Digital evolution: DNA may bring computers to life

By Tanya Lewis
LiveScience

The transistor revolutionized electronics and computing. Now, researchers have made a biological transistor from DNA that could be used to create living computers.

A transistor is a device that controls the flow of electrons in an electrical circuit, which acts as an on-off switch. Similarly, the biological transistor? termed a transcriptor ? controls the flow of an enzyme as it moves along a strand of DNA?(deoxyribonucleic acid). These cellular building blocks could be used to do anything from monitoring their environment to turning processes on and off in the cells. The findings were reported Thursday?in the journal Science.

"Transcriptors are the key component behind amplifying genetic logic," lead author Jerome Bonnet, a bioengineer at Stanford University, said in a statement. On their own, these devices do not represent a computer, but they allow for logical operations, such as "if this-then that" commands, one of three basic functions of computers (the other two being storing and transmitting information).

To make the transcriptors, the researchers took a group of natural proteins, the workhorses of cells, and used them to control how the enzyme known as RNA polymerase zipped along a DNA molecule. The team used these transcriptors to create the mathematical operators that perform computations using Boolean logic.

1s and 0s
Boolean logic, named for the 19th-century mathematician George Boole, refers to a branch of math in which variables can have a true or false value (a 1 or a 0). In a Boolean circuit, the logic gates are like traffic conductors, deciding which of these values gets transmitted. [Album: The World's Most Beautiful Equations]

For example, the "AND" gate takes in two values as input, and only outputs 1 (a true value) if both inputs are 1. An "OR" gate, by contrast, outputs a 1 if either of its inputs is 1. Combining these simple gates in different ways gives rise to even the most complex forms of computing.

The scientists created biological versions of these logic gates, by carefully calibrating the flow of enzymes along the DNA (just like electrons inside a wire). They chose enzymes that would be able to function in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, so that biological computers might be made with a wide variety of organisms, Bonnet said.

Living Computers
Like the transistor, one main function of the transcriptor is to amplify signals. Just as transistor radios amplify weak radio waves into audible sound, transcriptors can amplify a very small change in the production of an enzyme to produce large changes in the production of other proteins. Amplification allows signals to be carried over large distances, such as between a group of cells.

The new technology offers some electric possibilities: sensing when a cell has been exposed to sugar or caffeine, for example, and storing that information like a value in computer memory. Or telling cells to start or stop dividing depending on stimuli in their environment.

The researchers have made their biological logic gates available to the public to encourage people to use and improve them.

Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter?and Google+.?Follow us @livescience, Facebook?and Google+. Original article on?LiveScience.com.

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

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a23293c/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C290C175177270Edigital0Eevolution0Edna0Emay0Ebring0Ecomputers0Eto0Elife0Dlite/story01.htm

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Egypt calls in favours as credit crunch hits key imports

By Julia Payne, Sarah McFarlane and Yasmine Saleh

LONDON/CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has hit breaking point in its ability to pay for imports of oil, wheat and other basic commodities, forcing it to call in diplomatic favours or seek easy payment terms from suppliers who hope for future advantage in return.

Two years after ousting Hosni Mubarak, new, Islamist leaders are struggling to win a credit line from the IMF as they try to manage the hopes of 84 million people with a depreciating currency and an economy hooked on state subsidies but starved of tourism revenues since the political upheavals began.

Fuel shortages, tighter security at petrol stations and scuffles in the streets are becoming common in Egyptian towns as state importers struggle to meet demand for diesel and gasoline.

Though Egypt's strategic importance means world powers seem unlikely to let its economy collapse, the credit crisis is now so acute that it can no longer buy crude in the market, leaving its oil minister scrambling to cut diplomatic deals with Libya, Qatar and Iraq, to add to an existing oil lifeline from Kuwait.

Fearing especially the unrest that might follow a shortage of subsidised bread, the government may prioritise fuel for the food industry. Richard Mallinson, an analyst at Energy Aspects in London said: "The focus is probably on ensuring farmers get enough diesel ahead of the harvest season and bakeries don't run out of fuel as this could trigger food shortage."

Officials have sought to assuage worries on food, banking on a record wheat crop coming in from next month. But it concedes that fuel supplies are a difficulty:

"The major problem we are facing of course is in the fuel sector," government spokesman Alaa El Hadidi told Reuters. "This is being tackled and there has been gradual improvement."

However, Egypt has not received a crude oil cargo from open market suppliers since January and, with money tight, the state grain buyer has not purchased wheat since February.

International trading houses Petraco and Arcadia were due to deliver crude after winning a tender, but the state importer, Egyptian General Petroleum Corp (EGPC) has cancelled both deliveries, several traders said. As a result, refineries are running well below capacity.

On Thursday, the oil ministry blamed repeated power cuts on a lack of funds to buy fuel for power stations.

LOOKING AROUND

Elected last June, President Mohamed Mursi has faced sliding currency reserves, a soaring budget deficit and sometimes violent protests. And all the while, Egypt's choice of suppliers has been eroded as its credit wears thin.

One government official said Cairo was casting around for other sources of commodities, and of finance for them:

"We are now open to other possibilities and our priority will be to serve our country's interest and seek the country that gives us the best financial facilities and this could also mean that we are opening up to other markets, including Arab states," the official said.

Egypt currently survives, hand to mouth, with funds arriving from Turkey, Iraq, most recently Libya and, most generously, $5 billion in loans from the ambitious Gulf emirate of Qatar.

"It looks like Egypt is running on a Qatari life support machine," the head of a major international commodities trading house said. "But that cannot last forever."

Crucial for the future is the $4.8-billion deal Egypt is seeking with the International Monetary Fund and a reduction in massive fuel subsidies, which eat up a fifth of state spending.

However, the government fears the domestic backlash subsidy reform would cause and seeks gentler terms.

GAS EXPORTS SINK

While crude oil purchases have been interrupted, Egypt is still managing to buy oil products, like diesel, on the market - but lines of tankers waiting to deliver are common at Egyptian ports as sellers wait for delayed payments before offloading.

Egypt still owes oil and gas producers an estimated $6-$8 billion, Mallinson at Energy Aspects said - payments the government must also negotiate on top of new fuel deliveries.

The only foreign crude Egypt has consistently imported is from Kuwait, industry sources said, under a deal signed a year or two before Mubarak fell and which gives Cairo nine months credit - three times as long the normal industry payment terms.

Libya has pledged to supply 900,000 barrels per month from April while Iraq may supply some 4 million barrels per month but terms have yet to be agreed.

Compounding its fuel problems, Egypt's own gas exports have sunk over the last year. The country's production is falling, due to years of poor investment terms worsened by the crisis.

State gas firm Egas has been in talks since the end of last year to secure natural gas imports from Qatar after agreeing to import Algerian gas in October.

A source familiar with the talks said they are problematic, since Egypt is asking for a price - $4-5 mm Btu - that is less than a third of what Qatar can get today for its gas in Asia.

GRAIN SUPPLIES DWINDLE

Egypt is also stretched to supply cheap subsidised bread, industry sources said, while bakers have threatened a strike, seeking overdue state subsidies they put at nearly $60 million.

Egypt is the world's biggest wheat importer, buying around 10 million tonnes a year, but state purchases since January have fallen to less than a quarter of the same period last year.

Stocks are at dramatically low levels, with a cabinet report on Wednesday showing the country now holds 2.116 million tonnes of the grain from international and local markets, enough to last 85 days.

Supply minister Bassem Ouda was quoted in the Financial Times as saying he expected U.S. and European exporters to provide "easy terms" as it seeks to replenish falling stocks.

Holding out the prospect of future benefits for suppliers who show understanding now for Cairo's predicament, he said it would buy from "whoever gives us payment facilities and treats Egypt like a major country in the region".

"Whoever does not help Egypt through the current difficult period, we are not prepared to help them market their products," Ouda added. "We expect our friends in the U.S. and Europe to give us easy terms against our buying their wheat."

Among those outside Egypt's normal circle of suppliers, India's trade minister has said New Delhi is talking to Cairo about selling wheat, but no details have been hammered out. Traders are sceptical on the prospect of such a deal, since Indian wheat quality is below what Egypt normally accepts.

The biggest Arab nation, inheritor of a key Middle East peace treaty with Israel and guardian of the Suez Canal, a vital artery for global trade, Egypt can look to the world's major powers to help keep it from chaos. The United States gives more than $1 billion in annual military aid alone to Cairo.

But for now the government finds itself juggling day-to-day to keep long-standing channels open for its imports.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-calls-favours-credit-crunch-hits-key-imports-084458158--finance.html

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Expert on health assessments to speak in Davidson - DavidsonNews

Posted on 29 March 2013.

Town of Davidson
Dr. Martin Birley, a pioneer of health impact assessments, will give a public talk on Friday, April 19, at noon at Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St., Davidson. He?ll address the topic ?Incorporating Health Impact Assessment Into Government and Corporate Activities.?

In 2011, the Town of Davidson received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct health impact assessments (HIA) in Davidson. Katherine Hebert, our Davidson Design for Life Coordinator has conducted three HIA so far, and is currently working on four additional HIA. She will analyze the Davidson Pedestrian Plan, the upcoming Parks and Recreation Master Plan, food accessibility in Davidson, and universal design in housing. Her goal is to influence the decision-making in a manner that increases our citizens? health.

?The Davidson Design for Life program is pleased to host Dr. Martin Birley to help educate citizens on how health impact assessments can be used by governments and businesses to consider the health impact of their decisions,? said Hebert. ?It?s quite an honor to have someone of his stature come to town.?

Dr. Martin Birley is an independent international consultant in Health Impact Assessment, former Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool, UK, and former Senior Health Advisor on HIA at Shell. He has been at the forefront of global health impact assessment for over 28 years. He was involved in the development of the discipline since its early days in tropical medicine, to its later emergence as an instrument both for healthy public policy in the UK and Europe, and for community safeguards by international development banks. He has personal experience of many sectors including water resource development, agriculture, oil and gas, housing and planning. He has written guidelines for health agencies, development banks and multinational corporations. He continues to work all across the globe as well as in the UK. He runs training courses for institutions worldwide. He currently heads up a London based consultancy BirleyHIA. Martin?s depth of experience places him in an ideal position to provide an introduction to the rapidly expanding field of health impact assessment, for the benefit of newcomers and experienced practitioners alike.

?Because the physical, social, and intellectual wellbeing of Davidson citizens is fundamental to our community, and since we want our citizens to live in a healthy environment, we are very pleased to be hosting Dr. Martin Birley,? said Hebert.

The talk is free. Light lunch provided. Limited 60 participants. Reserve a seat by contacting Cristina Shaul at 704-940-9602 or cshaul@townofdavidson.org.

More information about the Davidson Design for Life initiative at www.townofdavidson.org/DD4L.

Source: http://davidsonnews.net/healthandfitness/2013/03/29/expert-on-health-assessments-to-speak-in-davidson/

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Bombs at five Iraqi Shi'ite mosques kill 19

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Car bombs hit five Shi'ite mosques in Baghdad and the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk just after prayers on Friday, killing 19 worshippers and injuring another 130.

Ten years after the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq is still grappling with political turmoil and Sunni Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda, who are stepping up attacks on Shi'ite targets and security forces.

Friday's blasts hit Shi'ite mosques in southeast and north Baghdad while another tore the front off a mosque in Kirkuk, an ethnically mixed city of Arabs, Kurds and Turkman 170 km (100 miles) north of the capital.

"We were listening to the cleric's speech when we heard a very strong explosion. Glass scattered everywhere and the roof partially collapsed," said Mohammed, a victim wounded in the Kirkuk blast, his shirt still covered in blood.

Police and health officials said the attacks in Baghdad killed 16. Three more died in Kirkuk, where the blast left a jumble of concrete wreckage in the mosque and on the street outside.

Attacks in Iraq are still less common than during the Sunni-Shi'ite slaughter that erupted at the height of the last war, when insurgents bombed the Shi'ite al-Askari shrine in Samarra in 2006, provoking a wave of retaliation by Shi'ite militias.

Al Qaeda's local wing, Islamic State of Iraq, has vowed to keep up attacks and security officials say insurgents are regrouping in the deserts of western Iraq, invigorated by the war Sunni rebels are waging in Syria over the border.

Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for a wave of bombings and suicide attacks earlier this month that killed around 60 people on the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion.

Sunni Islamists see Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government as oppressors of the country's Sunni minority and are targeting Shi'ites to try to trigger the kind of inter-communal mayhem that killed thousands in 2006-7.

Washington has tied the militant al-Nusra Front fighting in Syria to al Qaeda's Iraqi branch and has designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

Iraq's government says it takes no sides in the Syrian war but its interests are often aligned with those of Shi'ite Iran. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday pressed Maliki to stop Iranian flights taking arms over Iraqi airspace to Syria.

(Reporting by Omar Mohammed and Baghdad newsroom; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bombs-kill-17-five-iraqi-shiite-mosques-120650239.html

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Thoughts on investing in Fracking stocks. - The Hull Truth - Boating ...

My company is deep into supplying products to the Fracking industry and this is a new emerging market that has huge upside potential. I'm just learning about the financial/investment side of this industry. Does anyone know much about investing in Fracking companies?

Here is some information I've found regarding companies involved in this new industry. Looking for some conversation on investment opportunity, risk, etc.

************************************************** *****

For this, you'll want to look into companies that hold stakes in some of the major shale plays or are otherwise involved in fracking activities. Here are a couple fracking stocks worth looking into:
Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR), for example, is involved in drilling activities in a number of U.S. shale plays, including the Bakken and Niobrara.
Rosetta Resources (NASDAQ: ROSE) also has shale assets in Eagle Ford and the Southern Alberta Basin.
Encana (NYSE: ECA) is a solid, conservative natural gas producer who will benefit considerably from large

FRAK currently has holdings in 48 companies in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Companies involved must receive 50% of their revenue from unconventional energy or own properties that could give them that capability in the future.
Here are its top 5 holdings, with the percentage of net assets:

• Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) ? 8.47%
• Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) ? 8.14%
• EOG Resources (EOG) ? 7.12%
• Devon Energy Corporation (DVN) ? 5.53%
• Noble Energy Inc (NBL) ? 4.98%

Source: http://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/496229-thoughts-investing-fracking-stocks.html

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Nexus 4 gets subtle design tweaks, nubbin to write home about

If the one thing you wanted from your Nexus 4 was LTE (we mean proper support), then still no joy. That said, some recent modifications suggest that LG and Google are still working to improve it in other -- albeit utilitarian -- ways. Spotted by German site MobiFlip, was the addition of a small protuberance at the base of the rear, and a difference in the aperture of the camera hole. It's suggested that the former might exist to help project sound from the rear speakers while the phone rests on a table, or to prevent that smooth, glass back from scratches. The camera tweak, however seems less clear, and possibly less functional in its existence. So, if you have one of the newer designs, let us know when and where you got it. If you don't, then just think of yours as a limited edition.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, LG

Comments

Via: Android Police

Source: MobiFlip (German)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/nexus-4-gets-mystery-design-tweaks/

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West Sports & Recreation Notes

Released 2013-03-28 07:19:30 GMT: 11 hours ago. 0 click(s)FULL ARTICLE

True to history, Pacific's baseball's final season in the Big West Conference will be a weekly grind, featuring some of the top teams in the country.

Released 2013-03-28 06:30:40 GMT: 11 hours ago. 0 click(s)FULL ARTICLEReleased 2013-03-28 04:50:33 GMT: 13 hours ago. 0 click(s)FULL ARTICLE

Proposed facility would likely cost at least $21M WEST FARGO - A community and aquatics center proposed in West Fargo would likely cost at least $21 million and could call for a half-cent city sales tax, according to an update given to city, school and park officials Wednesday.

Source: http://west-final.rsspump.com/?topic=west-sports-recreation-notes&key=20130328040000_e914f94fd7dfaa80851afdd7bb29a3bd

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Pope washes feet of young detainees in ritual

ROME (AP) ? Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, a remarkable choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples.

The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the 12 selected for the foot-washing rite included Orthodox and Muslim detainees as well, news reports said.

Because the inmates were mostly minors ? the facility houses inmates aged 14-to-21 ? the Vatican and Italian Justice Ministry limited media access inside. But Vatican Radio carried the Mass live, and Francis told the detainees that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in a gesture of love and service.

"This is a symbol, it is a sign ? washing your feet means I am at your service," Francis told the youngsters. "Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty, as a priest and bishop I must be at your service."

Later, the Vatican released a limited video of the ritual, showing Francis washing black feet, white feet, male feet, female feet and even a foot with tattoos. Kneeling on the stone floor as the 12 youngsters sat above him, the 76-year-old Francis poured water from a silver chalice over each foot, dried it with a simple cotton towel and then bent over to kiss each one.

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would celebrate the ritual foot-washing in jails, hospitals or hospices ? part of his ministry to the poorest and most marginalized of society. It's a message that he is continuing now that he is pope, saying he wants a church "for the poor."

Previous popes would carry out the foot-washing ritual on Holy Thursday in Rome's grand St. John Lateran basilica and the 12 people chosen for the ritual would always be priests to represent the 12 disciples.

That Francis would include women in this re-enactment is noteworthy given the insistence of some in the church that the ritual be reserved for men only: The argument is that Jesus' disciples were all male, and the Catholic priesthood that evolved from the original 12 disciples is restricted to men.

"The pope's washing the feet of women is hugely significant because including women in this part of the Holy Thursday Mass has been frowned on ? and even banned ? in some dioceses," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of "The Jesuit Guide."

"It shows the all-embracing love of Christ, who ministered to all he met: man or woman, slave or free, Jew or Gentile," he said.

After the Mass, Francis greeted each of the inmates and gave each one an Easter egg.

"Don't lose hope," he said. "Understand? With hope you can always go on."

Italian Justice Minister Paola Severino, who has made easing Italy's woefully overcrowded prisons a priority, attended the Mass.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-washes-feet-young-detainees-ritual-173757747.html

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Syrian TV: Mortar shells hit Damascus University

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian state-run TV says several mortar shells have struck the Damascus University campus, causing multiple casualties among students.

The report says the mortar rounds hit the university's architecture department in the central Baramkeh district on Thursday.

Mortar shells have become a daily occurrence in Damascus as Syria's rebels are increasingly using mortars.

The latest attack on the capital comes two days after rebels barraged Damascus with mortar shells that killed at least three people and wounded dozens in one of the most intensive attacks on the seat of President Bashar Assad's power.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-tv-mortar-shells-hit-damascus-university-115102001.html

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Lawyers for James Holmes offer guilty plea

By Keith Coffman Chris Frantz

DENVER (Reuters) - Defense attorneys for the former graduate student accused of killing 12 people at a Denver area movie theater last July have offered to have him plead guilty in exchange for a life prison term, according to court documents filed on Wednesday.

Public defenders for James Holmes, 25, said in the Arapahoe County District Court filing that prosecutors have so far not accepted the offer, which would spare their client the death penalty in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

Holmes faces multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder stemming from the July 20 massacre at a showing of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado that also wounded 58 people.

Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler has said that he would formally inform the court during a hearing scheduled for Monday whether his office would seek the death penalty against Holmes.

Brauchler has not made his decision public, but in February announced that he had added a death penalty lawyer to the prosecution team.

All three of Colorado's death row inmates were convicted and sentenced in Arapahoe County. At a state legislative hearing earlier in March, Brauchler testified in favor of keeping the death penalty on the books in Colorado.

A spokeswoman for the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office could not be reached for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

"Prior to arraignment, Mr. Holmes made an offer to the prosecution to resolve the case by pleading guilty and spending the rest of his life in prison without the opportunity for parole," lawyers for Holmes say in the papers.

Holmes was arraigned on March 12. At that hearing, Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester entered a not guilty plea on his behalf after defense attorneys said they were not prepared to enter a plea.

INSANITY DEFENSE

In Wednesday's pleading, defense lawyers said that if prosecutors agree to take the death penalty off the table for Holmes the case could be resolved at Monday's hearing.

Attorneys for the former University of Colorado neuroscience graduate student, who surrendered to officers outside the theater minutes after the shooting rampage, had been expected to mount an insanity defense on his behalf at trial.

"As previously stated in court, counsel for Mr. Holmes are still exploring a mental health defense, and counsel will vigorously present and argue any and all appropriate defenses at a trial or sentencing proceeding as necessary," defense lawyers said in the court papers.

"Nevertheless, Mr. Holmes is currently willing to resolve the case to bring the proceedings to a speedy and definite conclusion for all involved," the defense said.

Lawyers for Holmes have said in court filings that their client has been hospitalized twice since his arrest, once after hitting his head against a cell wall.

Holmes was also held in restraints for several days at a psychiatric hospital in November after jail officials determined he was a threat to himself, according to his defense team.

In a separate written ruling on Wednesday, Sylvester denied a request by Fox News journalist Jana Winter to postpone her testimony, scheduled for Monday, about confidential sources she cited in a story about the shooting rampage.

Sylvester ordered Winter to take the witness stand as he tries to determine who leaked information to the New York-based journalist despite a gag order he issued in the case.

Winter's attorneys sought a delay while she filed an appeal of Sylvester's ruling on the grounds that she was protected against revealing her sources by New York's shield law for journalists.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman and Chris Frantz; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst, Tim Dobbyn and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawyers-accused-colorado-theater-gunman-offer-guilty-plea-000628788.html

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Samsung rumored to debut mid-range Galaxy S 4 mini this summer

CALABAR, Nigeria, March 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria, crowned African Nations Cup champions six weeks ago, needed a dramatic late equaliser to rescue a 1-1 home draw with bottom team Kenya in World Cup Group F qualifying on Saturday. Substitute Nnamdi Oduamadi, who plays for Italian second-tier club Varese, scored three minutes into stoppage time to save the Nigerians from an embarrassing defeat. It was the second draw in three games for Nigeria who have five points, level with Malawi at the top of the group. Namibia have three points from three matches and Kenya are bottom on two points. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-rumored-debut-mid-range-galaxy-4-mini-160618878.html

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Measuring Mars: The MAVEN magnetometer

Mar. 26, 2013 ? When the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission begins its journey to the Red Planet in 2013, it will carry a sensitive magnetic-field instrument built and tested by a team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Scheduled for launch in late 2013, MAVEN will be the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere.

The goal of MAVEN is to determine the history of the loss of atmospheric gases to space through time, providing answers about Mars' climate evolution.

By measuring the current rate of escape to space and gathering enough information about the relevant processes, scientists will be able to infer how the planet's atmosphere evolved.

The trip to Mars takes 10 months, and MAVEN will go into orbit around the planet in September 2014.

The Goddard-built MAVEN magnetometer will be a sensitive tool investigating what remains of the Red Planet's magnetic "shield." It will play a key role in studying the planet's atmosphere and interactions with solar wind, helping answer the question of why a planet once thought to have an abundance of liquid water became a frozen desert.

"The MAVEN magnetometer is key to unraveling the nature of the interactions between the solar wind and the planet," said MAVEN principal investigator Bruce Jakosky from University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (CU/LASP).

The magnetometer will measure the planet's magnetic field through a series of coils, each containing a magnetic ring wrapped around a metal core. The sensors, known as "flux gates," are driven in and out of saturation by applied magnetic fields.

If there is no ambient magnetic field, the sensors remain balanced. If there is an ambient field present, the sensors will go into saturation more quickly in one direction than the other. It's the imbalance that reveals the presence of an ambient field.

"A magnetometer is like an electronic compass," said Jack Connerney, mission co-investigator at Goddard. "But we measure the strength, as well as the direction, of the magnetic field."

The importance of studying the planet's magnetic field is rooted in the theory that Mars lost its global magnetic field billions of years ago, allowing the solar wind to strip the atmosphere and dry out the planet.

Unlike Earth's global magnetic field, which surrounds the entire planet, Mars only has patches of magnetic field left in its crust. This can create pockets of atmosphere that are protected against solar wind and others that are left vulnerable.

By measuring sections of the planet's magnetic field, the magnetometer could help scientists create a bigger picture of the planet's overall atmosphere.

"The magnetometer helps us see where the atmosphere is protected by mini-magnetospheres and where it's open to solar wind," Connerney said. "We can study the solar wind impact and how efficient it is at stripping the atmosphere."

The magnetometer is one of six instruments that make up the Particles and Fields Package, being assembled by team members at the University of California, Berkeley. The magnetometer works with the other instruments from this package to gather data throughout the course of the projected yearlong orbit around the planet.

The spacecraft will go into orbit and pass closely over the planet's surface and then move further away to study solar wind beyond the planet's influence.

The magnetometer is a very sensitive instrument, so engineers have to work to ensure the instrument doesn't accidentally measure the spacecraft's magnetic field instead of the one the planet produces.

"We have to go to great extremes to be sure that we have minimized any magnetic fields from the spacecraft," Jakosky said. "We are working hard to build a very 'magnetically clean' spacecraft that will meet our needs with regard to the magnetometer."

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/astronomy/~3/-d1eHzN8wVQ/130326194115.htm

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Apple Tops List Of Stocks With High Options Volume ... - Minyanville

My firm thought it would be interesting to see the stocks that have been traded the most on the option floor so far this year -- and the results weren't all that surprising. Thanks to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White, we are able to present the top five traded stocks on the option floor. The one interesting thing is that all five are ranked in the same order for call volume, put volume, and overall volume.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is atop the list, again no surprise. The other four names on the list above are also not shockers to most option traders either (caveat: this is only for individual equities -- many ETFs have higher option volumes). Here's the list:

So we dug deeper (Rocky pulled all optionable equities through the end of Wednesday -- there are a total of 2,703 tickers that trade options, in case you were interested). The goal was to come up with some interesting names being traded more than people may realize. Here's what we came up with:

• Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ): The wine producer/alcohol importer had the 17th-highest amount of puts at just over 1.1 million, and just recently joined the heavily-traded list. That's because in addition to making and distributing such wine brands as Clos Du Bois, Blackstone, and Ravenswood, STZ also helps import and distribute other foreign brands such as Corona beer. And the maker of that beer, Grupo Modelo SAB de CV (PINK:GPMCF), is part of a $20.1 billion proposed merger with Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD). So speculators are clearly trying to cash in on the potential outcome of the merger. But even before news of the deal hit, Constellation had been on a steady climb since mid-2012, even overcoming a huge drop earlier this year when the US Department of Justice voiced opposition to the original merger proposal. BUD and Grupo Modelo amended their proposal to help soothe regulators' concerns, agreeing to sell off the Corona brand. STZ immediately picked up where it left off, as it is a major distributor of the most popular imported beer in the US. STZ shares are now currently trading near their all-time highs ($47.82 set on Wednesday), with Constellation Brands nearly doubling in the last 12 months. As for option sentiment, it appears fairly bullish, with Constellation Brands' Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) standing at 0.82, which is in the bottom 27% of similar readings taken in the last year. In other words, investors are more call-heavy in recent trading. But STZ is starting to venture into "overbought" territory, with its 14-day relative strength index standing at 66, and it has traded above its upper Bollinger Band several days this week as part of its recent spike.

• Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE:FCX): This mining company did hit the radar earlier this week as one of the most actively traded stocks on the option market. But FCX has otherwise not been in the option news much, even though it is 15th on the list of call volume, with 1.94 million call trades since the beginning of the year. The stock has had an interesting ride lately, dropping 19.5% over two days in early December after news broke of the company's intended purchase of Plains Exploration & Production Company (NSYE:PXP) and McMoRan Exploration Co. (NYSE:MMR). The total deal is worth roughly $9 billion in cash and stock. FCX shares recovered somewhat, but are still down 3.5% on the year, and off about 14% from this same time last year. Yet option traders appear bullish on Freeport-McMorRan nonetheless, with data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) showing a 10-day call/put volume ratio of 3.22, which means traders are buying more than three calls to open for every put. In addition, that stands in the top 8% of readings taken in the last year, meaning that calls are being bought to open at a clip that is nearing an annual high. From a contrarian view, however, that could be a sign of overconfidence and could provide pressure on the stock if those bulls have to unwind their positions in case of continued price drops.

• Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (USA) (NYSE:POT): The agricultural chemical producer wound up in the top 42 companies in overall volume, with nearly 1.5 million total options traded so far this year. POT routinely shows up as one of the most heavily traded stocks in general on the New York Stock Exchange, but is relatively sleepy for a high-volume option play. It has only ranged between about $37-$44 since hitting a six-month low of $36.94 on November 16. Since recovering from that swoon, Potash Corp. took another dive in mid-February and has struggled to keep up with its 30-day moving average ever since. POT is down 2.6% on the year, but has dropped more than 13% during the last 52 weeks. Yet option traders don't appear terribly optimistic. The SOIR for Potash stands at 0.92, and that is in the 90th percentile of readings in the last year. So put open interest among options that expire in the next three months is nearing an annual high, as compared to call open interest.

In case you are interested, there were 24 eligible stock tickers with no option volume so far this year. IXYS Corporation (NASDAQ:IXYS) and LSI Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LYTS) brought up the rest of the bunch with a total of one put traded apiece.

This article by James Pilcher was originally published on Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Below, find some more great content from Schaeffer's Investment Research:

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Twitter: @schaeffers

No positions in stocks mentioned.

Source: http://www.minyanville.com/trading-and-investing/options/articles/Three-Overlooked-Stocks-With-High-Options/3/25/2013/id/48913

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Google+ Gets A Mobile Refresh With Photo Editing, Post Tweaks, Location And Community Controls

Today, Google has announced a mobile refresh for Google+?for Android and iOS that includes some of the functionality that has come out for the desktop over the past few months. Both versions will be available later in the day. Some of the changes are things that we’ve expected, thanks to acquisitions like Nik Software and features like Communities that were introduced on the desktop last year. The upcoming I/O conference should also be an interesting time for Google+, as that’s when we got its last major product edition, Events, along with numbers. These feature updates should give you a better idea of how Google wants to weave Google+ into everything it does. Photo editing, the mobile way On the photo front, you can make all of your edits from within the app now, letting you crop, rotate, change contrast, saturation and brightness and add filters, all with simple gestures that might have become familiar within the Snapseed app. The Nik Software team certainly hasn’t disappeared into an abyss in Mountain View, we’re just starting to see how important that acquisition was. The company also released a full set of professional photo tools today that Nik Software has become so popular for. Scroll more, tap less For posts, Google wants you to be able to make your way through as much content in a short amount of time. The company doesn’t want you to spend hours upon hours on Google+. Within this update, you can see more text in the original post, as well as more comments, and a single tap now takes you directly to a photo, a watch page for a video or a lightbox for a website. The really nice addition here is the ability to swipe through an entire photo album inline, without having to head over to a separate album page. Additionally, the +1, share and comment buttons are more prominent. Location in your profile Your profile on Google+ can now be adorned with your current location if you’re into that sort of thing. If you enable it, you can simply choose where you are, or where you’d like to tell everyone that you are. Without having to dig through content, the location is shown at the top of your profile. You have to turn the location settings on for Google+ to play around with this. Much needed Community controls For Communities, you’re now able to

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Sk3haWWpzQM/

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EV Could Make Up 1/4 Of Ford Sales By 2020

Once buried and left for dead, the electric vehicle (EV) has been gaining ground at a slow, yet steady pace in the automotive market. With a growing middle class globally, and climate change concerns is helping to revitalize EVs in recent years.

Now Ford?s new Chief Operating officer?suggests EVs could make up one-quarter of their sales by the end of this decade.

Image Credit: C-Max Energi via WikiCommons (Public Domain)

In an interview with Green Autoblog last week, Ford Chief Operating officer Mark Fields said Ford?s fleet of electric vehicles (battery, electric, plug-in and hybrids) could make up 10-25% of their sales by 2020.

Fields also said to help reach that goal will involve ?electrifying?platforms? as compared to electrifying single vehicles.

?And our manufacturing strategy will allow us to flex. For example, our Wayne [MI] Plant will produce the regular gas-powered Focus, the electric Focus and the C-Max hybrid,? he said.

With fuel CAFE standards coming into focus, Fields believes the companies base of electric vehicles will help reach CAFE targets. However, he also suggests firm consumer interest is vital in?reaching fuel economy targets.

Currently, Ford has the EV Ford Focus, C-Max hybrid, and C-Max Energi on the green car/EV market. However, they are now behind other well-known electric cars in EV sales, including the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. In February, there were 1,626 Volts sold, an increase of more than 59% from the previous year, while the Nissan Leaf sold 653 Leafs, a 37% increase from the previous year.

Ford sold 119 Fusion Energi vehicles in February, while 158 Ford Focus Electric units and 175 C-Max Energis left car dealer?s lots.

While Ford?s number may be small for its EV and hybrid sales, it was the first month for the Fusion Energi on sale to the public, so there is lots of time for the Detroit manufacturer to boost its EV sales well ahead of their ambitious 2020 target.

Source: http://feeds.importantmedia.org/~r/IM-cleantechnica/~3/NZdSzs5yuy4/

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Blue and Marquette show Butler the door, 74-72

Marquette guard Trent Lockett (22) reacts after defeating Butler 74-72 in a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Marquette guard Trent Lockett (22) reacts after defeating Butler 74-72 in a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The Marquette bench reacts after a basket in the second half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Butler, Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Butler center Andrew Smith (44) shoots as Marquette forward Davante Gardner (54) defends in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Butler guard Rotnei Clarke (15) drives against Marquette center Chris Otule (42) in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Butler guard Rotnei Clarke (15) shoots against Marquette guard Derrick Wilson (12) in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) ? Back and forth went Marquette and Butler, trading makes and misses in an intense rematch that made a case for being the best game so far of this NCAA tournament.

In the end, Vander Blue and the Golden Eagles pulled out another nail-biter as the Bulldogs couldn't muster any more of their March magic.

Blue scored 19 second-half points to rally third-seeded Marquette out of another hole, and the Golden Eagles survived 74-72 on Saturday to reach the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

"I know everybody in our team, we weren't ready to go home," said Blue, who made a last-second layup to win Marquette's first game of this tournament. "We had two close games ? we had a lot of those this year. What we went through earlier this year prepared us for this weekend."

Like November's first meeting between the teams at the Maui Invitational, won 72-71 by Butler on Rotnei Clarke's buzzer-beating 3-pointer, it came down to the final shot. Only this time, Butler missed.

"The difference in the game was the level of pressure they put on us in the second half and certainly the shots they made," Butler coach Brad Stevens said. "They had a few I didn't think were going in that bounced in.

"Our guys gave great effort on both ends of the floor. Our guys played their hearts out. I told them they had nothing to be ashamed about."

Marquette (25-8) will meet the winner of Sunday's game between Illinois and Miami on Thursday in the East Regional semifinals at Washington, D.C.

"We could have easily been beat by Davidson," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. "We could easily have been beaten tonight. Our character, toughness and the resiliency of our guys is maybe unlike any team I've ever been around. I stand at attention and respect for how those kids are...

"It's just another Marquette game. We're not good enough to blow anybody out. We're just good enough to get blown out. And if we can turn it into a fight and make it ugly, then it probably trends toward it helps us the most."

It will be Marquette's third consecutive round of 16 appearance, but the Golden Eagles are seeking to move past that round for the first time since 2003, when Dwyane Wade led them to the Final Four.

"There were multiple times we could have gave up," said Blue, who finished with 29 points. "But there's something about this group. We're relentless and we want to win. We're not ready to go home yet."

Clarke's 24 points led Butler (28-9).

Blue led the Golden Eagles' rally from a 35-27 halftime deficit and tied the game at 69 on 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining.

That set the stage for more late-game drama by his teammates.

After Jamil Wilson's two free throws made it 71-69, Davante Gardner deflected Clarke's pass intended for Kellen Dunham underneath and then made the first of three late free throws for 74-70 lead with 4.7 seconds left.

After Wilson's goaltend on what would have been a layup by Andrew Smith cut the lead to two 2 seconds later, Blue almost became the goat by throwing away the inbounds pass intended for Wilson with 2.9 seconds left.

The Bulldogs, who seem to win every close game at this time of year, couldn't get a good last look. Smith took an off-balance 3 from up top that was way off, slamming into the backboard and setting off another Marquette celebration.

"We were trying to get a look for a 3," Butler guard Alex Barlow said the final shot. "If that wasn't open, we had options off of that. Marquette did a great job guarding it and unfortunately Andrew was unable to make the shot."

This could be the start of quite a rivalry. Next year, Butler joins the new Big East with Marquette.

Stevens' Bulldogs reached the championship game in 2010 and '11, but won't make the second weekend this year.

"You can control some things, you can't control others," Stevens said. "We're going to go back and wish we controlled a few things little bit better. ... We talk about all the close wins ... but the only commercial I ever see is a close loss, Butler vs. Duke (in the 2010 championship).

"We've been here before, we've lived it. And we'll move on."

Blue shot 9 of 15 from the field with three from long range, finishing just four points off his career high. Trent Lockett and Wilson each added 13 points for Marquette, which shot 23 of 54 (43 percent) and was 5 of 12 from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs' defense also held Clarke to just six second-half points after he seemed ready to dominate the game by himself. Smith finished with 17 points.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-24-BKC-NCAA-Butler-Marquette/id-31daadc6683d45b49c37e206757d8731

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