রবিবার, ৩১ মার্চ, ২০১৩

Skype for Windows 8 gains contact blocking and performance improvements

Skype for Windows 8 gains contact blocking and performances improvements

Those of you using Skype in Windows 8 will be happy to know that Microsoft's just bumped the app to version 1.6. It's been a few months since the last update, and this revision brings more features to the table, including contact blocking and a slew of performance tweaks. You're now able to block users, with an option to remove or report the offending party. Speed and reliability have been improved, especially when loading contacts, and a number of bugs have been fixed, including one where the outgoing video was not always displayed after switching cameras. The update's available in Windows Store, so what are you waiting for?

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Source: Skype Blogs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/30/skype-for-windows-8-gains-contact-blocking-and-performances-impr/

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Are you being persecuted?

If he actually existed, then yes, they persecuted the shit out of him

If he actually existed, then yes, they persecuted the bejesus out of him

The Daily Mash presents a simple questionnaire to help you work out how persecuted you are:

Are you excluded from high office, such as being prime minister or the Queen, because of your religion?

Are you completely excluded from society even though you believe in miracles?

Are you prevented from worshipping in, let?s say, a church, on, let?s say, a Sunday morning?

Are you prevented from constantly judging complete strangers?

Are you prevented from sticking your nose into other people?s personal lives?

Do you believe that Lord Carey was elected to the House of Lords?

Does the Today programme ban you from boring the shit out of everyone with two minutes of sanctimonious drivel every morning?

Are schools, funded largely by people who do not share your views, banned from telling children about your favourite miracles?

Has an organisation, funded largely by people who do not share your views, stopped making Songs of Praise?

Do some of the country?s biggest newspapers ignore you whenever you object to the slightest little thing?

Does Britain celebrate Christmas because it is the birthday of Isaac Newton?

Are you currently enjoying a long weekend to commemorate the untimely death of Judy Garland?


So, are you being persecuted?

All ?yes?: Britain does not celebrate Christmas because it is the birthday of Isaac Newton. You may actually benefit from some light persecution.

Mostly ?yes?: Perhaps this really is the time of year when you commemorate? Judy Garland. That is deeply fabulous of you. You?re not being persecuted as much as you used to.

50-50: You?re probably always ?50-50? in these kinds of things. You might want to shake it up a bit.

Mostly ?no?: You are probably a Roman Catholic and are subject to some persecution, but only if you really want to be the Queen.

All ?no?: You are an Anglican Christian and you are not being persecuted. Congratulations!

Source: http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/are-you-being-persecuted-2013033064361

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শনিবার, ৩০ মার্চ, ২০১৩

Must-read: comprehensive survey of all the research on gay ...

Ari and Mathetes sent me this amazing evaluation of all of the research on same-sex marriage.

Excerpt: (links removed)

The most detailed effort yet to open the hood and see what is actually inside these studies was performed by Loren Marks of the LSU School of Human Ecology, who?published a paper in?Social Science Research?in 2012 examining the 59 published studies behind the APA?s breezy assertion of a scientific consensus.?(Marks did not examine the other 8 studies cited by the APA, which were ?unpublished dissertations.?) Marks opened his paper by comparing the research on same-sex families to the by-now bulletproof research showing the advantages of traditional married parents over ?cohabiting, divorced, step, and single-parent families,? noting that those studies used ?large, representative samples? such as ?four nationally representative longitudinal studies with more than 20,000 total participants.? By contrast, Marks found:

-?[M]ore than three-fourths (77%) of the studies cited by the APA brief are based on small, nonrepresentative, convenience samples of fewer than 100 participants. Many of the non-representative samples contain far fewer than 100 participants, including one study with ?ve participants?

-The samples were ?racially homogenous,? none of them focusing on African-American, Hispanic or Asian-American families. Of course, social science studies of the family commonly find large racial disparities ? picking an all-white sample is an extremely easy way to bias your results.

-More broadly, he cited a ?continuing tendency of same-sex parenting researchers to select privileged lesbian samples??Much of the research [still] involved small samples that are predominantly White, well-educated [and] middle-class.??

-?[C]omparison studies on children of gay fathers are almost non-existent in the 2005 Brief.?

-?[I]n selecting?heterosexual?comparison groups for their studies, many same-sex parenting researchers have not used marriage-based, intact families as heterosexual representatives, but have instead used single mothers?[one pair of researchers] used 90.9 percent single-father samples in two other studies.?

-The APA, while ignoring these flaws in the studies it relied on, excluded one of the largest studies available, which had found significant differences in educational outcomes on the theory that assessments by teachers (i.e., tests and progress reports) were ?subjective assessments.? Note the contrast between this and the APA?s eager acceptance of self-reporting by parents.

-Most of the studies ignored ?societal concerns of intergenerational poverty, collegiate education and/or labor force contribution, serious criminality, incarceration, early childbearing, drug/alcohol abuse, or suicide that are frequently the foci of national studies on children, adolescents, and young adults,? and again the APA simply ignored one ?book-length empirical study? that had used a more diverse sample and had concluded that ?If we perceive deviance in a general sense, to include excessive drinking, drug use, truancy, sexual deviance, and criminal offenses, and if we rely on the statements made by adult children (over 18 years of age)?[then] children of homosexual parents report deviance in higher proportions than children of (married or cohabiting) heterosexual couples.?

-?[V]irtually none of the peer-reviewed, same-sex parenting comparison studies? looked at adults raised in same-sex parent homes, but only at children and adolescents, thus excluding from consideration social and emotional problems that are commonly observed only in adulthood. Research on children of divorce, for example, has found a number of problems that do not surface until adulthood.

Nobody who has not already made their mind up would find research of this nature conclusive of anything.

And regarding the new Regnerus large-scale study of gay parenting: (links removed)

One recent study that attempted to fix the problems Marks identified was?published in the same edition of the same journal by University of Texas professor Mark Regnerus. Regnerus? study had ? as he freely admitted ? limitations of its own, discussed below. But the reaction to Regnerus? work ? in contrast to how the badly flawed studies examined by Marks were swallowed uncritically ? vividly illustrates why credible, unbiased research on this topic is so hard to come by.

Regnerus set out to do a truly randomly selected study over a large population sample, and to remove the problem of biased parental reporting by interviewing adults about their childhood experiences. His sample covered 15,000 respondents, and despite the subsequent firestorm, no problem was ever identified with his methods or the data he gathered.?Unlike most of the prior research, the respondents with a ?gay father? or ?lesbian mother? (more on which below) were, respectively, 48% and 43% black or Hispanic. His findings were dramatic across numerous types of outcomes, detailing greatly elevated incidence of parental rape, parental pedophilia and suicidal tendencies;?as he explained his findings,

Even after including controls for age, race, gender, and things like being bullied as a youth, or the gay-friendliness of the state in which they live, such respondents were more apt to report being unemployed, less healthy, more depressed, more likely to have cheated on a spouse or partner, smoke more pot, had trouble with the law, report more male and female sex partners, more sexual victimization, and were more likely to reflect negatively on their childhood family life, among other things.[...]Anyone familiar with how liberals respond to scientific findings they don?t like can predict what happened next: immediately upon the publication of his study, Regnerus was subjected to a campaign of vilification aimed at discrediting his work, destroying his professional reputation and deterring any other scholar from pursuing a similar line of inquiry. The University of Texas convened an audit of his study to deal with the pressure campaign, and the editor of the journal hired a prominent, vocal critic of Regnerus to audit the peer-review process that led to its publication.?Andrew Ferguson?and?Matthew Franck?detail the blow-by-blow of this campaign to destroy Regnerus.

And by and large, Regnerus passed the audits.?The UT audit found ?no falsification of data, plagiarism or other serious ethical breaches constituting scientific misconduct.?The journal audit grudgingly concluded the journal editor acted correctly, despite a lot of sniping by its hostile author at Regnerus and the peer reviewers. But the liberal blogs and newspapers continued to act as if Regnerus had been unmasked as a charlatan.

Twenty-seven scholars (including Marks) signed a joint letter?defending Regnerus? sample selection:

[T]he demographics of his sample of young-adult children of same-sex parents ? in terms of race and ethnicity ? come close to resembling the demographics of children from same-sex families in another large, random, and representative study of gay and lesbian families by sociologist Michael Rosenfeld that has been well received in the media and in the academy?We are disappointed that many media outlets have not done their due diligence in investigating the scientific validity of prior studies, and acknowledging the superiority of Regnerus?s sample to most previous research?.We are also disappointed that many of our academic colleagues who have critiqued Regnerus have not publicly acknowledged the methodological limitations of previous research on same-sex parenting.

?Regnerus has been chided for comparing young adults from gay and lesbian families that experienced high levels of family instability to young adults from stable heterosexual married families. This is not an ideal comparison. (Indeed, Regnerus himself acknowledges this point in his article, and calls for additional research on a representative sample of planned gay and lesbian families; such families may be more stable but?are very difficult to locate in the population at large.) But what his critics fail to appreciate is that Regnerus chose his categories on the basis of young adults? characterizations of their own families growing up, and the young adults whose parents had same-sex romantic relationships also happened to have high levels of instability in their families of origin. This instability may well be an artifact of the social stigma and marginalization that often faced gay and lesbian couples during the time (extending back to the 1970s, in some cases) that many of these young adults came of age. It is also worth noting that?Regnerus?s findings related to instability are consistent with recent studies of gay and lesbian couples based on large, random, representative samples from countries such as Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden, which find similarly high patterns of instability among same-sex couples. Even Judith Stacey, a prominent critic of Regnerus?s study, elsewhere acknowledges that studies suggest that lesbian ?relationships may prove less durable? than heterosexual marriages.?Thus, Regnerus should not be faulted for drawing a random, representative sample of young-adult children of parents who have had same-sex romantic relationships and also happened to have experienced high levels of family instability growing up.

(Emphasis mine; footnotes omitted).

The vehemence of the attacks on Regnerus, by people who were happy to tout far less reliable studies, ought to be a gigantic red flag to anyone tempted to view the social science in this area as the work of disinterested professionals who care only to find the truth. And any tour of the work of Marks, Regnerus and their critics should disabuse anyone of the notion that we have ironclad-for-all-time scientific proof of equal outcomes that should be cast permanently into Constitutional law. Given the many common-sense reasons, grounded in experience, to think that both fatherhood and motherhood have unique value, the overwhelming scientific evidence that traditional marriage is superior to all the?other?family structures that have been studied, the relative recency and rarity of same-sex parent households and the current state of the science, the most logical answer is that both Congress and the voters of the State of California could rationally conclude that a family with a mother and a father is preferable to a family with two mothers and no father or two fathers and no mother.

I really urge all of my readers to click through and read this entire essay, and then please tweet or share it or send it to all your friends. We do NOT want a repeat of what happened when the liberal left rammed through no-fault-divorce, which was the first redefinition of marriage. We can?t afford another round of this. We already have a 42% out of wedlock birth rate, and it?s going up.

We?ve had the normalization of premarital sex put through by leftist public schools, taxpayer-funded contraception pushed through by the leftist Obama administration, and no-fault divorce pushed through by leftist feminists and leftist trial lawyers. We can?t keep taking shots at the institution of marriage. Marriage was designed from the start to protect and provide for innocent, vulnerable children. We are doing harm to children every time that we privilege the desires of adults over the needs of children. I find it disgusting that the people who are so influential at destroying marriage today are often the same ones who benefited from intact families and two loving parents yesterday.

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Filed under: News, Adoption, AIDS, American Psychological Association, APA, Bi-Sexual, Child, Children, Children's Rights, Civil Society, Court, Debate, Donor-Conceived Children, Egg Donor, Evidence, Family, Father, Female, Gay, Gay Marriage, Gay Parenting, GLBT, Health, Lesbian, LGBT, Loren Marks, Male, Mark Regnerus, Marriage, Men, Mother, Natural Marriage, Paper, Parenting, Prop 8, Proposition 8, Research, Same-Sex Marriage, Study, Traditional Marriage, Women

Source: http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/must-read-comprehensive-survey-of-all-the-research-on-gay-marriage/

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Kia's compact four-seater urban CUB concept

Kia's new CUB concept unveiled at the Seoul Auto Show has been designed with the trendy urban demographic in mind. Measuring just 13 feet (3.96 m) long, the concept vehicle still manages to provide space for four within its compact cabin.

Designed at Kia?s Seoul design studio under the direction of President and Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, the CUB has rearward-opening rear doors and an "access-all-areas" interior concept. Essentially, the design team left the B-pillars out, hence the all access thing. Clever though, as it looks to significantly improve ingress and egress for the trend setters.

On the outside there are a number of personalized design cues going on. Side mirrors are almost non-existent, while strange little upturned winglets on the doors that Kia refers to as ?turning vanes? look to be more nautical than dry land effective. These aerodynamic vanes at sill level are designed to streamline and add definition to the CUB?s profile.

On the hood, recessed "wing treatments" similar to the CUB?s hood and door details can be found. From the front, the CUB?s distinctive snickering, mustachioed face reminds one of the infamous masks used by Anonymous. Headlights feature two-point LED lights, similar to those on the Kia Quoris, while big 19-inch alloy wheels fill out the stubby wheel arches.

With seating for four the CUB?s interior is trimmed in black leather with yellow seat accents around the armrests and steering wheel. Think Bumblebee with suicide doors and twin-turbochargers. Kia says the instrument panel was inspired by wild animal eyes ? although they look more robot-eyed than animal to us. The gauge cluster is deepset binnacle behind a thick, three-spoke steering wheel ? which, by the way, can monitor your biorhythms. The dash overall is a minimalist affair with air vents controlled by a touch sensor and a place for an iPhone.

A DIS (Driving Information System) controller, similar to Xbox?s Kinect system, is connected to a gesture camera. With what Kia calls ?well-defined motions,? drivers can scroll through and select menu items via the center display. So now you have people throwing about Dance Dance Fever like "motions" in an attempt to turn the AC down. I can?t see this being a problem ever.

Cute and urban trendy is nice but to ensure the CUB isn?t made fun of on the freeway, Kia has placed a new 1.6 liter engine with direct injection under the hood. This powerplant, recently confirmed for use in Kia?s ?pro_cee?d GT? and ?cee?d GT? in Europe, should provide ample power for most situations.

Fitted with twin-scroll turbochargers and beefed up internal bits, the CUB?s new engine generates 51 percent more power ? 204 hp (154 kW) ? and 60 percent more torque ? 195 lb. ft. (265 Nm) ? than the boring old 1.6 engine. In partner with six-speed manual gearbox, the wee CUB is reported to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in a sort of quick 7.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph).

Looking to go head to head with the Mini, this turning-vaned, suicide-doored, turbocharged urban assault vehicle could be just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, there are no plans to put the Kia CUB concept into production as yet.

Source: Kia

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/kia-cub-urban-concept/26847/

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Exhibit of Jews in Germany raises interest, ire

BERLIN (AP) ? "Are there still Jews in Germany?" ''Are the Jews a chosen people?"

Nearly 70 years after the Holocaust, there is no more sensitive an issue in German life as the role of Jews. With fewer than 200,000 Jews among Germany's 82 million people, few Germans born after World War II know any Jews or much about them.

To help educate postwar generations, an exhibit at the Jewish Museum features a Jewish man or woman seated inside a glass box for two hours a day through August to answer visitors' questions about Jews and Jewish life. The base of the box asks: "Are there still Jews in Germany?"

"A lot of our visitors don't know any Jews and have questions they want to ask," museum official Tina Luedecke said. "With this exhibition we offer an opportunity for those people to know more about Jews and Jewish life."

But not everybody thinks putting a Jew on display is the best way to build understanding and mutual respect.

Since the exhibit ? "The Whole Truth, everything you wanted to know about Jews" ? opened this month, the "Jew in the Box," as it is popularly known, has drawn sharp criticism within the Jewish community ? especially in the city where the Nazis orchestrated the slaughter of 6 million Jews until Adolf Hitler's defeat in 1945.

"Why don't they give him a banana and a glass of water, turn up the heat and make the Jew feel really cozy in his glass box," prominent Berlin Jewish community figure Stephan Kramer told The Associated Press. "They actually asked me if I wanted to participate. But I told them I'm not available."

The exhibit is reminiscent of Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann sitting in a glass booth at the 1961 trial in Israel which led to his execution. And it's certainly more provocative than British actress Tilda Swinton sleeping in a glass box at a recent performance at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Eran Levy, an Israeli who has lived in Berlin for years, was horrified by the idea of presenting a Jew as a museum piece, even if to answer Germans' questions about Jewish life.

"It's a horrible thing to do ? completely degrading and not helpful," he said. "The Jewish Museum absolutely missed the point if they wanted to do anything to improve the relations between Germans and Jews."

But several of the volunteers, including both German Jews and Israelis living in Berlin, said the experience in the box is little different from what they go through as Jews living in the country that produced the Nazis.

"With so few of us, you almost inevitably feel like an exhibition piece," volunteer Leeor Englander said. "Once you've been 'outed' as a Jew, you always have to be the expert and answer all questions regarding anything related to religion, Israel, the Holocaust and so on."

Museum curator Miriam Goldmann, who is Jewish, believes the exhibit's provocative "in your face" approach is the best way to overcome the emotional barriers and deal with a subject that remains painful for both Jews and non-Jews.

"We wanted to provoke, that's true, and some people may find the show outrageous or objectionable," Goldmann said. "But that's fine by us."

The provocative style is evident in other parts of the special exhibition, including some that openly raise many stereotypes of Jews widespread not only in Germany but elsewhere in Europe.

One includes a placard that asks "how you recognize a Jew?" It's next to an assortment of yarmulkes, black hats and women's hair covers hanging from the ceiling on thin threads. Another asks if Jews consider themselves the chosen people. It includes a poem by Jewish author Leonard Fein: "How odd of God to choose the Jews. But how on earth could we refuse?"

Yet another invites visitors to express their opinion to such questions as "are Jews particularly good looking, influential, intelligent, animal loving or business savvy?"

Despite the criticisms, the "Jew in the Box" has proven a big hit among visitors.

"I asked him about the feelings he has for his country and what he thinks about the conflict with Palestine, if he ever visited Palestine," visitor Panka Chirer-Geyer said. "I have Jewish roots and I've been to Palestine and realized how difficult it was there. I could not even mention that I have Jewish roots."

On a recent day this week, several visitors kept returning to ask questions of Ido Porat, a 33-year-old Israeli seated on a white bench with a pink cushion.

One woman wanted to know what to bring her hosts for a Shabbat dinner in Israel. Another asked why only Jewish men and not women wear yarmulkes. A third inquired about Judaism and homosexuality.

"I guess I should ask you about the relationship between Germans and Jews," visitor Diemut Poppen said to Porat. "We Germans have so many insecurities when it comes to Jews."

Viola Mohaupt-Zitfin, 53, asked if Porat felt welcome as a Jew living among Germans "considering our past and all that."

Yes, Porat said, Germany is a good place to live, even as a Jew. But the country could do even more to come to terms with its Nazi past, he added. He advised the would-be traveler that anything is permissible to bring to a Shabbat dinner as long as it's not pork.

"I feel a bit like an animal in the zoo, but in reality that's what it's like being a Jew in Germany," Porat said. "You are a very interesting object to most people here."

Dekel Peretz, one of the volunteers in the glass box, said many Germans have an image of Jews that is far removed from the reality of contemporary Jewish life.

"They associate Jews with the Holocaust and the Nazi era," he said. "Jews don't have a history before or after. In Germany, Jews have been stereotyped as victims. It is important that people here get to know Jews to see that Jews are alive and that we have individual histories. I hope that this exhibit can help."

Still, not everyone believes this is the best way to promote understanding.

Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal from the Jewish Chabad community in Berlin said Germans who are really interested in Jews and Judaism should visit the community's educational center.

"Here Jews will be happy to answer questions without sitting in a glass box," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exhibit-jews-germany-raises-interest-ire-135713125.html

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শুক্রবার, ২৯ মার্চ, ২০১৩

Young baseball pitchers shouldn't overdo it

Mar. 29, 2013 ? Baseball season has arrived, but no matter how eager young players are to get on the diamond they have to keep from overdoing it -- especially if they're pitchers.

Overhand pitching creates great forces, stresses and strains at both the elbow and shoulder. In most children up to age 16, bones, muscles and connective tissues are not fully developed, so it should come as no surprise that the pitching motion can lead to injury if it is performed too frequently.

"Parents may find it difficult to put limits on any activity that a child is good at and enjoys performing," said Michael T. Freehill, M.D., assistant professor of orthopedics at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "But when it comes to pitching, the surest way to ruin a young athlete's chances of success is to allow him or her to overdo it."

Fortunately, overuse injuries are preventable. Following some basic guidelines can help young baseball pitchers stay healthy.

? Young pitchers should always warm up properly by stretching and running before throwing. Throwing should begin with easy tosses, with gradual increases in distance, then intensity.

? Youngsters should concentrate on age-appropriate pitching skills. The emphasis should be on control, accuracy and good mechanics, not curveballs and velocity.

? Tracking the number of pitches thrown is important. Staying within age-specific pitch-count limits, such as those established by Little League Baseball, is recommended.

? Proper rest periods between pitching sessions should be observed. Youngsters can still play during these rest periods, but only at positions other than pitcher and catcher.

? Children should not pitch for multiple teams with overlapping schedules or play baseball year-round.

? Children should never pitch when it hurts. They must understand that telling a parent or coach is the right thing to do if they experience discomfort while throwing.

"Following these guidelines may force a young pitcher to sit out a few innings or miss a few pitching opportunities during the season," said Freehill, who pitched in the minor leagues before attending medical school, reaching the AAA level with two different organizations and making it onto the 40-man roster of the Anaheim (now Los Angeles) Angels. "However, that's a small price to pay for keeping our kids healthy and giving them their best shot at success over the long run."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, via Newswise.

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


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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/3ytTP7OKhU4/130329161137.htm

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SAfrica: Mandela in hospital with lung infection

(AP) ? South Africa says Nelson Mandela has been admitted to a hospital with a lung infection.

The office of President Jacob Zuma said in a statement Thursday that the 94-year-old former president and anti-apartheid leader went to the hospital just before midnight on Wednesday.

The statement says Mandela is being treated for a "recurrence of his lung infection" and that doctors are ensuring he has the best possible treatment.

Zuma wished Mandela a speedy recovery and he urged South Africans and the world to pray for the former leader and his family. Mandela has become increasingly frail in recent years.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-28-AF-South-Africa-Mandela/id-32c15dd4b4574ebfb0102cdecfef0465

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Pining for a beetle genome

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
This image shows the Mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. Draft genome of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, a major forest pest. Christopher I Keeling, Macaire MS Yuen, Nancy Y Liao, T Roderick Docking, Simon K Chan, Greg A Taylor, Diana L Palmquist, Shaun D Jackman, Anh Nguyen, Maria Li, Hannah Henderson, Jasmine K Janes, Yongjun Zhao, Pawan Pandoh, Richard Moore, Felix AH Sperling, Dezene PW Huber, Inanc Birol, Stephen JM Jones and Joerg Bohlmann. Genome Biology. Credit: Ward Strong, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations

The sequencing and assembly of the genome of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, is published online this week in Genome Biology. The species is native to North America, where it is currently wreaking havoc in an area of forest ten times larger than previous outbreaks. This paper determines genes that may be involved in colonizing the trees, such as enzymes for degrading plant cell walls, and identifies potential sex chromosomes in the beetle.

D. ponderosae is a species of bark beetle, native to North America, that attacks various species of pine trees. The beetle releases pheromones that attract more beetles to a tree, and this mass-attack of the tree in combination with a fungus spread by the beetles kills the tree. It then lays its eggs and the larvae feed under the bark.

Beetles are the largest insect order on our planet, with over 400,000 species known. Until now, only one, the red flour beetle, had been sequenced. Joerg Bohlmann and colleagues sequenced D. ponderosae, in order to better understand the unique aspects of this beetle's biology. As well as genes involved in the colonizing of trees, the team identifies a bacterial gene that has seemingly been transferred into the beetle genome. Their description of potential sex chromosomes in the beetle could have important implications for investigating sex-specific differences in the species, such as pheromone production and size dimorphism, and how the sex-specific differences in this and other beetle species originated.

The current outbreak has destroyed more than 15 million hectares of pine forests with major environmental impacts on forest health, and economic impacts on the forest industry. The team believe that the knowledge of the genes involved in the breakdown of host defense compounds, and the production of pheromones that draw others to the tree could help with the development of better control methods for this most serious of pests.

###

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central 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 21 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127469/Pining_for_a_beetle_genome

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NYC appeals ruling striking down soda size limit

NEW YORK (AP) ? New York City is asking appeals judges to reinstate a ban on supersized sodas and other sugary drinks, which was struck down by a Manhattan judge the day before it was to go into effect.

The city had vowed an appeal and said Thursday that lawyers had filed it late Monday.

In his decision on March 11, State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling said the 16-ounce limit on sodas and other sweet drinks arbitrarily applies to only some sugary beverages and some places that sell them.

"The loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the stated purpose of this rule," Tingling wrote in his ruling, which was seen as a victory for the beverage industry, restaurants and other business groups that called the ban unfair.

In addition, the judge said the Mayor Michael Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health intruded on the City Council's authority when it imposed the rule.

In its appeal, the city disputed those points.

"The rule is designed to make consumption of large amounts of sugary drinks a conscious and informed choice by the consumer," it said. "Thus, although a consumer is free to consume more than 16 ounces by ordering a second drink, getting a refill, or going to another store, he or she will be making an informed choice."

The city also said the Board of Health had legislative authority, and "is empowered to issue substantive rules and standards in public health."

Said American Beverage Association spokesman Christopher Gindlesperger, referring to the initial decision overturning the ban, "We feel the justice's decision was strong and we're confident in the ruling."

Also on Thursday, the city announced that other organizations had filed legal briefs in support of the city's appeal. Those organizations include the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and the National Association of Local Boards of Health, as well as 30 others.

Bloomberg has made public health a cornerstone of his administration, from requiring calorie counts to be posted on menus and barring trans fats in restaurant foods.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-appeals-ruling-striking-down-soda-size-limit-195645851.html

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Robin Thicke: Blurred Lines (NSFW NSFW NSFW)

If you didn't see the headline or tag yet, please allow me to warn you that this soundtrack is incredibly NSFW. OMG SO NSFW. Hell, I'm not even sure if it's safe for YouTube. It's the music video for a catchy new Robin Thicke song with Pharrell and T.I. and it's literally littered with boobs. Very nice boobs, for what it's worth. But still more boobs for a longer period of time than you typically ever see on YouTube. There's Robin Thicke, there's Pharrell, there's T.I. and three models wearing nothing but some underwear made from flesh colored dental floss. When did YouTube become so boob friendly? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/cjMs117gvFo/robin-thicke-blurred-lines-nsfw-nsfw-nsfw

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৮ মার্চ, ২০১৩

Holy Week pilgrims head to NM shrine amid new pope

CHIMAYO, N.M. (AP) ? Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected during Easter Weekend to visit El Santuario de Chimayo, one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the Americas.

And this year, pilgrims are coming to this adobe chapel in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains under historic circumstances ? the "Lourdes of America" is now under the first pope from the Western Hemisphere.

Just two weeks after Pope Francis was elected, around 50,000 are expected to visit the popular northern New Mexico Catholic shrine, and officials say even more may come because of Argentine-born pontiff.

"We believe the new pope might contribute to even more people visiting," said Joanne Dupont Sandoval, secretary at the Chimayo parish. "We're already seeing people make trip in the early part of the week."

The former Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, who had spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, was elected pope earlier his month. As the first Jesuit pope, he was been credited with focusing on helping the poor and teaching and leading priests in Latin America.

Some pilgrims will make the 90-mile, three-day walk from Albuquerque to the shrine that houses "el pocito," a small pit of holy adobe-colored soil that some believe possesses curing powers.

Chimayo also is a National Historic Landmark, and some 200,000 people are estimated to visit each year, with the bulk occurring during Easter Week.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Robert Garcia announced this week that traffic patrols will increase Thursday to Sunday for safety as thousands of pilgrims walk along heavily used roads, such as NM 502 and 503 and U.S. 84-285.

Sheriff's deputies also will be assisted by New Mexico State Police, Santa Fe Police Department, Pojoaque Tribal Police Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to watch for drunken drivers.

Garcia said deputies will hand out 2,000 glow-in-the-dark sticks to walkers to make them more visible to motorists.

For two centuries, Hispanic and Native American pilgrims have made spiritual journeys to El Santuario de Chimayo and often carry photos of sick relatives and requests for miracles.

___

Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/holy-week-pilgrims-head-nm-shrine-amid-pope-162152141.html

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Ungoogleable? Google tells Sweden 'ogooglebar' can't be a word.

Google asks Swedish Language Council to remove 'ogooglebar'?? or ungoogleable, in English ? from its list of new 2012 words.?

By Matthew Shaer / March 26, 2013

Is ungoogleable a word? Google isn't so sure. Here, a homepage doodle from 2010.

Screen grab

Enlarge

Late last year, the Swedish Language Council published a report of words that had entered the Swedish lexicon in 2012. Among them was?ogooglebar ??ungoogleable, in English. This did not please Google. In fact,?according to the Council (you'll need to enable Google Translate, unless you speak Swedish), Google promptly wrote representatives for the organization, and asked them to remove the word.?

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The Council duly fired back ? "we decide together which words should be and how they are defined, used and spelled," reads a defiant post on the Council website ? and the ensuring furor has made Ungoogleable Gate front page news even in the US. So what's Google's problem? Well, to put it simply, Google is worried that if everyone starts using the word "google" as a lower-case verb or noun, it will dilute the name.?

As?John C. Dvorak of PC World suggests today, an analogue here is Kleenex, which is a brand name, but which is often used to describe all tissue. (Other examples: Band-Aid or Xerox.) In fact, a few years ago, Kleenex embarked on its own campaign to make sure Kleenex is referred to correctly in the media. In an advertisement that still appears ? in a slightly different form ? in the Columbia Journalism Review, Kleenex requested that the product always be identified as a trademarked entity.?

"You don?t need a Social Security number to get your identity stolen," the ad pleaded. "When you spend nearly a century building a name that people know and trust, the last thing you want is people calling any old tissue a Kleenex? Tissue. Simply put, ?Kleenex? is a brand name and should always be followed by an ? and the word ?Tissue.? Please help us keep our identity, ours."

It's worth noting that Google did in fact succeed in getting the Swedish Language Council to remove?ogooglebar from its list. And far be it from us to tell Google how to spend its energy. But surely this is a losing battle in the long term ? google (lower case, not upper case) and its various iterations are?already a popular slang term in dozens of languages, including English. It's going to be pretty difficult to reverse that trend.

But back to John C. Dvorak:?"When a new usage appears in the public domain, own it and make it brand associative," he?writes?in his PC World post.?"This could all be done through a small advertising campaign with a tagline like 'When I tell you to Google something, you use Google, of course!' After that, the word goes into the lexicon and only refers to using Google, not doing a generic search. Problem solved."?

For?more tech news, follow us on?Twitter @venturenaut.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ZQozRKvU-oo/Ungoogleable-Google-tells-Sweden-ogooglebar-can-t-be-a-word

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The Truth Behind the 'Biggest Cyberattack in History'

Is it "the biggest cyberattack in history"? Or just routine flak that network-security providers face all the time?

News websites across the Western world proclaimed Internet Armageddon today (March 27), largely due to a New York Times story detailing a "squabble" between the spam-fighting vigilantes at Spamhaus and the dodgy Dutch Web-hosting company Cyberbunker.

"Fight Jams Internet," the Times headline said. "Global Internet slows," the BBC proclaimed in the wake of the Times' story. Both websites alleged that Netflix streaming was slowing down as a result.

The reality is less exciting, though still serious. The Internet disruptions, which were centered in Western Europe, appear to be largely over, and were largely unnoticed even when occurring.

But, if anything, the incident may prompt a fix for a basic security flaw in the Domain Name System that serves as one of the underpinnings of the Internet.

"Despite the work that has gone into making the Internet extremely resilient, these attacks underscore the fact that there are still some aspects of it that are relatively fragile," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at San Francisco-based network-security provider nCircle.

Too much information

Cyberbunker appears to be behind a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that first tried to first take down Spamhaus, then Spamhaus' network-reliability provider CloudFlare, and finally this past Saturday (March 23) hit CloudFlare's own bandwidth providers in Europe.

Boston-based Akamai Networks told the Times, and Spamhaus told the BBC, that the last round of attacks peaked at 300 gigabits per second, possibly the largest amount of bandwidth ever recorded during a DDoS attack.

According to a CloudFlare blog posting, the attack was launched on March 18 and immediately involved a tactic called DNS amplification, in which unprotected Domain Name System (DNS) servers are used to flood targeted servers with huge amounts of useless information, tying up bandwidth and processing time.

The attacks increased in volume during the week, finally peaking on Saturday when, according to CloudFlare, half of the infrastructure on the London Internet Exchange, an Internet node connecting several large-scale networks, was tied up by the attack. (CloudFlare is based in Palo Alto, Calif., but runs a global network.)

DNS servers are essentially the phone books of the Internet. Every Internet-connected device, from your computer to your smartphone, uses them to match a website address that humans use, such as "www.technewsdaily.com," with an Internet Protocol address that computers and routers use, such as "207.86.128.60."

DNS servers are essential, yet many remain "open," which means they will accept lookup requests from anyone, not just their specified clients.

Attackers make lookup requests using the IP addresses of their targets, then request tons of information, which ends up flooding the targeted servers with huge amounts of DNS information.

[5 (Probably) American Cyberweapons]

Did two wrongs make a bigger wrong?

Spamhaus, a group of related companies based in London and Geneva, was started in 1998 to track and combat email spam and spammers. It maintains a blacklist of Web-hosting companies known to host spammers, and a whitelist of known "clean" Web hosts.

Both lists are used by Internet service providers around the world, and Spamhaus is partly responsible for the huge drop in email spam in recent years.

Some Web-hosting companies have complained they've been unfairly placed on the Spamhaus blacklist. Spammers have launched DDoS attacks against Spamhaus' website and servers. (There's even a "Stophaus" website based in Russia and dedicated to combating what it calls Spamhaus' "underhanded extortion tactics.")

It appears Cyberbunker has both complained and attacked.

Cyberbunker bases its operations in a decommissioned NATO bunker, built to withstand a nuclear war, in the southern Netherlands. The company was founded in 1998 by a group of hackers who proclaimed the "Republic of Cyberbunker," a sovereign state "surrounded by the Netherlands on all borders."

The company pledges not to ask questions about what its clients are up to.

"In most cases we have no idea as to who or where our customers actually are," the Cyberbunker site proclaims. "Customers are allowed to host any content they like, except child porn and anything related to terrorism. Everything else is fine."

Such a policy has attracted some unsavory clients, including the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, and, according to Spamhaus, the cybercrime gang known as the Russian Business Network. Cyberbunker also claims to have been raided by a Dutch police SWAT team, which apparently found nothing incriminating on the premises.

It was Cyberbunker's alleged hosting of spammers that caused Spamhaus to place both Cyberbunker and its ISP on the Spamhaus blacklist in the fall of 2011.

As a result, Cyberbunker's ISP dropped it as a client, but both the ISP and Cyberbunker posted long manifestos about why Spamhaus was evil.

The issue seems to have lain dormant until March 18, when a false Anonymous campaign called "Operation Stophaus" was proclaimed on the online bulletin board Pastebin.

It listed a litany of complaints against the "tax-circumventing self-declared Internet terrorists" of Spamhaus, then added a variant of the Anonymous "We Are Legion" tagline.

That posting may have been cover for the DDoS attacks that began the same day. In a statement to the New York Times, Sven Olaf Kamphuis, who claimed to speak for Cyberbunker, and whose Google+ page gives his residence as "Republic Cyberbunker," affirmed that the Dutch hosting company was behind the attacks.

"Nobody ever deputized Spamhaus to determine what goes and does not go on the Internet," Kamphuis told the newspaper. "They worked themselves into that position by pretending to fight spam."

It's hard to see how such an attack can be legally justified. The Netherlands has famously lax laws governing the Internet and other digital communications, but odds are Cyberbunker will be facing another SWAT raid very soon.

Fixing a hole

For his blog posting, CloudFlare's Matthew Prince used the headline "The DDoS That Almost Broke the Internet." That's not entirely accurate, since the problems were rather localized.

However, the attack may prompt an overhaul of the DNS system. Prince and others have been vocal about the need to lock down most or all DNS servers so they no longer respond to lookup requests from anyone.

That move would go against the model of openness and accessibility that's guided the Internet for 40 years. The idea has always been that any Internet-connected device can reach any other using any path, and open DNS servers are essential to that model.

But the problem of DNS-amplified attacks has been growing exponentially in just the past few months.

The ongoing attacks against U.S. bank websites which began last September use the tactic, and have reached 100 Gbps at times.

If this week's unrelated attacks truly did hit 300 Gbps, the end to the open-DNS server model may be inevitable.

This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Paul Wagenseil?@snd_wagenseil. Follow us?@TechNewsDaily,?Facebook?or?Google+.

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/truth-behind-biggest-cyberattack-history-210723787.html

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Logitech launches keyboard folios for iPad, iPad Mini (video)

Logitech launches keyboard folios for iPad, iPad Mini video

The iPad was never designed to be a laptop, but some people can't resist the urge to change a gadget's nature. For that purpose, Logitech is outing keyboard folios for the iPad and iPad Mini that double as a hands-free viewing stand for those long-haul flights. Your fingers will be hovering over a Bluetooth keyboard with membrane scissor keys, covered in your choice of colored fabric shell. The hardware is marked down to be available in the US and Europe in April, setting you back $100 for the iPad edition and $89.99 for the 7.87-inch version -- and if you'd like to learn more, you can check out the videos we've stashed after the break.

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Source: Logitech

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/logitech-keyboard-folios/

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বুধবার, ২৭ মার্চ, ২০১৩

Reminder+ Review ? 148Apps ? iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch App ...

Sturdy and dependable, Reminder+ might not be the most exciting or thrilling of apps but it does its required task well.

What Reminder+ lacks in exciting revolutionary behavior, it more than makes up with through sheer practicality.

As the name would suggest, it?s a simple reminder/To Do list app. Users simply tap on a + sign to add either a Place based reminder, an Alarm or Timer. It?s similar functionality to what?s already available but through an attractive interface, Reminder+ is still handy.

For instance, it only takes seconds to easily edit an entry. While adding an alarm or timer is similar to the Stock App, it?s much faster to edit things such as by adding a note or adjusting the time or repeat delay. Repeated alarms can be easily set according to hour, day or even month, all through a quick swipe and tap.

Of course, the really useful feature from Reminder+ is its Location Aware alerts. Users can set up various reminders that will activate once they get to a certain destination. I used it to remind myself to pick up some cinema tickets that I keep forgetting to collect and it worked fine. Similarly, it can be used to remember crucial items or shopping or to check in on work matters once reaching the office. It?s possible to set predefined names with the location, such as Home, Work, School and the Gym, as well as simply do it on a case by case basis. Further options come from the ability to set repeated reminders as well as either remind the user when they arrive or leave a destination.

Admittedly, Reminder+ doesn?t offer anything hugely distinctive. Everything that?s here has been done elsewhere, but it is done in an appealing and attractive fashion. Given that everyone?s work patterns are different, there?s room for different styles of doing things. For those who have yet to settle on their ideal reminder app, this is a worthwhile one to check out.

Posted in: iPhone Apps and Games, Reviews, Utilities

Tagged with: $1.99, Attorno A Me, location aware, Productivity, reminder, reminders, to do, Utilities

Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.

Source: http://www.148apps.com/reviews/reminder-review/

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Naked Communications New Zealand closes shop; MD Matt O ...

Screen shot 2013-03-26 at 3.57.24 PM.jpgIn a shock move, Enero-owned Naked Communications has ceased operations in New Zealand, a move the agency says is necessary to better service its business in Sydney and Melbourne.

And after four years as New Zealand managing partner, Matt O'Sullivan (left) is set to open his own agency, taking most of Naked's clients with him.

Naked chairman Mike Wilson says the closure means it would be servicing NZ clients from Australia - although the only client would be Coca-Cola, which has a regional agreement.

Screen shot 2013-03-26 at 4.00.14 PM.jpgSays Wilson (left): "The Naked team members in Auckland have already been informed and we are doing everything we can to support them through this transition. We've enjoyed the ride in New Zealand and have produced some award-winning work for brilliant clients. However, the market is no longer a strategic priority for our business."

Says O'Sullivan: "Naked has been an incredibly rewarding journey, as I've been very fortunate to work with a great team and fantastic clients. But it's time for a new adventure. I have plans that include some existing Naked NZ staff and clients and a local shareholding initiative."

Source: http://www.campaignbrief.com/2013/03/naked-communications-new-zeala.html

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Will Amanda Knox return to Italy?

Knox is escorted to a hearing in 2008 (AP/File)

An Italian supreme court overturned the acquittal of Amanda Knox on Tuesday, ordering a review that could result in demanding the 25-year-old to return to Florence to stand trial again for the 2007 murder of her roommate.

Good luck.

Legal experts say there's little Italy can do to force Knox, who lives in Seattle, to return for the new hearings, and Knox's lawyers says there's no reason she would agree to do so.

?Merely because they have sent it back for revision does not mean that anything else will happen," Theodore Simon, one of Knox's lawyers, said in an interview with the "Today" show. "They will review it. They may simply affirm that there was a ?not guilty? before and it should remain the same. They may seek to take some further evidence, but nothing has really changed.?

[Related slideshow: The Amanda Knox trial]

Italian law cannot compel Knox to return to Italy for a new trial, although a court could declare her in contempt if she refuses to appear. But even if that happens, the contempt charge carries no additional penalties, the Associated Press said.

"If the court orders another trial, if she is convicted at that trial and if the conviction is upheld by the highest court, then Italy could seek her extradition," Carlo Dalla Vedova, another lawyer for Knox, told news service. In that scenario, the United States would have to agree to extradite her.

That would seem unlikely since it violates the U.S. legal principle of double jeopardy preventing someone from being tried twice for the same crime. But Vedova told the New York Times it does not apply in this case because there had been no final ruling.

More from the AP:

It is unclear what would happen if she were convicted and sentenced to further prison time. It is possible Italy could seek her extradition, or that U.S. and Italian authorities could come to a deal that would keep her in the United States.

The new hearings will be held at an appellate court in Florence sometime later this year or early next, the Italian court said.

In a statement released Tuesday, Knox called the court's decision "painful" since "the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair."

In 2011, Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, her former boyfriend, were acquitted in the murder of Meredith Kercher, a British student who was found dead in the Perugia, Umbria, apartment she shared with Knox, half naked with her throat slashed. Knox and Sollecito each spent four years in prison before the acquittal.

"The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family," Knox said. "Our hearts go out to them. No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."

Knox's book about the case?"Waiting to Be Heard"?is due to be released next month.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/amanda-knox-return-italy-stand-trial-180237891.html

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Scientists examine nothing, find something

Two studies of vacuums suggest that the speed of light in a vacuum might fluctuate, pointing the way to a quantum mechanical explanation for why the speed of light and other so-called constants are what they are.

By Eoin O'Carroll,?Staff / March 25, 2013

A young person attempts to navigate a laser maze during the grand opening ceremony for the Angry Birds Space Encounter at the Kennedy Space Center earlier this month. Researchers say that the speed of light in a vacuum, long thought to be a universal constant, may actually fluctuate.

Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today/AP

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Where did the speed of light in a vacuum come from? Why is it 299,792,458 meters per second and not some other figure?

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The simple answer is that, since 1983, science has defined a meter by the speed of light: one meter equals the distance light travels in one?299,792,458th of a second.?But that doesn't really answer our question. It's just the physics equivalent of saying, "Because I said so."?

Unfortunately, the deeper answer has been equally unsatisfying: The speed of light in a vacuum, according to physics textbooks, just is. It's a constant, one of those numbers that defines the universe. That's the physics equivalent of saying, "Because the cosmos said so."?

Or did it? A pair of studies suggest that this universal constant?might not be so constant after all. In the first study, Marcel Urban from the University of Paris-Sud and his team found that the speed of light in a vacuum varies ever so slightly.

This happens because what we think of as nothing isn't really nothing. Even if you were to create a perfect vacuum, at the quantum level it would still be populated with pairs of tiny "virtual" particles that flash in and out of existence and whose energy values fluctuate. As a consequence of these fluctuations, the speed of a photon passing through a vacuum varies, about?50 quintillionths of a second per square meter.

That may not sound like much, but it's enough to point the way toward a new underlying physics.

Before 1905, when?Albert Einstein formulated his special theory of relativity, scientists regarded space and time as composing the backdrop of the universe, the immovable stage upon which motion takes place. The only problem with this model is that light seems to move at the same speed regardless of the speed of the source, creating an apparent paradox. Einstein's theory resolved this paradox by replacing Newton's absolutes of time and space with a single absolute, the speed of light.

But if even that can vary, what's left for us to hang our hat on? Nothing, it turns out.

But, as we just noted, nothing is something. Urban's paper suggests that the speed of light and other constants "are not fundamental constants but observable parameters of the quantum vacuum." In other words, the speed of light emerges from the properties of particles in the vacuum.

In the other paper, physicists?Gerd Leuchs and Luis L. S?nchez-Soto, from the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light in Erlangen, Germany, hypothesize how this emergence occurs. They suggest that the impedance of a vacuum ? another electromagnetic 'constant' whose value depends on the speed of light ? itself depends only on the electric charge of the particles in the vacuum, and not their masses.

If their hypothesis is correct, it answers our question of where the speed of light comes from: It emerges from the total number of charged particles in the universe.?

Time will tell if this hypothesis is correct. And of course, by "time," we mean "space and time," by which we mean "the speed of light," by which we mean "nothing," by which we mean "the properties of the quantum vacuum." But in the meantime ? or whatever ? you can thank us for informing you that, as the speed of light in a vacuum continues to fluctuate, so too does the length of the meter. Think nothing of it.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/JZLe20Gk_Iw/Scientists-examine-nothing-find-something

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Confucius Institute Scholarship for International Students, 2013 ...

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Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban (hereinafter referred to as Hanban) launches the ?Confucius Institute Scholarship? for international?students, scholars and Chinese language teachers. The category of scholarship of 2013 includes scholarship for students of Master?s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages?MTCSOL), Scholarship for Students of One-Academic-Year + MTCSOL, Scholarship for One-Academic-Year Students, and Scholarship for One-Semester Students?in Chinese universities (hereinafter referred to as ?host institutes?) or?study in such majors as Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy. The application deadline varies from one host institute to other.

Study Subject(s):?The scholarship is offered for pursuing Master?s degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) in Chinese universities (hereinafter referred to as ?host institutes?), or study in such majors as Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy.
Course Level:?The category of scholarship of 2013 includes Scholarship for Students of Master?s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL), Scholarship for Students of One-Academic-Year + MTCSOL, Scholarship for One-Academic-Year Students, and Scholarship for One-Semester Students.
Scholarship Provider:?Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban (hereinafter referred to as Hanban)
Scholarship can be taken at:?China

Eligibility:
Scholarship for Students of MTCSOL:
-The scholarship is provided to outstanding students of Confucius Institutes (Classrooms), overseas local Chinese language teachers, outstanding performers on HSK exams, winners of the ?Chinese Bridge? Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students, and outstanding graduates of Chinese language across the world for taking the MTCSOL degree.
-Applicants are required to have bachelor degrees or its equivalent with a score of at least 180 on the HSK (level 5) and a score of at least 50 on the HSKK (intermediate level), and make a written commitment stating that he/she will be engaged in Chinese language teaching for at least 5 years after graduation. Applicants with specific teaching posts arranged will be given admission priority (certification by the institution he/she will teach for is required). Hanban will provide support for outstanding graduates to return to their countries to teach.
Scholarship for Students of One-Academic-Year + MTCSOL:
-The scholarship is provided to Confucius Institute students from Africa and Latin America regions who would like to engage in the Chinese language teaching.
- Applicants shall sign agreements with the Confucius Institute or institutes to which they will be providing teaching services.
-Applicants are required to have bachelor degrees or its equivalent with a score of at least 180 on the HSK (level 3) and a score of at least 60 on the HSKK (primary level). Those who pass the first-academic-year assessment and score at least 180 on the HSK (level 5) can continue to study in China for the Master?s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. Hanban will provide support for graduates returning to their countries to teach Chinese language by recruiting them as local teachers and providing wage subsidies, etc.
Scholarship for One-Academic Year Students:
-The scholarship is provided to outstanding students of Confucius Institutes (Classrooms), winners of the ?Chinese Bridge? Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students, overseas local Chinese language teachers, outstanding graduates of Chinese language across the world, and outstanding performers on the HSK, or those who intend to become Chinese teachers.
-Applicants should achieve a score of at least 180 on the HSK (level 3) and at least 60 on the HSKK (primary level), or complete their study at a Confucius Institute for over 120 hours.
Scholarship for One-Semester Students:
-The scholarship is provided to outstanding students of Confucius Institutes (Classrooms), winners of the ?Chinese Bridge? Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students, overseas local Chinese language teachers, outstanding graduates of Chinese language across the world, and outstanding performers on the HSK.
-Applicants should achieve a score of at least 120 on the HSK (level 2) and at least 40 on the HSKK (elementary level), or complete their study at a Confucius Institute for over 60 hours.

Scholarship Open for International Students:?The international students (non-Chinese citizens) can apply for this scholarship.

Scholarship Description:?In order to support the development of Confucius Institutes, facilitate Chinese language promotion and Chinese cultural transmission in the world, cultivate qualified Chinese language teachers and talented students of Chinese language, Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban (hereinafter referred to as Hanban) launches the ?Confucius Institute Scholarship? program to provide financial aid for students, scholars and Chinese language teachers worldwide to proceed to a Master?s degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) in Chinese universities (hereinafter referred to as ?host institutes?), or study in such majors as Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy. The category of scholarship of 2013 includes Scholarship for Students of Master?s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages(MTCSOL), Scholarship for Students of One-Academic-Year + MTCSOL, Scholarship for One-Academic-Year Students, and Scholarship for One-Semester Students. Applicants shall be non-Chinese citizens in good health, aged between 16 and 35 (Chinese language teachers in post shall be aged below 45).

Duration of award(s):?Scholarship for Students of MTCSOL: The scholarship winner shall begin the study in autumn 2013, and the grant will cover two academic years. Scholarship for One-Academic Year Students: ?the grant term is one academic year. Scholarship for One-Semester Students: The time of entrance is autumn 2013 or spring 2014 and the grant term is one semester.

What does it cover??Scholarship winners are exempt from registration fees, tuition, fees for basic learning materials, accommodation fees on campus, and are provided with a one-off resettlement subsidy, monthly allowance, outpatient medical service and comprehensive insurance for foreign students studying in China. Monthly allowances are at the following rates (CNY Yuan per month):
a. CNY 1,400 for One-Academic-Year Students and One-Semester Students.
b. CNY 1,700 for Master?s Degree Students.
The one-off resettlement subsidy is CNY 1,500 for students who will study in China for one academic year or more; CNY 1,000 will be provided to all students who studies in China for one semester; the one-off resettlement subsidy will not be provided to those who have studied in China for more than half a year before being enrolled.

Recruitment Procedures:
-From the issue date of the Procedures, applicants should log on to the Confucius Institute Scholarship website at http://cis.chinese.cn. set up an individual account, read information and introduction of host institutes and majors, complete and submit the Confucius Institute Scholarship Application Form online.
-Confucius Institutes (independently set-up Confucius Classrooms), overseas Chinese test centers, educational and cultural offices (sections) of Chinese embassies (consulates), host institutes and institutions of higher education in those countries with no Confucius Institutes are entrusted by Hanban as the recommending institutions. The recommending institutions shall exam the qualification and application materials of applicants, and submit the list of recommended applicants to Hanban by April 25th, 2013.
- Host institutes are responsible for reviewing the qualification of applicants and submitting the proposed enrollment name list of qualified candidates to Hanban by May 25th, 2013.
- Hanban will organize an expert panel to make the final selection, and publish the name list of successful applicants on the Scholarship website by June 15th, 2013. Hanban will also inform the host institutes and the recommending institutions, which will inform the applicants.
- The host institutes will post ?Admission Notice?, ?Enrollment Instructions?, ?Visa Application Form for Foreigners to Study in China? (JW202 Form) and other related materials to successful applicants through their recommending institutions by July 1st, 2013.

Notification: Hanban will organize an expert panel to make the final selection, and publish the name list of successful applicants on the Scholarship website by June 15th, 2013. Hanban will also inform the host institutes and the recommending institutions, which will inform the applicants.

How to Apply:?Applicants must log onto the Scholarship website, fill out the ?Confucius Institute Scholarship Application Form?, and attach the electronic files of the following materials:
- Photocopy of Passport Photo Page
- Photocopy of HSK and HSKK Result Report
- Notarized highest education diplomas attained or proof of study
- Reference Letter and Letter of Commitment. Students attending Chinese language programs of universities in countries with no Confucius Institutes established shall attach a reference letter signed and issued by the university President. The Master?s Degree Scholarship applicants are required to submit reference letters provided by two professors or associate professors (in Chinese or English). A written commitment stating that the applicant will be engaged in Chinese language teaching for at least 5 years after graduation (written in Chinese and sign with signature).
- Applications under the age of 18 shall submit relevant legal documents of entrusted legal guardians in China.
- Winners of the finals of the ?Chinese Bridge? Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students in China shall submit the scholarship certificate. Winners of preliminary rounds of the ?Chinese Bridge? Proficiency Competitions in their countries shall provide award proof and reference letter provided by the organizers.
- Chinese language teachers shall submit certificate of employment and recommendation letters provided by institutes they work for.
- Those applying for the Scholarship for Students of One-Academic-Year + Master?s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages are required to provide the agreement signed with the Confucius Institute or the institute which they will be working for.
- Other materials required by host institutes.

Scholarship Application Deadline:?The scholarship winners shall register at the host institutes before the deadline set by the institutes. Scholarships will not be kept for those who do not register on time without reasonable cause.

List of Host?Institute?for Confucius Institute Scholarship?

Further Official Scholarship Information and Application

Scholarship Tags: 2013, China, Chinese, Featured, International, Language, Master's, Scholarship, Teaching

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Source: http://scholarship-positions.com/confucius-institute-scholarship-for-international-students-in-china-2013/2013/03/25/

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Cyprus reaches last-minute deal on 10-billion euro bailout

By Jan Strupczewski and Michele Kambas

BRUSSELS/NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus reached a last-ditch deal with international lenders on a 10 billion euro ($13 billion) rescue plan to avoid economic meltdown, agreeing to close down its second-largest bank and inflict heavy losses on big depositors.

The agreement came hours before a deadline to avert a collapse of the banking system in fraught negotiations between President Nicos Anastasiades and heads of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Without a deal, Cyprus's banking system would have collapsed and the country could have become the first to crash out of the European single currency.

Backed by euro zone finance ministers, the plan will spare the Mediterranean island a financial catastrophe by winding down the largely state-owned Popular Bank of Cyprus, also known as Laiki, and shifting deposits below 100,000 euros to the Bank of Cyprus to create a "good bank".

Deposits above 100,000 euros in both banks, which are not guaranteed under EU law, will be frozen and used to resolve Laiki's debts and recapitalize Bank of Cyprus, the island's biggest, through a deposit/equity conversion.

The raid on uninsured Laiki depositors is expected to raise 4.2 billion euros, Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijssebloem said.

Laiki will effectively be shuttered, with thousands of job losses. Officials said senior bondholders in Laiki would be wiped out and those in Bank of Cyprus would have to make a contribution.

An EU spokesman said no across-the-board levy or tax would be imposed on deposits in Cypriot banks, although the hit on large account holders in the two biggest banks is likely to be far greater than initially planned. A first attempt at a deal last week collapsed when the Cypriot parliament rejected a proposed levy on all deposits.

The Central Bank of Cyprus said both Bank of Cyprus and Laiki would remain shut until Thursday, while all other lenders would reopen on Tuesday, just over a week after the government ordered them to close their doors to halt a run on deposits.

The government is expected to impose restrictions on capital movement to halt a flood of money from the island, but details were not yet known.

UNFORESEEABLE CONSEQUENCES

Cyprus government spokesman Christos Stylianides said: "We averted a disorderly bankruptcy which would have led to an exit of Cyprus from the euro zone with unforeseeable consequences."

Asked about the level of losses on uninsured depositors in Bank of Cyprus, he told state radio: "The assessment is that it will be under or around 30 percent."

The Cyprus central bank said the agreement had also avoided the disorderly default of Laiki Bank.

Russia signalled it would back the bailout even though it would impose big losses on Russian depositors, who have billions in Cyprus banks.

President Vladimir Putin ordered officials to restructure a loan Moscow granted to Cyprus in 2011 - having rejected Nicosia's request for easier terms in crisis talks last week.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev - who ranks below Putin - earlier criticized the bailout, voiced the anger expressed by Russian depositors, saying: "The stealing of what has already been stolen continues."

Among Cypriots, there was a mood of wariness about the deal.

"How long will it last?" asked Georgia Xenophontos, 23, a hotel receptionist in Nicosia. "Why should anyone believe anything this government says?"

But many in the capital appeared intent on enjoying a sunny holiday morning, drinking coffee at pavement cafes and watching camera crews filming people drawing money from bank machines.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the deal was right for Cyprus because it ensured that those who contributed to the crisis were required to pay towards its resolution.

"I am very pleased that a solution was found last night and that we have been able to avoid an insolvency," Merkel said.

Anastasiades was due to make a live televised statement at 7 p.m (1700 GMT), on his return to Cyprus from Brussels, but the appearance was delayed.

Lefteris Christoforou, vice-chairman of the ruling Democratic Rally party, said it was important that Cyprus had avoided a chaotic bankruptcy. "It is a bad deal, but the extreme scenario we had to contend with was worse."

RESIGNATION THREAT

A senior source in the Brussels talks said Anastasiades threatened to resign at one stage on Sunday if pushed too far.

The Conservative leader, barely a month in office and wrestling with Cyprus's worst crisis since a 1974 invasion by Turkish forces split the island in two, was forced to abandon his efforts to shield big account holders.

Diplomats said the president had fought hard to preserve the country's business model as an offshore financial center drawing huge sums from wealthy Russians and Britons but had lost.

The EU and IMF required that Cyprus raise 5.8 billion euros from its banks towards its own rescue in return for 10 billion euros in international loans. The head of the EU rescue fund said Cyprus should receive the first emergency funds in May.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said the agreement was "a comprehensive and credible plan" that addresses the core problem of the banking system.

"This agreement provides the basis for restoring trust in the banking system, which is key to supporting growth," she said in a statement.

With banks closed for the last week, the Central Bank of Cyprus imposed a 100-euro daily limit on withdrawals from cash machines at the two biggest banks to avert a run.

The euro gained against the dollar on the news in early Asian trading.

Analysts had said failure to clinch a deal could have caused a financial market sell-off, but some said the island's small size - it accounts for just 0.2 percent of the euro zone's economic output - would have limited contagion.

Cyprus's banking sector, with assets eight times the size of the economy, has been crippled by exposure to Greece, where private bondholders suffered a 75 percent "haircut" last year.

Without a deal by the end of Monday, the ECB said it would have cut off emergency funds to the banks, spelling certain collapse and potentially pushing the country out of the euro.

Under the bailout agreement, Laiki's ECB funds will pass to Bank of Cyprus, and the central bank will "provide liquidity to BoC in line with applicable rules".

The tottering banks held 68 billion euros in deposits, including 38 billion in accounts of more than 100,000 euros - enormous sums for an island of 1.1 million people that could never sustain such a big financial system on its own.

(Additional reporting by Luke Baker, John O'Donnell, Robin Emmott, Philip Blenkinsop and Rex Merrifield in Brussels, Michele Kambas, Karolina Tagaris, Costas Pitas in Nicosia and Lionel Laurent in Paris; Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Giles Elgood and Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-eu-imf-agree-draft-proposal-rescue-banks-002707963.html

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