currently it takes approximately 10 years for breeders to develop a new variety. Issues such as climate change, food shortages and the increasing demand for more energy, however, are making it essential to find solutions even faster.

Prof. Dr. Albrecht Melchinger, PhD student Christian Riedelsheimer and their research partners are experimenting with a new technique to solve both problems. The best parent plants are selected in two steps, beginning when they are not even planted yet or when they are just small plantlets. This saves time and guarantees the highest rate of success right from the very start.

Use mathematics and experience when selecting

Riedelsheimer takes a tiny sample from a kernel of corn. Not enough to harm the kernel, but enough to get a full picture of its DNA structure. This analysis is conducted jointly by the University of Hohenheim and the IPK Gatersleben.

The rest is mathematics and experience. "We know today that there is no single gene which determines whether a stalk of corn will grow up strong or produce lots of kernels on the cob. Instead there are numerous sequences in its DNA which all contribute to the plant's development. We can now examine up to 56,000 of these sequences using the latest techniques in genome analysis", Riedelsheimer explains.

The analysis does not involve modifying the DNA, but rather creating a unique profile of each parent, a so-called "genome profile" or "genetic fingerprint".

To analyse the fingerprint, scientists have spent the past three years and more planting, cross-breeding, analysing chromosomes and recording yields. The observations in the field have been used to develop a mathematical-statistical model which can be used to predict a parent's genetic potency.

Early selection

The composition of the leaves is a second indicator of which plants make for especially good parents. More specifically, it is about the amounts of starch, sugar, amino acids, chlorophyll and other substances. As with the genetic information, this data allows for a statistical prognosis of a plant's breeding capabilities.

Tests can be conducted to find out the levels shortly after the seeds have been sown, when the plantlets are roughly three weeks old and 20 cm tall. Compared with analysing the plant's genetic structure, taking samples in the field is rather an athletic activity. "The plant's metabolism varies constantly throughout the course of a day and that makes it necessary to collect the leaves quickly and shock freeze the samples immediately", says Riedelsheimer. "All in all we collected 6,000 samples- in just 69 minutes!"

For the technically-challenging task of analysing the substances, plant breeders work in collaboration with experts from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology in Golm. The rest involves cutting-edge statistics. "Similar to the DNA profile, it is not the individual substances which are important for making predictions, but rather how these substances stand in relation to one another", Riedelsheimer explains.

New technology saves time, money and expensive acreage

"This new technique allows us to select the most promising parents with high accuracy and to focus all of our resources on these", says Prof. Dr. Melchinger.

This method also saves cultivatable land, which, in turn, saves money. "In order to test all possible crosses, we would have to plant corn on half of the earth's surface", a utopian, if not an expensive undertaking. "A single field plot costs us 50 euros. We test on two plots per genotype at ten different locations, making a total of 1,000 euros", Prof. Dr. Melchinger explains. An analysis of the genome using a chip and a robot costs approximately 150 euros.

Impressive as well is the amount of time saved. DNA analysis of the kernels can be conducted during the winter months. Meanwhile, the plantlets to be analysed for their substance composition grow in the greenhouse. As a result, the best parent plants can be chosen and cultivated that same year.

Paradigm shift opens door to new research approaches

Nonetheless, it will take another few years until the new breed is ready. Breeders worldwide also know another trick, especially when it comes to corn. One that has been around for decades.

Prof. Dr. Melchinger describes a paradoxical phenomenon: "With corn, the offspring tend to be especially large when the parents stem from generations of in-breeding." Experts speak of "heterosis", hobby gardeners of "hybrids".

The most promising parent plants are sorted out and self-pollinated over many generations. Only then does cross-pollination take place in preparation for the sowing of the new hybrid variety.

Heterosis as a biological phenomenon has yet to be fully researched in detail, according to Prof. Dr. Melchinger. "We were able to determine in earlier research projects that the reasons for the phenomenon lie in the extremely complex interaction of many different genes."

For researchers, this has led to a paradigm shift. "We've moved away from the search for individual super genes." Instead we focus on the interplay among the diverse elements in the genetic code. "This new perspective on plants will help the hybrid breeding programme immensely", Prof. Dr. Melchinger believes. "There is so much genetic diversity in corn. One must simply know how to combine it in the right way."

###

University of Hohenheim: http://www.uni-hohenheim.de

Thanks to University of Hohenheim 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.

This press release has been viewed 7 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116738/Good_parents_are_predictable____at_least_when_it_comes_to_corn

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Health Insurance Exchange - NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic ...

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) ??President Obama's Healthcare Reform Law calls for states to set up an exchange, a database where consumers and small businesses could compare costs and benefits of qualifying health insurance options. It's meant to create competition and drive prices down.?

Delegate Jennifer McClellan of Richmond is among a handful of legislators proposing bills to start setting up Virginia's exchange now.??

"The federal government has set a deadline by which the state's need to have their exchanges at least begun or established, otherwise the federal government will establish an exchange, I think everybody agrees its better for Virginia to have its own exchange," McClellan said.?

But Secretary of Health and Human Services Bill Hazel joins the governor in saying Virginia should wait until the Supreme Court hears state challenges to the Healthcare Reform Law.? Hazel says guidelines for an exchange are unclear.?

"We can't yet know if a plan is to be covered, we can't yet know how much it's going to cost, it's hard to know how to build the exchange," said Hazel.?

But McClellan says forming the exchange can't wait. The law says it must be nearly complete by next year.????

"The federal government has a pot of money they will give to states that set up their own exchange and if we wait too long we risk losing out on the that money," McClellan said.?

"See we disagree with that. We disagree with that. We got a document yesterday that shows many states have gotten millions of dollars without any legislation and the fact is we have already made the commitment," Hazel added.???

26 states have challenged the healthcare reform law. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on the matter this year. Virginia's lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds that the state doesn't have legal standing to file its complaint. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is appealing.??

Copyright 2012 WWBT NBC12.? All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.nbc12.com/story/16530229/health-insurance-exchange

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North Korea transition "smooth," economy the real test (Reuters)

SEOUL (Reuters) ? North Korea's new leadership under the inexperienced Kim Jong-un appears to be functioning "relatively smoothly," but he has to look beyond key ally China to rebuild its shattered economy, South Korea's senior most official on the North said on Monday.

Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik told Reuters that despite Kim Jong-il's sudden death last month, the secretive North had clearly been well prepared for the handover to a third generation of the Kim family.

"The succession of power has been stable and well prepared," Yu said in an interview.

"It's difficult to predict the future, but for the time being it is likely they will focus on consolidating power internally and to appear stable to the outside world."

Rumors swirled in markets this month about a possible coup in North Korea, but the South dismissed them as groundless. Yu said on Monday the new leadership appeared to be stable.

He, however, said that given Kim's age -- he is believed to be in his late 20s -- and inexperience there remained questions about whether he could do "the job right."

"But having lived as a successor in a regime like North Korea itself is a significant experience. He may be young, but age should not be a big problem," said Yu, although he conceded South Korea knows little about the man the North dubs the "supreme commander."

He said the North would seek to build a cult of personality around the young Kim, similar to that which made Kim Jong-il and the state founder's Kim Il-sung into god-like figures.

Yu said the young Kim did not yet appear to have the kind of absolute control that his father and grandfather wielded, saying a small band of trusted minders were playing an important role in supporting and influencing his leadership.

He did not elaborate on the makeup of the inner group of leaders, believed to include Jong-un's uncle and aunt and the military chief. A source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing told Reuters last month the North will shift to collective rule from a strongman dictatorship.

"It's difficult to predict what form their role will take," said Yu. "What's important is to think about what sort of help we can offer to encourage them to make changes to stabilize itself."

SEOUL, NOT BEIJING, KEY TO ECONOMY

Yu said Kim's policy choices to stabilize the economy were more important than personal factors in cementing his grip.

Some 30 years ago, the North's centrally planned economy was more vibrant than that of the South, but since the disintegration of the North's then-ally and benefactor, the Soviet Union, the economy has all but collapsed.

North Korea's nominal gross national income (GNI) amounted to 30 trillion won (US$26.5 billion) in 2010 - only 2.56 percent of South Korea's GNI of 1,173 trillion won, South Korea's central bank says.

Yu questioned China's role in rebuilding the economy, saying its influence was limited to the political sphere. Only Seoul, he said, could help save the impoverished state from ruin.

Beijing, the North's main ally and benefactor, has encouraged the North to follow its model of economic reform.

"China obviously wants the North Korean regime to be stable ... To ensure the North's economy does not fall apart, China will invest in the border region and encourage trade, but it is difficult to believe that that will revive the economy."

Beijing provides more than 80 percent of the North's food and oil and has invested heavily as Pyongyang has been subject to international sanctions for nuclear and missile tests.

Over the past year, China has also backed Pyongyang's plans to open special economic zones on its border.

Yu said the North was well aware that only Seoul can offer substantive help, even though the Koreas remain technically at war, having signed only a truce to end the 1950-53 Korean War.

"It is South Korea that has the experience of rebuilding a shattered economy. It is South Korea that understands the risks of rebuilding, and is prepared to take that risk.

"There will be considerable political help from China, but I believe economic assistance will be limited."

HOSTILITIES OR DIALOGUE?

Yu said the North's new "great successor," appeared focused for now on building a militaristic image, and may stage a hostile act to firm up his power base.

"I think a military provocation is a possibility as a way to deflect responsibility if its failure to revive the economy is revealed," he said.

The North has stepped up its rhetoric against the South and Kim has been shown touring military sites in what analysts say is likely aimed at burnishing a hardline image with the army.

On Monday, the North's state media ridiculed South Korean officials, including Yu, as "confrontational fanatics" and "moral imbeciles" who missed the chance of engaging in dialogue when Pyongyang reached out last year for talks.

Yu dismissed the rhetoric and held out an olive branch to the North's leadership, saying Seoul would consider a resumption of food aid if Pyongyang returned to the negotiating table.

"We can discuss the matter of large-scale food aid, including rice, if North-South talks reopen," said Yu, adding no "meaningful" contact had occurred since Kim Jong-il's death.

The South's President Lee Myung-bak cut off all economic aid to the North upon winning office in 2008, demanding Pyongyang's complete denuclearization for the resumption of aid, which amounted to around $4.5 billion the preceding decade.

"The world is changing fast, and it's inconceivable that North Korea will do nothing to solve its problems by waiting," said Yu. "And I expect the North will make the right choice for our common future."

(Writing by Jeremy Laurence; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/wl_nm/us_korea_north_minister

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Monday, January 16, 2012

Does Deodorant Ingredient Affect Breast Cancer Risk? (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- For several years, researchers have studied a possible link between substances called parabens -- widely used as a germ-fighting preservative in cosmetics such as deodorant/antiperspirants -- and breast cancer.

Investigators have learned that parabens, also found in some drugs and food products, can mimic weakly the action of the female hormone estrogen -- an established risk factor for breast cancer. And the fact that a disproportionate number of breast tumors occur nearer the underarm also had scientists wondering.

But now, British researchers who examined breast tissue samples from 40 women who had mastectomies have found that traces of parabens are widespread in tissues, even in the seven women who said they'd never used underarm products.

"The implication is that in these seven nonusers, the paraben measured must have come from another product or products," said Dr. Philippa Darbre, a cancer researcher at the University of Reading who has long studied the issue.

In the study, published online in January in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, Darbre and her colleagues report that one or more kinds of parabens were found in 158 of the 160 samples taken from the tissue collected from the 40 women. They found 96 samples contained all five of the most common paraben esters (forms).

The levels of paraben found were higher, by about four times, than Darbre found when she did a similar but smaller study in 2004. "Since 2004, many manufacturers (although not all) have been removing parabens from the underarm deodorant/antiperspirant products and so I was rather surprised when we found higher levels of parabens in these breast tissues (sourced after 2004)," Darbre said.

Higher levels of one form of paraben were found in the region of the breast closest to the armpit, she said, and the women had a disproportionate incidence of breast cancer in that area.

However, Darbre cautioned that the research cannot be taken to imply cause and effect.

"Although estrogen is an acknowledged component in the development of breast cancer, it remains to be established as to whether environmental chemicals with estrogenic [estrogen-like] properties contribute a functional component to the disease process," she said.

"I remain as ambivalent as ever about hounding any one chemical," she added. "I feel sure the issue is bigger than one chemical." Darbre believes the parabens found in breast tissue come from a wider range of products than underarm cosmetic products.

More research is needed, Darbre noted. Meanwhile, she suggests women cut down or cut out the use of cosmetic products as much as possible. "We simply use too much in the modern world -- too much for our body systems and too much for the wider environment," she said.

For its part, the American Cancer Society finds no clear link between deodorant/antiperspirants and breast cancer. In a posting on its Web page, it notes that, "There are no strong epidemiological studies in the medical literature that link breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, and very little scientific evidence to support this claim."

Dr. Michael J. Thun, vice president emeritus of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society, reviewed the new study findings. The fact that the preservatives were found in the majority of the breast tissue samples cannot be taken to imply they actually caused the breast cancer, he said, reiterating a point the authors also emphasized.

"Rather," Thun said, "the study merely confirms earlier, smaller studies which detected parabens in breast tissue of women with cancer. It shows that parabens can be absorbed (probably from personal care products) and the underarm deodorant is not the only source."

Other studies have found that parabens, also found in lotions, makeup and sunscreen products, can be absorbed through the skin, according to the American Cancer Society. However, the society says more and larger studies are needed to find out what effect, if any, the parabens might have on breast cancer risk.

More information

To learn more, visit the American Cancer Society .

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120113/hl_hsn/doesdeodorantingredientaffectbreastcancerrisk

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Sunday, January 15, 2012

Moon & Mars Meet in Night Sky Tonight (SPACE.com)

Skywatchers who venture outside tonight (Jan. 13) ?after 11 p.m. local time and look east-southeast will likely take notice of the waning gibbous moon and a very bright yellowish-orange "star" glowing well above and to its left. That "star," however, is actually the Red Planet, Mars.?

In truth, the apparent distance between our natural satellite and the world named after the Roman god of war will not be very close. The two will be separated by about 10 degrees; that's roughly the width of your clenched fist held at arm's length. The?sky map of Mars and the moon here?shows how they will appear this evening.

What will make this a rather eye-catching configuration is the brightness of Mars at magnitude -0.1; it now appears to mimic the brilliant star Arcturus both in brightness as well as color. Beginning after midnight you can make a direct comparison, as Arcturus will shine 40 degrees, or "four fists," below and to the left of Mars.?

Even for those who view the night sky with more than a casual glance, seeing Mars stand out so brightly relative to the moon will likely be a surprise. [Our Solar System: A Photo Tour of the Planets]

After all, for much of the fall and winter, Mars has appeared as nothing more than a moderately bright star. But from now through the early part of March, Mars will "flame on" as it rapidly approaches the Earth. By Valentine's Day, Mars will have doubled in brightness to magnitude 0.9 and its fiery hue will seem even more intense.

Right now, Mars is right at the borderline between the constellations Leo and Virgo. It appears highest in the south around 4 a.m. This is the best time of night to look at it through a telescope, but you can also get an impressive naked-eye view when it rises like an orange ember, almost due east, mid-evening at around 9:45 p.m.?

Mars will officially enter Virgo's boundaries Sunday (Jan. 15), but its stay there will be relatively short.?

On Jan. 24 the Red Planet will appear to become stationary against the background stars and then begin to retrograde or loop backward toward the west. In the next 81 days (until April 15) Mars will move back into Leo, appearing to come within 4.5 degrees of the bright star Regulus when it halts and resumes its normal eastward trek among the stars.

Although Mars will be getting increasingly impressive-looking each day, this apparition of the planet is nearly the most distant in its 16-year cycle of close and far oppositions.?

Mars is at aphelion (its farthest from the sun) Feb. 15, so it will come no closer to Earth than 62.6-million miles (101-million kilometers) March 5.?

But keep this in mind when you see it poised high above the moon late tonight: Mars will be 86-million miles (138-million km) from us. And from now until March 5 it will be getting gradually closer to us by an average of about 459,000 miles (738,000 km) each day.

If you have an amazing skywatching photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at?tmalik@space.com.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120113/sc_space/moonmarsmeetinnightskytonight

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Goldilocks Black Holes (preview)

Feature Articles | Space Cover Image: January 2012 Scientific American MagazineSee Inside

Tipping the scales at less than about a million suns in mass, middleweight black holes may hold clues to how their much larger siblings, and galaxies, first formed


Image: Illustration by Gavin Potenza

In Brief

  • Black holes with a billion times the sun?s mass already existed early in the universe. How did these behemoths grow so big, so fast? What process formed the ?seed? black holes from which they grew?
  • Did the death throes of the first stars provide numerous small seeds that then merged together, or did vast primordial gas clouds bypass the star stage and collapse to form larger seeds directly?
  • Astronomers are trying to solve this mystery by finding and analyzing leftover seeds??middleweight? black holes. Early indications suggest that middleweights formed by direct collapse.

Astronomers have known for some 10 years that nearly every large galaxy contains at its core an immense black hole?an object having such intense gravity that even light cannot escape. The death of stars can produce small black holes?with masses ranging from about three to 100 times the mass of the sun?but such stellar-mass black holes are tiny compared with the behemoths at the centers of galaxies, measuring millions to billions of solar masses.


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Video: Romney?s rivals sharpen attacks in SC



>> now to presidential politics and the harsh attacks being faced by gop front-runner, mitt romney . are they serving to hurt the republican party as a whole. we'll talk about that with tom brokaw in just a moment. but first, nbc's peter alexander is in greer, south carolina with the latest on the campaign trail. hey, p hey, peter, good morning.

>> we flew down to south carolina with governor romney . on the plane he told us that the big win on tuesday night felt like christmas morning . but in many ways, that was a home game, he's from just next door in boston. this is like going on the road. and he is well aware that the blistering attacks here will make it much less pleasant.

>> how do you feel?

>> great.

>> it may be warm in south carolina , but the political climate is about to get much hotter for front-runner, mitt romney .

>> the next president of the united states , governor mitt romney .

>> reporter: fog back-to-back victories in iowa and namvy, romney now appears increasingly confident. trying to present himself as the inevitable republican nominee. focusing exclusively on president obama .

>> i know we're going through tough times, and we're going through tough times in part because of the failure of one man, and that's why he's got to go.

>> reporter: here in socially-conservative south carolina , where the primary is notorious for nasty politics, romney 's opponents are sharpening their attacks.

>> massachusetts moderate, mitt romney , he can't be trusted.

>> reporter: newt gingrich 's latest td ad targets romney on abortion.

>> what happened after massachusetts moderate mitt romney changed his position from pro abortion to pro life ?

>> reporter: and there's been no let-up in the barrage of criticism over romney 's record as the former head of bain capital .

>> greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

>> reporter: this gordon gekko impersonator greeted romney in south carolina . both gingrich and rick perry kept piling on.

>> crony capitalism, where people pay each other off at the expense of the rest of the country is not free enterprise , and raising questions about that is not wrong.

>> i happen to think that companies like bain capital , could have come in and helped these companies. if they truly were venture capitalists . but they're not. they're vulture capitalists.

>> and there's even a gingrich web ad that hounds romney for a road trip years ago when he put the family pet, seamus on the roof of his car.

>> this is a completely air-tight kennel. mounted on the top of our car. he climbed up there regularly, enjoyed himself. we love the dog.

>> reporter: and among the more serious attacks, a superpac supporting newt gingrich posted in its entirety, a 28-minute bruising movie about governor romney 's time at bain. we'll put a screen shot of that up on your screen. it includes this shot that shows governor romney on the tarmac, his feet kicked up. getting polished in front of a corporate jet . i spoke with senior adviser with the romney campaign. who said they were prepared for these attacks, but they expected them not from the republicans, but from the democrats.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45969746/

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