Saturday, December 31, 2011

Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison Slam Hugh Hefner's "Mean" Ex-Fiancee Crystal Harris Over Dog (omg!)

Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison Slam Hugh Hefner's "Mean" Ex-Fiancee Crystal Harris Over Dog

Woof!

Crystal Harris didn't just break Hugh Hefner's heart when she broke off their engagement days before their June wedding. Now she wants his dog, too!

"I told Crystal she could keep the engagement ring and Bentley (a wedding gift) if I could have our puppy [Charlie]," Hefner, 85, tweeted Tuesday. "But now she wants all three."

PHOTOS: Hollywood's broken engagements

Hefner's former girlfriend, Holly Madison, was outraged. She tweeted to Harris, "Why did you voluntarily give the dog to Hef (who loves him too) after you left, only to ask for him back a few months later?"

Kendra Wilkinson tweeted to the Playboy mogul she was "sorry" he had to "go through this."

PHOTOS: Stars who love their dogs

"That dog loves you so much," Wilkinson, 26, wrote about the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. "[Crystal] abandoned him and now she wants him back. She's mean, mean, mean."

"Dogs shouldn't be yanked from happy homes on a whim," Madison, 32, added. "She needs to quit attention-seeking!"

PHOTOS: More May-December romances

Right after Hefner and Harris, 25, split, he tweeted that she "brought Charlie back because she thinks he's happier here and I appreciate it, because I really missed him.'

Harris auctioned off the 3.39 carat circular-cut diamond Hefner gave to her in October. The engagement ring was worth an estimated $90,000 and sold for $47,500 at the Christie's Auction.

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Crafty caterpillars mimic each other to avoid predators

Scientists have long documented mimicry in adult butterflies, but new research shows that caterpillars also use this defense mechanism to deter predators.

To protect themselves from hungry predators, caterpillars have evolved a number of defenses. Some caterpillars physically camouflage themselves to look like bird droppings or sticks, while others have developed fake eyes to scare off birds. Some caterpillars even have chemical defenses gained from poisonous plants, which they then broadcast to predators with a bright warning coloration.

Although many adult butterflies employ mimicry ? where one species develops warning color patterns similar to another species' ? to quickly teach predators which insects to avoid, scientists have observed few definitive cases of caterpillars using this strategy.

"Mimicry in general is one of the best and earliest-studied examples of natural selection, and it can help us learn where evolutionary adaptations come from," University of Florida biologist Keith Willmott said in a statement.

Two mimics
In the new study, Willmott and his colleagues focused on two caterpillar groups: the Danaini of the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola and the Ithomiini of the upper Amazon in eastern Ecuador.

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In the continental United States, Danaus plexippus ( Monarch Butterfly ) and Danaus gilippus (Queen Butterfly) caterpillars have a similar white-, black- and yellow-band pattern on their bodies. Throughout the Dominican Republic, however, the same caterpillar species have much broader black bands, giving them a distinct, darker coloration.

The researchers found that this broad-band pattern is present in several other toxic Danaini species endemic to Hispaniola, suggesting that D. plexippus and D. gilippus copied this trait from the endemic species when they arrived in the area.

Costs of mimicry
In Ecuador, the researchers found that 22 of 41 Ithomiini caterpillar species displayed some kind of warning coloration. Many of the species displayed a pattern of black, white and yellow bands, but the researchers concluded that mimicry was not likely involved because the patterns are geographically widespread and not sufficiently similar.

However, the researchers found five species that displayed a previously undocumented pattern of a bright yellow body with blue tips. They believe that four of the innocuous species likely mimicked the toxic Forbestra olivencia? a phenomenon known as Batesian mimicry.

"They act almost like parasites, because the mimics are actually edible and therefore deceive predators without having to invest in costly resources to maintain toxicity," Willmott said. "Such a system can only be stable when the mimics are relatively rare, otherwise predators will learn the trick and attack more individuals of both mimics and models, driving models to evolve novel color patterns to escape the predators."

The researchers believe that mimicry is more rare in caterpillars than butterflies because a bright coloration is more costly to the caterpillars. Unlike highly mobile adult butterflies, caterpillars are unable to easily evade predators they attract with their bright colors.

The research was published in the November issue of the journal Annals of the Entomological Society of America.

? 2011 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45804510/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Heat coach sees Coles, Chalmers as ideal partnership

-- The point, coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday, is that point guard should not be construed as an either/or proposition for the Miami Heat.

Amid the buzz created by the Tuesday breakout performance of rookie Norris Cole against the Boston Celtics, Spoelstra stressed what is most gratifying at this stage is the youthful versatility he has available at the position, when also factoring in fourth-year starter Mario Chalmers.

"We have two great, young point guards that we think bring two different things to the table that we really like," Spoelstra said before the Heat faced the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena, "and, most importantly, help our team win.

"We like it. They're both young. We feel as comfortable as anybody in the league, two young point guards under 25 that bring different skill sets."

To a degree, having dual young point guards almost is emerging as an NBA trend. Wednesday, it had the Heat going against the Bobcats' D.J. Augustin and Kemba Walker. Friday, at the back end of this two-game trip, it will have the Heat going against the Minnesota Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio and J.J. Barea.

"The fact that both of them are young and promising with a lot of potential," Spoelstra said of Chalmers and Cole, "we haven't had that in this organization for a long time."

Spoelstra remains committed to Chalmers as starter, if only because of the game-changing impact Cole can produce off the bench.

"With Norris, immediately you see it. The pace changes," Spoelstra said. "He ignites it, the break. He knows how to play fast. He gets people involved on the break, and we like that."

While much has been made about the Heat's upgraded offense, including some who question whether it could succeed in the playoffs, Spoelstra said the detractors are missing the point about what remains the team's core identity.

"This team is not built for and we won't accept trying to outscore teams," he said. "That's not how we feel we'll have any success in the playoffs."

Instead, Spoelstra said the priorities remain defense and rebounding.

"So we have to stay committed," he said, "and particularly if we're going to see different schemes, gimmick defenses, that we can still control it by defending and rebounding the ball and getting out in the open court.

"And it starts on that end. Our guys understand what makes this successful, and it's not trying to outscore other teams."

At one point during Tuesday's victory over the Celtics, Boston coach Doc Rivers shouted to his players that the Heat only could score at the rim. Spoelstra has no issues there.

"That is our identity," he said. "That's how we're built. So a lot of things that you're seeing us do, that we built on from last year, are to take advantage of those things, get out in the open court, open up driving lanes, take advantage of these guys in the post and play out of our offense, a little bit more movement, a little bit more pace."

Even with the Heat struggling Tuesday against the Celtics' zone, Spoelstra elected to keep forward James Jones on the bench, despite Jones standing 6 of 8 on 3-pointers this season to that point.

"When we face zone, we still have to stay true to our mentality," Spoelstra said. "And sometimes that means we'll have 3-point shooters and we have to take advantage of that, keep defenses honest. But we also have to be able to execute to get opportunities in the paint."

Source: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/12/28/1873176/heat-coach-sees-coles-chalmers.html

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

PS Vita gets second firmware update, nixes software bugs

There's not many things worse than when your new imported tech toy is hobbled by teething issues. Just over a week since its launch and Sony's great portable hope has been gifted its second firmware update. Version 1.51 can be grabbed through your PC, PS3 or the Vita itself and promises to fix issues with "game progress" -- mentioning launch title Dynasty Warriors: Next in particular. However, gamers have already figured out that playing through the title offline side-steps the software hiccups that this patch hopes to remedy. Early adopters can hit up the system update option to ensure their machines remain in peak condition or hit up the source for the PC link.

[Thanks Adam]

PS Vita gets second firmware update, nixes software bugs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 06:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tebow vs. Orton? 'Time will tell,' says Broncos coach John Fox

During his weekly briefing with the media this afternoon, Broncos coach John Fox was asked whether Denver or Kansas City will have the better quarterback Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Fans are sure to view this as a battle between quarterback Tim Tebow and former Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton.

Fox appeared ready for that question.

"I know we made that decision," Fox said of releasing Orton in mid-November and naming Tebow the starter. "As I would say about anything looking forward, time will tell.

"My interpretation of this week is the Denver Broncos vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. And I am sure it will be their approach as well."

Orton is 44-for-67 for 599 yards with one touchdown pass and

two interceptions in two starts with the Chiefs. That includes the victory over then-unbeaten Green Bay and Saturday's 16-13 overtime loss to Oakland.

Kansas City, 6-9, is hoping to finish a trying year on a positive note. The Chiefs lost three top players ? safety Eric Berry, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki ? in the first month of the season, and head coach Todd Haley was fired on Dec. 12.

The Broncos can clinch the AFC West title and a spot in the playoffs by beating the Chiefs. Otherwise, Denver must hope that San Diego wins at Oakland.

"In my mind (Sunday's game) is much like a playoff game already," Fox said.

?The Broncos coach said there were no updates on injuries to report, including that of safety Brian Dawkins (neck).

Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com


The Denver Post's NFL reporters post analysis, notes and more on this blog dedicated to the Denver Broncos.

Source: http://feeds.denverpost.com/~r/dp-sports-broncos/~3/H-blJMz5nnI/ci_19621444

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

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Van Halen unveils new tour with Roth aboard

Veteran rockers Van Halen unveiled plans on Monday for a tour with original lead singer David Lee Roth returning to the stage.

In a video posted on the band's website, http://www.van-halen.com, Eddie Van Halen, brother Alex and son Wolfgang play the hit "Panama" while Roth runs around on stage. Underneath reads "Van Halen On Tour 2012" with tickets going on sale January 10.

Story: Hopes for Van Halen reunion dashed, at least for now

No other details were announced, but the video confirms music industry buzz that the band is together again with Roth. An album is said to be in the works, too, after Van Halen signed a record deal in November.

A separate posting on the Van Halen News Desk website said the video was shot at the Roxy Theatre along Los Angeles' Sunset Strip while the band performed "a brand-new song."

The news site speculated about a possible February release date for a new song or album, and said the record was produced by Ross Hogarth. It is the band's first full album with Roth since the CD "1984," which was released on December 31, 1983.

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Van Halen's relationship with Roth has been a stormy one over the years. Roth left the band in a bitter breakup in 1985, only to rejoin for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, then quickly depart in another bitter split. He returned to Van Halen for a tour in 2007-08.

Story: Best guitarist of all time? Hendrix, says Rolling Stone

The band, whose early hits include "Runnin' With the Devil" and "Dance the Night Away," was among the leading rock acts of the late 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s when Sammy Hagar replaced Roth as singer.

Michael Anthony was the original bassist, but alongside Hagar he has joined another band, Chickenfoot. Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son, took over on bass.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45795085/ns/today-entertainment/

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Foxconn to double its iPhone plant?s size, output (Appolicious)

AFP - Getty ImagesTaiwanese tech manufacturer Foxconn, one of the companies that assembles Apple?s iOS mobile devices, intends to double the size of one of its biggest plant. This could allow it to produce twice as many iPhones.

The plant is located in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou and is one which the company uses to assemble Apple?s iPhone line of smartphones, Apple Insider reported. In 2011, the plant hired 100,000 new employees, and Foxconn is working with Zhengzhou to do the same in 2012, nearly doubling the size of the plant (it currently house 130,000 workers).

According to a report from the China Daily, Foxconn?s Zhengzhou plant produces more than 200,000 iPhones every single day. The assumption is that if the plant doubles the number of workers it employs, it?ll double the output. That could seriously help Apple, which has dealt with some major supply problems with its devices in the last year. The Cupertino tech giant struggled to fill demand for the iPhone 4S after its launch earlier this year, for example, and had similar problems with the last iteration of its smartphone. Having one of Foxconn?s plants double its output could help a great deal with those issues.

Foxconn, and Apple manufacturers in general, have something of a troubled past, however. Foxconn?s Zhengzhou plant saw several employees commit suicide during the past two years, raising serious concerns about working conditions. At the plant another Taiwanese iOS manufacturer, Pegatron, an explosion on Dec. 17 injured 61 workers after the aluminum dust used to polish iPads ignited, Bloomberg Businessweek reported. Back in May, a Foxconn plant suffered a similar incident, which resulted in the deaths of three workers and 15 others were injured. Working conditions in these plants have been a point of controversy for Apple, but outsourcing those manufacturing jobs to China has also been part of the iOS success story.

The plans for Foxconn?s Zhengzhou plant will put a $1.1 billion addition on the facility. Revenue from the huge plant ? it?ll be the largest in the world ? is projected to bring in $20 billion in sales revenue in 2012 alone. The company employs more than 1 million people and provides electronics to several device makers, of which Apple is just one.

And while the addition to Foxconn?s plant will likely be good news for Apple and iOS device owners, somehow it doesn?t seem likely to be an improvement for workers. The controversy over the conditions under which our technological devices are produced is likely to continue into the next year, along with their popularity.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10594_foxconn_to_double_its_iphone_plants_size_output/44011911/SIG=130oltvu0/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/10594-foxconn-to-double-its-iphone-plants-size-output

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Winter Wonders: The Science of Cold

When it comes to science, temperature matters. And when it comes to Wisconsin, things get really, really cold. When the temperature drops, the world around us changes in a practical and scientific sense. For instance, my car is less likely to work (though that may be a function of age rather than weather), and the percentage of water maintaining a crystalline configuration goes up. There are a lot of things to wonder about how a cold world functions, scientifically. These are some of my questions, and their answers:

1. Will the gasoline in my car?s tank actually ever freeze into a gas-cube?

Thankfully, no. Even though the car doors might freeze shut, the gasoline will remain conveniently liquid. Gasoline, or petrol if you?re so inclined, is a mixture of substances, namely different kinds of hydrocarbons. Each hydrocarbon freezes at a different temperature. So the overall freezing point of gasoline is hard to pinpoint, but assuredly is quite low. Hydrocarbons solidify at varying degrees of cold, with the ?warmest? freezing point around -77? F/-25? C and the coolest was -320? F/-160? C (Smittenberg et al. 18).

Bonus fact: Frozen fuel is more of a concern for airplanes, but there are ways to lower the freezing point of jet fuel. For instance, US Patent 7,666,294 B2 was issued last year to Shell Oil Company for a method of mixing in non-petroleum derived fuel to depress the point at which jet fuel freezes (Bauldreau).

2. Why is wool so warm?

On the coldest days in Wisconsin, my toes? best chance at avoiding numbness lie in a thick pair of wool socks. Wool keeps out the cold because it is an excellent insulator. Crimped and crisscrossed woolen fibers create tons of little air pockets. The tiny air masses within my socks have difficulty moving in and out of the fabric. Without convective heat transfer and contact with air of other temperatures, the spaces between wool fibers maintains a steady temperature. That temperature is warmer than winter?s, allowing wool to form a welcoming cocoon with warm, stagnant air.

3. Why do some snowflakes look intricate and lacy, while others seem shapeless?

Sometimes a snowflake drifts down from the sky and lands on my coat sleeve as a symmetrical, stunning surprise. But other times it seems as though the sky is simply dropping softly frozen clumps. Of interest for centuries, the delicacy and variability of frozen precipitation was even studied by the likes of Johannes Kepler and Ren? Descartes. In 1954, a Japanese physicist, Ukichiro Nakaya, classified types of snowflakes for the first time. The current system for making sense of snowflake formation is based on two factors: temperature and humidity.

The two main snowflake, or snow crystal, shapes, are plates and columns (Libbrecht 860). Plates are the typical hexagonal flakes and columns are elongated, blocky crystals. As a cloud?s temperature moves below 32? F(0? C), it will pass through various phases of crystalline potential (Libbrecht 860). If enough water is present in a cloud, between 32 and 23? F (0 and -5? C), plates will form, sending small six-armed flakes to the earth. In the 23 to 14? F (-5 to -10? C) range, a cloud produces columnar snow crystals.

Below 14? F (-10? C), snow?s crystalline shape switches back to plates again, but larger ones this time. In all of these temperature ranges, the amount of moisture in the air affects the final shape and size of the crystal.

The science of snowflakes is fascinating and to learn more (or just to see some awesome images) I have a couple recommendations. If you?re interested to see a graphic representation of various crystals forming at different temperature and humidities, I recommend page 860 of ?The physics of snow crystals.? Or check out old-school sketches of 80 simple but fascinating snow crystals by Magono and Lee in a modification of Nakaya?s classification system: ?Meteorological classification of natural snow crystals.?

Finally, and I have to say this is a winter wonder must, check out these stereo images of snow. As for me, I am eagerly awaiting the next snowfall, to see if I can guess the temperature and humidity of the cloud in which the snow crystals formed.

References:

Bauldreay, J. M., Heins, R. J., and Smith, J. ?Depressed freeze point kerosene fuel compositions and methods of making and using same.? Patent 7,666,294. 23 Feb 2010.

Libbrecht, K. G. ?The physics of snow crystals.? Reports on Progress in Physics. 68 (2005): 855-895.

Smittenberg, J., Hoog, H., and Henkes, R. A. ?Freezing points of a number of hydrocarbons of the gasoline boiling range and some of their binary mixtures.? Journal of the American Chemical Society. 60 (1938): 17-22.

Image Credits: Wool: Photo by Marc Pehkonen, courtesy of Fuzbaby.com; Snowflakes:Electron and Confocal Microscopy Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=5e880ba486b72abc97ff7ab57d9985f9

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Dec. 27, 2011: Doubleheader Basketball; Women v William Woods; Men v Eureka College

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Source: http://www.wiu.edu/wiucalendar/index.sphp?id=19053

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President Martelly laments the loss of Haitians lives at sea

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC - President Michel Martelly has extended condolences to the families of at least 38 Haitian migrants who died when their boat sank off Cuba on Christmas Eve.

Cuban officials said that another 87 people from the boat were rescued.

Martelly has also advised Haitians seeking better opportunities not to venture out to sea in boats that are not seaworthy and reaffirmed his administration's commitment to improving the lives of all Haitians and to creating enough quality jobs to lift them out of poverty.

Cuban television, quoting Civil Defence officials, said that the boat was spotted 100 meters off shore.

On Saturday, the United States Coast Guard said that it had returned almost 150 migrants to Haiti and Cuba after intercepting their boats at sea.

A total of 112 Haitian migrants were returned to Cap-Haitien, Haiti, on Friday, officials said.

A Coast Guard crew on the St. Petersburg, Florida-based Cutter Resolute, conducting a routine patrol in the Caribbean Sea, discovered the Haitian sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas, on its way to the Florida coast.

The vessel was ?grossly overloaded? with 87 men, 19 women and six children, according to Coast Guard Captain Brendan McPherson, of the 7th Coast Guard District chief of enforcement.

"The Coast Guard strongly advises against taking to sea in an attempt to illegally enter the United States," he said.

?Taking to sea in a grossly overloaded vessel with little or no safety gear needlessly places human lives at risk. The Coast Guard will continue to rescue Haitian migrants from their peril at sea and will always do so in a professional manner that preserves the dignity of all people" he added.

editorial@gleanerjm.com

Source: http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=34120

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Monday, October 17, 2011

Padfone, The Most Unintentionally Funny Product Launch Ever

Screen Shot 2011-10-15 at 12.54.24 AMSure this Padfone thing (yes it's real) happened in May, but I just saw it and can't stop laughing and can't focus on the other thing I was writing so I am posting it here to get it out of my system, Arrington-style.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/UpyAgyb9r6o/

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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Robot biologist solves complex problem from scratch

Friday, October 14, 2011

First it was chess. Then it was Jeopardy.

Now computers are at it again, but this time they are trying to automate the scientific process itself.

An interdisciplinary team of scientists at Vanderbilt University, Cornell University and CFD Research Corporation, Inc., has taken a major step toward this goal by demonstrating that a computer can analyze raw experimental data from a biological system and derive the basic mathematical equations that describe the way the system operates. According to the researchers, it is one of the most complex scientific modeling problems that a computer has solved completely from scratch.

The paper that describes this accomplishment is published in the October issue of the journal Physical Biology and is currently available online.

The work was a collaboration between John P. Wikswo, the Gordon A. Cain University Professor at Vanderbilt, Michael Schmidt and Hod Lipson at the Creative Machines Lab at Cornell University and Jerry Jenkins and Ravishankar Vallabhajosyula at CFDRC in Huntsville, Ala.

The "brains" of the system, which Wikswo has christened the Automated Biology Explorer (ABE), is a unique piece of software called Eureqa developed at Cornell and released in 2009. Schmidt and Lipson originally created Eureqa to design robots without going through the normal trial and error stage that is both slow and expensive. After it succeeded, they realized it could also be applied to solving science problems.

One of Eureqa's initial achievements was identifying the basic laws of motion by analyzing the motion of a double pendulum. What took Sir Isaac Newton years to discover, Eureqa did in a few hours when running on a personal computer.

In 2006, Wikswo heard Lipson lecture about his research. "I had a 'eureka moment' of my own when I realized the system Hod had developed could be used to solve biological problems and even control them," Wikswo said. So he started talking to Lipson immediately after the lecture and they began a collaboration to adapt Eureqa to analyze biological problems.

"Biology is the area where the gap between theory and data is growing the most rapidly," said Lipson. "So it is the area in greatest need of automation."

Software passes test

The biological system that the researchers used to test ABE is glycolysis, the primary process that produces energy in a living cell. Specifically, they focused on the manner in which yeast cells control fluctuations in the chemical compounds produced by the process.

The researchers chose this specific system, called glycolytic oscillations, to perform a virtual test of the software because it is one of the most extensively studied biological control systems. Jenkins and Vallabhajosyula used one of the process' detailed mathematical models to generate a data set corresponding to the measurements a scientist would make under various conditions. To increase the realism of the test, the researchers salted the data with a 10 percent random error. When they fed the data into Eureqa, it derived a series of equations that were nearly identical to the known equations.

"What's really amazing is that it produced these equations a priori," said Vallabhajosyula. "The only thing the software knew in advance was addition, subtraction, multiplication and division."

Beyond Adam

The ability to generate mathematical equations from scratch is what sets ABE apart from Adam, the robot scientist developed by Ross King and his colleagues at the University of Wales at Aberystwyth. Adam runs yeast genetics experiments and made international headlines two years ago by making a novel scientific discovery without direct human input. King fed Adam with a model of yeast metabolism and a database of genes and proteins involved in metabolism in other species. He also linked the computer to a remote-controlled genetics laboratory. This allowed the computer to generate hypotheses, then design and conduct actual experiments to test them.

"It's a classic paper," Wikswo said.

In order to give ABE the ability to run experiments like Adam, Wikswo's group is currently developing "laboratory-on-a-chip" technology that can be controlled by Eureqa. This will allow ABE to design and perform a wide variety of basic biology experiments. Their initial effort is focused on developing a microfluidics device that can test cell metabolism.

"Generally, the way that scientists design experiments is to vary one factor at a time while keeping the other factors constant, but, in many cases, the most effective way to test a biological system may be to tweak a large number of different factors at the same time and see what happens. ABE will let us do that," Wikswo said.

###

Vanderbilt University: http://www.exploration.vanderbilt.edu

Thanks to Vanderbilt University for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114318/Robot_biologist_solves_complex_problem_from_scratch

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Saturday, October 15, 2011

Another clue to how obesity works

ScienceDaily (Oct. 14, 2011) ? The effects of obesity -- both on our bodies and on the health budget -- are well known, and now, scientists are getting closer to understanding how the disease progresses, providing clues for future treatments.

In a study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers at Monash University in collaboration with colleagues in the United States, have revealed how resistance to the hormone leptin, a key causal component of obesity, develops.

Lead author Professor Tony Tiganis, of the Monash Obesity and Diabetes Institute and Monash University's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, said our bodies produce leptin in response to increasing fat deposits.

"Acting on a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, leptin instructs the body to increase energy expenditure and decrease food intake, and so helps us maintain a healthy body weight," said Professor Tiganis.

"The body's response to leptin is diminished in overweight and obese individuals, giving rise to the concept of 'leptin-resistance'. We've discovered more about how 'leptin-resistance' develops, providing new directions for research into possible treatments."

Two proteins are already known to inhibit leptin in the brain and Professor Tiganis' team have discovered a third. In mice, this third protein becomes more abundant with weight-gain, exacerbating leptin-resistance and hastening progression to morbid obesity. The study showed that the three negative regulators of leptin take effect at different stages, shedding light on how obesity progresses.

"Drugs targeting one of the negative regulators are already in clinical trials for Type 2 Diabetes, however, our research shows that in terms of increasing leptin-sensitivity in obesity, targeting only one of these won't be enough. All three regulators might need to be switched off," said Professor Tiganis.

The study showed that high fat diet-induced weight gain is largely prevented in genetically-modified mice when two of the negative regulators are deleted in the brain.

"We now have to determine what happens when all three negative regulators are neutralised. Do we prevent high fat diet-induced obesity?"

Professor Tiganis said the more that is known about obesity, the better equipped scientists are to develop drugs to support good diet and exercise choices.

"Humans have a deep-seated attraction to overeating and nutrient-rich food, inherited from our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Now that food is more readily available and our lifestyles are less active, our evolutionary drive to overeat is becoming problematic."

More than four million Australians are obese and if current trends continue, by 2020, more than 80 per cent of adults and almost one third of children will be overweight or obese. Studies indicate that obesity and related health issues cost Australians more than $56 billion a year.

"Simply telling people to eat less and exercise more is not going to be sufficient to reverse the obesity trend. There is a pressing need to develop novel drugs that complement diet and exercise to both prevent and treat this disease," said Professor Tiganis.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Monash University.

Journal Reference:

  1. Kim Loh, Atsushi Fukushima, Xinmei Zhang, Sandra Galic, Dana Briggs, Pablo J. Enriori, Stephanie Simonds, Florian Wiede, Alexander Reichenbach, Christine Hauser, Natalie A. Sims, Kendra K. Bence, Sheng Zhang, Zhong-Yin Zhang, Barbara B. Kahn, Benjamin G. Neel, Zane B. Andrews, Michael A. Cowley, and Tony Tiganis. Elevated Hypothalamic TCPTP in Obesity Contributes to Cellular Leptin Resistance. Cell Metabolism, 2011; DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2011.09.011

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111014095624.htm

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Vitamin E Supplements Boost Mens Prostate Cancer

[unable to retrieve full-text content]NIH-FUNDED STUDY SHOWS INCREASED PROSTATE CANCER RISK FROM VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTS Men who took 400 international units of vitamin E daily had more.

Source: http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=236163&full=1

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Friday, October 14, 2011

Nova passeata da Globo: a ressaca dos derrotados

Por Gilson Caroni Filho

Os movimentos que saem da internet para ganhar as ruas, longe de ser a "primavera" com que sonham ? ou fingem sonhar ? seus reais mentores, t?m se mostrado um melanc?lico outono dos tradicionais dispositivos de agenciamento midi?tico.

Os brasileiros, que tiveram de passar 20 anos, lendo nas entrelinhas, especulando a partir de meias palavras ou interpretando ? procurando interpretar ? as rudes rea??es viscerais trazidas ao p?blico por aqueles que detinham o poder, t?m hoje olhos e ouvidos apurad?ssimos para entender o que h? por tr?s de cada epis?dio do cotidiano, por mais irrelevante que possa parecer ? primeira vista. ? isso que o baronato midi?tico parece n?o ter entendido ao continuar patrocinando atos que, a pretexto de combater a corrup??o, t?m como objetivo esvaziar a pol?tica.

Os movimentos que saem da internet para ganhar as ruas, longe de ser a ?primavera? com que sonham ? ou fingem sonhar ? seus reais mentores, t?m se mostrado um melanc?lico outono dos tradicionais dispositivos de agenciamento midi?tico. Submersos na crise do imobilismo de suas bases, resta ? velha direita o consolo de platitudes publicadas para justificar mais uma tentativa fracassada. O saldo de mais um insucesso ora ? debitado ? boa situa??o da economia brasileira ora a uma estranha l?gica bin?ria, como a apresentada pelo professor de ?tica e Filosofia Pol?tica da Universidade de S?o Paulo (USP), Renato Janine Ribeiro, na edi??o de 13/ 05, de O Globo.

?O problema na luta contra a corrup??o ? que ela est? tomada pelos partidos. E ? uma l?stima que as pessoas usem isso contra o partido oposto?. Mas a que se refere o renomado acad?mico? A caracter?stica do movimento n?o seria exatamente o seu reiterado ?car?ter apartid?rio?? Ou, sem se dar conta, Janine revela o fato que deveria permanecer oculto: o centro pol?tico da rea??o est? agrupado no campo jornal?stico oligopolista que assume para si o papel de partido de oposi??o.

O mesmo partido que deu sustenta??o a duas d?cadas de ditadura militar. O mesmo agrupamento que silenciou as emo??es e expectativas da opini?o p?blica durante os oito anos de desmando do tucanato. Que editou a realidade para ocultar as preocupa??es da popula??o com o apag?o, o descontrole cambial, a desnacionaliza??o de partes substanciosas da produ??o e servi?os nacionais, os rigores de uma pol?tica econ?mica que duplicaram as d?vidas externas e internas e criaram seguidos d?ficits comerciais.

Desemprego, congelamento ou irris?rios aumentos salariais, ao lado de esc?ndalos pol?ticos e econ?micos, pareciam fazer parte do cen?rio natural para os mesmos colunistas militantes que agora se arvoram em defensores de valores republicanos. Num conhecido jogo de espelhos, a defesa incondicional dos ditames do mercado ? trocada, editorialmente, pela busca de posicionamento ?tico no trato da coisa p?blica. A guinada ? t?o mal-feita que n?o atrai o distinto p?blico, como pudemos constatar nas manifesta??es de quarta-feira, dia da padroeira oficial do Brasil. No Rio de Janeiro, os manifestantes chegaram a hostilizar os que preferiram olhar o mar a ver a ressaca dos derrotados.

Para deixar claro qual o objetivo da TV Globo e de seus s?cios menores nessa simula??o barata, vale a pena reproduzir o que escreveu o ex-deputado Milton Temer (PSOL) em seu blog: ?promover no Brasil uma onda semelhante ? que lamentavelmente varre povos de pot?ncias capitalistas, que se re?nem em manifesta??es pontuais e conjunturais, mas que, pela absten??o nos processos eleitorais, por justificado ceticismo, permitem ? direita mais reacion?ria manter o controle absoluto das institui??es, ditas republicanas, que realmente deliberam sobre seus destinos, atrav?s do modelo de sociedade que desenham com suas leis e decis?es dos poderes Executivo e Judici?rio.?

O brasileiro sabe que, sempre que uma esperan?a se frustra (o que n?o ? o caso do atual do governo), vem a decep??o e ? preciso criar alternativas. Sempre ? preciso reconstruir caminhos, mas o que a grande imprensa apresenta ? um atalho para o precip?cio.

Gilson Caroni Filho ? professor de Sociologia das Faculdades Integradas H?lio Alonso (Facha), no Rio de Janeiro, colunista da Carta Maior e colaborador do Jornal do Brasil

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DesabafoBrasil/~3/c0h21Xf2J2M/nova-passeata-da-globo-ressaca-dos.html

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Thursday, October 13, 2011

China urges U.S. to stymie "protectionist" FX bill (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China urged the Obama administration to block a U.S. bill aimed at pressing Beijing to lift the yuan's value, raising the risk of further strains between the world's top two economies even if warnings of a "trade war" remain just talk.

Washington's effort to force Beijing's hand may have the opposite effect, at least for now. Currency investors are already pricing in the risk that China could tighten its leash on the yuan to demonstrate its grip over the currency.

The bill is a protectionist step that "gravely violates World Trade Organization rules," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said after the U.S. Senate approved it in a 63-35 vote and sent it to House of Representatives.

"China urges the U.S. government, Congress and all quarters to resolutely oppose using domestic legislation to create a fuss about and put pressure on the renminbi exchange rate," said Ma in comments on the ministry's website (http://www.mfa.gov.cn).

The "renminbi," or "people's currency," is another name for China's yuan currency.

The legislation will "disrupt the shared efforts of China and the United States, as well as the international community, to promote vigorous recovery and growth in the global economy," said Ma.

His condemnation was echoed by China's Ministry of Commerce and the People's Bank of China, the central bank, which said the yuan exchange rate was "reasonable."

Chinese officials and media have warned that the legislation could trigger a "trade war" of escalating protectionist tit-for-tat retaliation.

China's official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday that "what the U.S. Senate did planted a ticking time-bomb that may ignite a potential trade war."

BLUSTER

On the face of it, China has major weapons to strike back at the United States if the currency legislation is passed. It is America's biggest foreign creditor and its fastest-growing major export market.

But such shapeless threats are more bluster to reassure domestic audiences than a real option, said Yi Xianrong, an economist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who said the risk of an escalating cycle of trade retaliation was scant.

"A trade war won't break out, it just won't. It's just to give it a scare," he told Reuters of the warnings from Beijing to Washington.

"The reaction has been excessive. Many people have called for payback by selling off (Chinese holdings of) U.S. government debt. That would be utterly foolish," he added.

But China could nonetheless adopt retaliatory steps against some U.S. goods and companies if the bill ever passes into law, said several other economists and foreign policy analysts.

Although the currency bill faces high hurdles to becoming law, Beijing appears worried that it could signal more feuding with the United States in 2012, when President Barack Obama faces a tough fight for re-election and China's Communist Party will navigate a leadership handover.

"The election race is already having an impact, and it will certainly expand," said Jin Canrong, a professor at Renmin University in Beijing specializing in Sino-American relations.

"Because of the state of the U.S. economy, trade issues will be the focus of that impact," he added, noting criticism of China from Republican candidates, including Mitt Romney.

"If this bill is passed, and the United States exacts tariffs as the bill demands, I think China will respond by imposing tariffs on some U.S. products," said Jin.

The angry exchanges could stoke investor jitters even if they remain just words, Barclays Capital said in a client note.

"The Senate's passage is already sufficient to sour the atmosphere for bilateral cooperation at a time when it is most needed to maintain global growth and stability," it said.

"In the unlikely scenario that the bill becomes law and the U.S. penalizes Chinese exports, China might retaliate, for instance by taxing U.S. MNCs (multinationals) in China."

Ties between Beijing and Washington have also been troubled by disputes over China's fetters on dissent and on the Internet, regional military and security tensions, and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by China.

YAWNING DEFICIT

China controls the pace of yuan exchange rate movements by setting a daily mid-point from which the currency can rise or fall 0.5 percent versus the dollar each day, and also by intervening in trading on the domestic market.

On Wednesday, traders pushed the yuan to its lower daily limit, reflecting sentiment that the central bank will keep the yuan on a tight leash to signal to Washington that it will not be pushed around.

Many U.S. lawmakers, trade unions and manufacturing lobbies say China holds down the value of the yuan to give its exports an unfair edge in global markets.

Both governments have pledged to address imbalances, but the U.S. trade deficit with China in 2010 rose to a record-breaking $273 billion, up from about $227 billion in 2009, U.S. data shows.

In China, many officials worry that moving faster to raise the value of the yuan could hurt exports and the tens of millions of manufacturing jobs they create.

"Making groundless accusations about the renminbi exchange rate will not solve the United States' lack of savings, trade deficit or high unemployment rate," said the Chinese central bank in response to the U.S. Senate passing the bill.

"But it could seriously disrupt the exchange rate reforms that China is undertaking."

China says it is committed to gradual currency reform and notes the yuan has risen 30 percent since July 2005, when Beijing revalued the currency.

The proposed Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011 would allow the U.S. government to slap countervailing duties on goods from countries found to be subsidizing their exports by undervaluing their currencies.

But before President Barack Obama could be forced to decide whether to sign the bill into law, it must first win approval from the House of Representatives, where key Republicans have indicated they dislike the tariff threat.

The American Chamber of Commerce in China, which represents many firms with business there, also repeated its opposition to the legislation in an emailed statement.

"The Senate bill would damage the bilateral trade and investment relationship, weaken our standing in the World Trade Organization, and damage our national interests," said Ted Dean, the chairman of the chamber, which has headquarters in Beijing.

(Additional reporting by Aileen Wang and Sabrina Mao; Editing by Ken Wills and Neil Fullick)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111012/pl_nm/us_china_usa_yuan

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Ukraine's Tymoshenko sentenced to 7 years in jail

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks during her trial at the Pecherskiy District Court in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a trial widely condemned in the West as politically motivated. Judge Rodion Kireyev also barred Tymoshenko, now the country's top opposition leader, from occupying government posts for three years and fined her 1.5 billion hryvna (US$190 million or euro140 million) for the damages her actions cost the state. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks during her trial at the Pecherskiy District Court in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a trial widely condemned in the West as politically motivated. Judge Rodion Kireyev also barred Tymoshenko, now the country's top opposition leader, from occupying government posts for three years and fined her 1.5 billion hryvna (US$190 million or euro140 million) for the damages her actions cost the state. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The judge, Rodion Kireyev reads the indictment during a trial against former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko at the Pecherskiy District Court in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. Tymoshenko on Tuesday was found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a trial widely condemned in the West as politically motivated. Judge Rodion Kireyev also barred Tymoshenko, now the country's top opposition leader, from occupying government posts for three years after the completion of her prison term and fined her 1.5 billion hryvna ($190 million; euros140 million) in damages to the state. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko seen during her trial, at the Pecherskiy District Court in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. Tymoshenko on Tuesday was found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a trial widely condemned in the West as politically motivated. Judge Rodion Kireyev also barred Tymoshenko, now the country's top opposition leader, from occupying government posts for three years after the completion of her prison term and fined her 1.5 billion hryvna ($190 million; euros140 million) in damages to the state. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukrainian riot police officers block supporters of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko outside the Pecherskiy District Court in Kiev,Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a trial widely condemned in the West as politically motivated. Judge Rodion Kireyev also barred Tymoshenko, now the country's top opposition leader, from occupying government posts for three years and fined her 1.5 billion hryvna (US$190 million or euro140 million) for the damages her actions cost the state.(AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko seen during her trial at the Pecherskiy District Court in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a trial widely condemned in the West as politically motivated. Judge Rodion Kireyev also barred Tymoshenko, now the country's top opposition leader, from occupying government posts for three years and fined her 1.5 billion hryvna (US$190 million or euro140 million) for the damages her actions cost the state. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

(AP) ? Ukraine's former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Tuesday was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of abuse of office in signing a gas deal with Russia, a verdict immediately condemned by both the European Union and Russia as politically motivated.

Tymoshenko, the driving force of the 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution and now the nation's top opposition leader, denounced the trial as rigged by President Viktor Yanukovych to get rid of a political opponent.

The case has galvanized the opposition. A crowd of several dozen angry Tymoshenko supporters clashed following the verdict with helmeted riot policed who flooded the city center, but they were quickly pushed away and it was unclear if the protests would last.

Judge Rodion Kireyev declared Tymoshenko, 50, guilty of exceeding her authority as premier when she signed a natural gas imports contract with Russia in 2009. He also banned her from occupying government posts for three years after the completion of her prison term and fined her 1.5 billion hryvna ($190 million or euro140 million) for the damages her actions cost the state.

Tymoshenko, clad in a beige dress and wearing her trademark blond braid around her head, has called the trial a "lynching." She appeared unfazed by the verdict and began addressing reporters in the courtroom without waiting for Kireyev to finish reading the lengthy ruling.

She said Yanukovych wrote the verdict himself and compared it to the show trials and horrific purges by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

"The year 1937 has returned to Ukraine with this verdict and all the repression of citizens," she said. "As for me, be sure that I will not stop my fight even for a minute. I will always be with you as long as it is necessary."

"Nobody, not Yanukovych, not Kireyev, can humiliate my honest name. I have worked and will continue to work for Ukraine's sake," Tymoshenko told reporters earlier.

As Kireyev was leaving the courtroom, Tymoshenko's husband Oleksandr yelled out that the judge would someday get a similar verdict. One Tymoshenko supporter shouted "Shame!"

Tymoshenko was taken back to jail in a detention van right after the verdict was announced.

The EU was quick to condemn the verdict as politically driven and urged the Ukrainian authorities to ensure a transparent and fair appeals process for Tymoshenko. A failure to do so would have "profound implications" for Ukraine-EU relations and could jeopardize the conclusion of a landmark association agreement, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.

That would be a major blow to Yanukovych who has lobbied for membership in the bloc.

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin insisted that the deal he struck with Tymoshenko conformed to both Russian and Ukrainian law. "I don't quite understand why she was sentenced to seven years," he said in televised comments during a visit to China.

Amnesty International denounced Tymoshenko's conviction as "illegitimate," saying that her trial "casts doubt over the independence of the judiciary."

Tymoshenko said she would contest the ruling in the European Court of Human Rights and her lawyers said they would appeal the verdict in local courts.

Some analysts believe Tuesday's decision could still be reversed, giving Tymoshenko the chance to walk free and still take part in elections next year. That could be done either on appeal or by decriminalizing the article under which she is being charged ? something lawmakers loyal to Yanukovych have hinted they could try to do.

"A compromise is still possible," said political analyst Oleksiy Haran. "She gets the guilty verdict and Yanukovych's sense of revenge is satisfied, but then she is released and allowed to stand in elections."

Yanukovych himself appeared to signal Tuesday that Tymoshenko's case was not over yet and hinted that new legislation, adopted by the time the case is heard by an appeals court, could be of great importance.

The trial has helped unite Ukraine' fractured opposition, but experts said the verdict was unlikely to draw the kinds of mass street protests seen during the Orange Revolution. As reforms stalled and economic hardships hit, many Ukrainians have become disillusioned with Orange leaders, including Tymoshenko, and with politics in general.

Tymoshenko helped lead the 2004 mass street protests against Yanukovych's election victory that year. Those demonstrations drew hudreds of thousands to Kiev's central square, the Maidan, setting the stage for the Supreme Court to overturn Yanukovych's victory and call for a revote, which Tymoshenko's ally, Viktor Yushchenko, won by a narrow margin.

Yanukovych staged a comeback, narrowly defeating Tymoshenko in a 2010 presidential vote amid the public disenchantment.

Valeriy Chaliy, a senior analyst with the Razumkov think tank, said that it was too early to make predictions on opposition protests, since Tymoshenko will be appealing the verdict.

"But the Maidan that took place in 2004 will not take place," Chaliy said. If protests do take place this time around, they will be smaller, but more aggressive, he added.

Tymoshenko maintains that as prime minister she did not need any special permission to order the signing of the gas deal. She says her actions helped end a bitter pricing dispute between Moscow and Kiev, which had led to energy supply shortages across Europe.

Yanukovych's government has insisted that the contract Tymoshenko signed should be renegotiated in favor of a lower price. Moscow has signaled it would only do so if Ukraine sacrifices a free-trade agreement with the EU in favor of a Moscow-led customs union.

Tymoshenko has been in jail for more than two months on charges of contempt of court. She spent several weeks in prison in 2001 on charges of document forgery and tax evasion, but the charges were later dropped.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-11-EU-Ukraine-Tymoshenko/id-edbeb4d2220a407f92424d677882f377

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Raiders beat Texans 25-20 day after Davis' death

Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson looks up during a tribute to late Raiders owner Al Davis before the NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, in Houston. Davis passed away over the weekend. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson looks up during a tribute to late Raiders owner Al Davis before the NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, in Houston. Davis passed away over the weekend. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (85) races away from Houston Texans cornerback Jason Allen (30) on his way to score a touchdown in the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Houston Texans wide receiver Kevin Walter, top, is rolled over by Oakland Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt (26) while scoring a touchdown in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Chaz Schilens runs across the goal line for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Houston Texans' Mario Williams looks on from the sidelines after being hurt in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

HOUSTON (AP) ? This one's for you, Al.

The Oakland Raiders won the day after their maverick owner died, beating the Houston Texans 25-20 on Sunday behind Jason Campbell's two touchdown passes.

Michael Huff intercepted Matt Schaub's pass in the end zone on the final play to secure the win. Coach Hue Jackson dropped to his knees on the sideline, covered his face with his hands and cried as his team celebrated the bittersweet victory.

Sebastian Janikowski kicked four field goals, and Oakland survived a wild finish to improve to 3-2.

Stadiums around the league observed a moment of silence before the early games to honor Davis, who died at his Oakland home at age 82. The Raiders wore black decals on the backs of their helmets with "AL" written in silver letters.

Schaub threw for 416 yards and two touchdowns but missed star receiver Andre Johnson, who sat out with a right hamstring injury.

The Texans (3-2) still had a chance to win with under a minute left, facing a third-and-29 from the Oakland 39.

Schaub scrambled and found tight end Joel Dreessen open at the 5, and Schaub spiked the ball with seven seconds left. Instead of trying to run for the winning score, Schaub lobbed a pass to Jacoby Jones, and Huff stepped in to pick it off. Jones took Johnson's spot in the starting lineup.

The Raiders pulled off a fake punt that Davis would've loved to keep momentum in the fourth quarter.

After the Texans stopped Darren McFadden on third-and-1, Rock Cartwright took the snap and raced 35 yards to the Houston 25. Janikowski kicked a 42-yard field goal with 10 minutes left for a 25-17 Oakland lead.

With no Johnson to target, Schaub threw six consecutive incompletions during one stretch of the final quarter.

Neil Rackers' 40-yard field goal cut Oakland's lead to 25-20 with 2:56 left, and Houston's defense held to give the offense one more chance.

The Raiders flew to Houston on Friday, then learned Saturday morning that Davis had died. Jackson gathered his players for an emotional meeting at their hotel, and Campbell said the team's leaders were taking responsibility for rallying the players.

Hall of Fame former Raiders cornerback Willie Brown, who travels with the team, was hoping players would be inspired.

"They need to realize that every tear, every step, every block, every tackle ? it's for him," Brown said.

It didn't look promising after the Texans scored a touchdown on their opening series for the third straight game.

Arian Foster had a 20-yard run against the league's 29th-ranked run defense, and Kevin Walter caught a short touchdown pass with 8:15 left in the first quarter.

Oakland, meanwhile, needed a turnover and a blocked punt to generate early points.

Defensive end Lamarr Houston intercepted Schaub's pass, which was deflected, setting up Janikowski for a 54-yard field goal. Oakland got the ball at the Texans 39 after Daryl Blackstock blocked Brett Hartmann's punt, but the Raiders stalled again, and Janikowski kicked a 55-yarder to make it 7-6.

Janikowski is 5-for-6 on attempts 50 yards and longer this season, including one from 63 that tied an NFL record.

Hartmann pinned the Raiders inside their own 5 with his next punt, and Jason Allen intercepted Campbell's deep pass to Jacoby Ford near midfield. On first down, Schaub threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Dreessen.

Oakland got its initial first down with just under two minutes left in the half. Four plays later, Campbell threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The 2-point conversion failed, but the Raiders were lucky to trail only 14-12 at the break after producing only four first downs in the opening half.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-10-09-FBN-Raiders-Texans/id-e7ae1aa9d3c047edb95b6aaf6e4a81ff

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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Saudis hold their last all-male election (AP)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia ? Saudi Arabia held its second nationwide vote ever on Thursday, a male-only election for powerless municipal councils. The balloting comes just days after the king decreed that women will be able to participate for the first time in the next local elections in 2015, a measure likely aimed at heading off Arab Spring-style dissent in the kingdom.

The election and Sunday's decree to give women the vote are two examples of the baby steps King Abdullah has been taking to reform and modernize his oil-rich nation since he ascended the throne in 2005. Though small, they are significant by the standards of his ultraconservative country ? home to Islam's holiest shrines and vastly influenced by the clerical establishment.

Still the reforms signal the ruling family is not ready for deep change, even as popular uprisings are transforming the face of an Arab world long accustomed to absolute monarchs ? like the Saudi king ? dictators and fraudulently elected leaders.

"They are glacial changes," Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Center in Doha, Qatar, said of the recent decree on women. "But King Abdullah is the only man who can push change. Unfortunately, it has been too slow."

The Saudi kingdom is nowhere close to any of its Arab neighbors, not even those in the conservative Gulf region, when it comes to basic rights, freedoms and gender equality. The king rules with absolute power and shows zero tolerance for political dissent.

The ruling Al-Saud family has a near monopoly on top government posts and does not answer to anyone outside the family. Women are barred from driving and they cannot be members of the Cabinet. They cannot travel either, be admitted to hospital or take a job without permission from a male guardian.

On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the king's announcement giving women the right to vote. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a statement that Ban "believes that these represent an important step in the realization by women in Saudi Arabia of their fundamental civil and political rights."

If giving women the right to vote was hailed as a courageous step by the king, some saw it as almost purely symbolic.

"It was a bold and unexpected move," said blogger Eman al-Nafjan. "It is a start, but what we really need are reforms that improve women's lot in their everyday life."

Official turnout figures were not available for Thursday's vote. But Saudi media and activists said it was a small slice of the 1.2 million registered voters, a possible reflection of the insignificance Saudis attach to the toothless local councils that operate in the shadow of provincial governments led by powerful members of the ruling Al-Saud family.

Some 5,000 people ran for the more than 1,000 seats on 285 councils across the kingdom. The voters elected half the members of the councils, the other half will be appointed by the government.

The local council vote was initially scheduled for 2009 but was postponed. The first one was in 2005.

Abdullah, 88 and known to have health problems, is hailed among many Saudis as a reformer because of several bold moves he has taken since coming to power. He set up the Shura, or consultative, council in 1993 and even though it is an advisory body, it allowed some popular voice in government. All 150 members of the all-male chamber are appointed by the king, but women will be appointed to sit on the council when it starts a new term in 2013.

The justice minister said in comments published Thursday that future female council members would not share the same chamber with male peers, suggesting that closed circuits could be used to allow them to participate in discussions. The arrangement would conform with the country's rigid segregation of the sexes.

King Abdullah's reform-minded policies are best evidenced in the education sector. He established the kingdom's only university where men and women attend classes together ? and in the economy, which he has significantly liberalized.

Saudi Arabia's 18 million citizens are mostly conservative and, like their king, don't want to see Western-style reforms change the traditions and customs of a society heavily inspired by the teachings of Islam.

Moreover, the Al-Saud family has had an enduring understanding with the powerful clergy that dates back to the early years of the last century, under which the clerics' views are heard on what does and does not conform with Islam.

What the Saudi clerical establishment has to say is not only heard in the kingdom, but resonates across the predominantly Sunni Muslim Gulf region, where most follow the austere Wahhabi doctrine born in Saudi Arabia.

"What King Abdullah did for the women was practically throwing into the bin what his religious establishment had to say for years about women's place in society," said Sami Alfaraj, chairman of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies. "I suspect that more restrictions on women will be lifted, but the conservative nature of Saudi Arabia would not allow women to exercise all the rights they may win."

It is against this backdrop that King Abdullah must tread carefully as he pursues even slow and gradual reforms: a powerful clergy, a conservative segment of the population, the high expectations of the majority of the population that is under 25 and guarding against a possible spillover from the Arab Spring revolts that could provide his subjects with models to follow.

The Saudi monarch has given contradictory signals on how he views the Arab Spring, dispatching military forces to neighboring Bahrain to prop up the ruling family there against a campaign for equal rights launched by the tiny nation's Shiite majority. Last month, however, he withdrew his ambassador from Damascus in protest against Syrian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters.

____

Hendawi reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110929/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_saudi_elections

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