AT&T Galaxy Note available Feb. 19 for $299, preorders start Feb. 5

The AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note will be available Feb. 19 for $299 on contract, Samsung announced this morning. It'll be available in carbon blue and ceramic white, and preorders will begin Feb. 5 and will be delivered by Feb. 17.

Along with the phablet itself -- remember that this bad boy is 5.3 inches -- there are a number of accessories available, including a desktop dock, spare battery charger, flip cover case and pen holder kit.

Be sure to check out our hands-on video with the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note from CES earlier this month. We've got the full release after the break.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/uMopp1nJWjc/story01.htm

rogue trader rogue trader gone in 60 seconds gone in 60 seconds our lady of sorrows january jones top gun

Grasslands soils offer some insurance against climate change

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2012) ? The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage ? a key factor in climate change ? and new research published in Nature Climate Change this week shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others.

Research led by Dr Franciska de Vries of Lancaster University, showed that in drought conditions soil under agricultural grasslands was able to continue doing its job of containing carbon rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. Soil under intensively managed wheat fields, however was not so efficient.

The grasslands in the study also retained their nutrients better under drought conditions, when compared with wheat fields. The grassland soils did their job better because the soil biota in them consisted mainly of fungi, and the small animals which eat fungi, whereas in the wheat field they were mainly bacteria and bacterial-eating animals. Less fungi died because of the drought, so they could continue performing their functions.

The study, which set out to compare the stability under drought of soil biota of two common land use systems, was conducted in labs at Lancaster University and field studies in the south of England, near Reading.

Extensively managed grasslands are agricultural grasslands with low grazing densities. No
fertiliser is added to the fields and they are not tilled. Wheat, however, is tilled every year, and receives a lot of fertiliser.

Dr Franciska de Vries of Lancaster University?s Environment Centre said: ?These results show land use strongly affects the resistance of soil food webs to drought.

?As drought is widely predicted to increase as a result of climate change, it would be worth wile to promote these fungal-based soil food webs that are found under grasslands, because they can continue to perform their functions better under climate change, and prevent carbon and nitrogen losses, which can cause problems.

?In that sense fungal-based soil food webs are almost like an insurance against the effects of climate change.?

Land use alters the resistance and resilience of soil food webs to drought, De Vries F.T., Liiri M., Bj?rnlund L., Bowker M., Christensen S., Set?l? H. & Bardgett R.D. (2012), is published in Nature Climate Change, 29 January .

Lancaster University?s research partners were the University of Helsinki in Finland Biologisk Institut, Terrestrisk ?kologi in Denmark, and Southwest Biological Science Center, US Geological Survey, in Arizona, US.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Lancaster University, via AlphaGalileo.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Franciska T. de Vries, Mira E. Liiri, Lisa Bj?rnlund, Matthew A. Bowker, S?ren Christensen, Heikki M. Set?l?, Richard D. Bardgett. Land use alters the resistance and resilience of soil food webs to drought. Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1368

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

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

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151054.htm

mary tyler moore x games pro bowl chad ochocinco rick santorum daughter pro bowl 2012 gainesville

Macedonia Muslims urge restraint over carnival (AP)

SKOPJE, Macedonia ? Muslim leaders in Macedonia appealed for calm on Monday among community members outraged over a carnival in which Orthodox Christian men mocked Muslims by dressing as Burqa-clad women.

The incident at the Jan. 13 Vevcani festival has prompted angry, sometimes violent demonstrations by Muslims, who make up 33 percent of the country's 2.1 million population and accuse the majority of stoking hatred against them.

On Saturday, some protesters attacked buses and defaced a Macedonian flag and replaced it with a green flag to represent Islam. On the same day, a church was attacked by unknown perpetrators in the nearby village of Labunista.

In a statement Monday, Macedonian Muslim leaders called for restraint but also accused the government of promoting Islamophobia.

"The behavior of Muslims should be restrained, but, unfortunately, we are concerned that Islamophobia in Macedonia is often combined with government propaganda," they said. "Such is the case with this carnival that the government annually subsidizes with...the money of all citizens, including Muslims."

The carnival, said to have been held for some 1,400 years, attracts thousands of visitors. Local resident traditionally wear elaborate, frequently sarcastic masks, with some of the most common costumes including devils and demons.

Muslims in Macedonia are almost all ethnic Albanians. Albanians, in Macedonia and elsewhere, have traditionally been secular, but conservative Islamic schools, especially Wahhabism, have taken a foothold in the years following a brief ethnic Albanian uprising in Macedonia in 2001. This spread has been mainly financed from Saudi Arabia.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_eu/eu_macedonia_religious_tension

bluefin tuna jonestown hayden panettiere greg oden snooki john dillinger atlanta hawks

Quest for the golden cross (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? January has turned out to be strong for stocks with just two trading days to go. If you're afraid to miss the ride, there's still time to jump in. You just might want to wear a neck brace.

The new year lured buyers into growth-related sectors, the ones that were more beaten down last year. The economy is getting better, but not dramatically. Earnings are beating expectations, but at a lower rate than in recent quarters. Nothing too bad is coming out of Europe's debt crisis -- and nothing good, either -- at least not yet.

"No one item is a major positive, but collectively, it's been enough to tilt it towards net buying," said John Schlitz, chief market technician at Instinet in New York.

Still, relatively weak volume and a six-month high hit last week make some doubt that the gains are sustainable.

But then there's the golden cross.

Many market skeptics take notice when this technical indicator, a holy grail of sorts for many technicians, shows up on the horizon.

As early as Monday, the rising 50-day moving average of the S&P 500 could tick above its rising 200-day moving average. This occurrence -- known as a golden cross -- means the medium-term momentum is increasingly bullish. You have a good chance of making money in the next six months if you put it to work in large-cap stocks.

In the last 50 years, according to data compiled by Birinyi Associates, a golden cross on the S&P 500 has augured further gains six months ahead in eight out of 10 times. The average gain has been 6.6 percent.

That means the benchmark is on solid footing to not only hold onto the 14 percent advance over the last nine weeks, but to flirt with 1,400, a level it has not hit since mid-2008.

The gains, as expected, would not be in a straight line. But any weakness could be used by long-term investors as buying opportunities.

"The cross is an intermediate bullish event," Schlitz said. "You have to interpret it as constructive, but I caution people to take a bullish stance, if they have a short-term horizon."

GREECE, U.S. PAYROLLS AND MOMENTUM

Less than halfway into the earnings season and with Greek debt talks over the weekend, payrolls data this week and the S&P 500 near its highest since July, there is plenty of room for something to go wrong. If that happens, the market could easily give back some of its recent advance.

But the benchmark's recent rally and momentum shift allow for a pullback before the technical picture deteriorates.

"We bounced off 1,325, which is resistance. We're testing 1,310, which should be support. We are stuck in that range," said Ken Polcari, managing director at ICAP Equities in New York.

"If over the weekend, Greece comes out with another big nothing, then you will see further weakness (this) week," he said. "A 1 (percent) or 2 percent pullback isn't out of the question or out of line."

On Friday, the S&P 500 (.INX) and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) closed their fourth consecutive week of gains, while the Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) dipped and capped three weeks of gains. For the day, the Dow dropped 74.17 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 12,660.46. The S&P 500 fell 2.10 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,316.33. But the Nasdaq gained 11.27 points, or 0.40 percent, to end at 2,816.55.

For the week, the Dow slipped 0.47 percent, while the S&P 500 inched up 0.07 percent and the Nasdaq jumped 1.07 percent.

A DATA-PACKED EARNINGS WEEK

This week is filled with heavy-hitting data on the housing, manufacturing and employment sectors.

Personal income and consumption on Monday will be followed by the S&P/Case-Shiller home prices index, consumer confidence and the Chicago PMI -- all on Tuesday.

Wednesday will bring the Institute for Supply Management index on U.S. manufacturing and the first of three key readings on the labor market -- namely, the ADP private-sector employment report. Jobless claims on Thursday will give way on Friday to the U.S. government's non-farm payrolls report. The forecast calls for a net gain of 150,000 jobs in January, according to economists polled by Reuters.

On the earnings front, it will be another hectic week with almost a fifth of the S&P 500 components posting quarterly results. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Amazon (AMZN.O), UPS (UPS.N), Pfizer (PFE.N), Kellogg (K.N) and MasterCard (MA.N) are among the names most likely to grab the headlines.

With almost 200 companies' reports in so far, about 59 percent have beaten earnings expectations -- down from about 70 percent in recent quarters.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak and Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/bs_nm/us_usa_stocks_weekahead

new york snow braxton miller braxton miller noreaster noreaster steve miller band boston weather

Sudan rebels say holding 29 Chinese workers (Reuters)

KHARTOUM (Reuters) ? Rebels in Sudan's oil-producing border state of South Kordofan said on Sunday they were holding Chinese workers for their own safety after a battle with the Sudanese army.

The army has been fighting rebels of the SPLM-N in South Kordofan bordering newly independent South Sudan since June. Fighting spread to the northern Blue Nile state in September.

"We are holding 29 Chinese workers after a battle with the army yesterday," a spokesman for the SPLM-N said. "They are in good health. We are holding them for their own safety because the army was trying to strike again."

The army said rebels had attacked the compound of a Chinese construction company operating in the area between the towns of Abbasiya and Rashad in the north of the state and captured 70 civilians.

"Most of them are Chinese. They (the rebels) are targeting civilians," said army spokesman Sawarmi Khalid Saad.

He said there had been no battle in the area and the army was now trying to rescue the civilians.

China's foreign ministry urged Sudan to guarantee the safety of Chinese personnel during the search and rescue process, according to a statement released in Beijing.

South Kordofan is the main oil-producing state in Sudan, while Blue Nile is rich in minerals such as chrome.

The fighting in both states has forced about 417,000 people to flee their homes, more than 80,000 of them to South Sudan, according to the United Nations.

Both states contain large groups who sided with the south in a decades-long civil war, and who say they continue to face persecution inside Sudan since South Sudan seceded in July.

The SPLM is now the ruling party in the independent south and denies supporting SPLM-North rebels across the border.

Events in South Kordofan and Blue Nile are difficult to verify because aid groups and diplomats are banned from areas where fighting takes place.

SPLM-North is one of a number of rebel movements in underdeveloped border areas who say they are fighting to overthrow Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and end what they see as the dominance of the Khartoum political elite.

Sudan and South Sudan, which still have to resolve a range of issues including the sharing of oil revenues, regularly trade accusations of supporting insurgencies on each other's territory.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing and Khalid Abdelaziz; additional reporting by David Stanway in Beijing)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/wl_nm/us_sudan_china

twilight breaking dawn trailer shaker jackie evancho wild flag wild flag stevie wonder gurkha

AP Exclusive: Barrier proposed as Israel border (AP)

RAMALLAH, West Bank ? Israel is proposing to essentially turn its West Bank separation barrier into the border with a future state of Palestine, two Palestinian officials said Friday, based on their interpretation of principles Israel presented in talks this week.

The officials said Israeli envoy Yitzak Molcho told his Palestinian counterpart that Israel wants to keep east Jerusalem and consolidate Jewish settlements behind the separation barrier, which slices close to 10 percent off the West Bank. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing strict no-leaks rules by Jordanian mediators.

The proposal would fall short of what the Palestinians seem likely to accept, especially because it would leave Jerusalem on the "Israeli" side of the border.

But it would also mark a significant step for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has spent most of his career as a staunch opponent of Palestinian independence.

And if talks advance in such a direction, it could also spell the end for his nationalist coalition, where key members would consider the abandonment of most of the West Bank ? a strategic highland and biblical heartland ? an unforgivable betrayal.

Israel has confirmed that it presented principles this week for drawing a border with a Palestinian state. But the politically charged nature of the talks ? even though they were held at a relatively low level, below that of Cabinet ministers ? was reflected in the guarded refusal by any top official to discuss details.

An Israeli government official said that as far as he knew, the information was incorrect, but declined to elaborate or go on the record, citing Jordan's demand for discretion.

Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, one of the closest Cabinet ministers to Netanyahu, said he has been supporting such an offer for months, and that Israel should concentrate on preserving the large West Bank settlement blocs, close to the pre-1967 border. But he could not confirm whether the offer was in fact made.

"I do not know if (Molcho) said these words exactly, but it would be great," Meridor told The Associated Press.

The Palestinian officials ? one a senior member of the leadership ? said Molcho told the Palestinians that Israel wants to leave peacefully beside a Palestinian state.

It would be the most detailed offer yet from Netanyahu on how much he wants to keep of the lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War ? the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want to establish their state in virtually all of these lands ? although they do seem ready to accept minor adjustments, through land swaps in which Israel keeps some of the largest settlements.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is certainly unlikely to consider a proposal that keeps east Jerusalem under Israeli control. The eastern sector of the city is home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian sites.

And Israel's position, as described by the Palestinians, is less than what was offered by Netanyahu's predecessors, Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert, who were willing to discuss a partition of Jerusalem as well.

About half a million Israelis settled in east Jerusalem and the West Bank after 1967, including tens of thousands east of the barrier.

Israel started building the barrier in 2002, in the midst of a Palestinian uprising that included scores of deadly attacks by Palestinian militants who crossed from the West Bank into Israel and blew themselves up among civilians.

Israelis have generally credited the barrier ? along with other punitive measures ? with stopping the spate of incursions several years ago.

However, it was routed in a way that raised questions about Israel's claim that it was a temporary security measure ? weaving through the West Bank, looping wide around some settlements to leave room for expansion, and looking very much like a border a future Israeli government might argue for. The Palestinians condemned it from the start as a land grab.

The Palestinian officials also said that Molcho portrayed the Jordan Valley, which makes up about one-fourth of the West Bank and borders Jordan, as a strategic Israeli security asset. However, that wording suggests less than a demand for firm territorial control.

Netanyahu has said he wants a continued Israeli presence on the eastern border of a future Palestinian state as part of any peace deal.

Netanyahu has long argued Israel needs the area as a security buffer ? protection against possible attack from the east.

The 1994 peace treaty with Jordan eased this concern ? but the Arab Spring has given it new life: although it is almost never discussed by officials, mindful of riling Jordan, many in Israel ponder a nightmare scenario in which the Jordanian monarchy falls to Israel's enemies, who then pour weapons and militants into the West Bank, reaching within miles (kilometers) from its major cities.

A senior Israeli military official said last week the Israeli army had to consider in its planning the possibility of heightened threats from east of the West Bank.

Israeli officials have said any presence in the Jordan Valley could be reviewed over time.

Abbas, meanwhile, is under growing pressure from the Quartet of Mideast mediators ? the U.S., the U.N., the EU and Russia ? to continue the talks with Israel, which began earlier this month. The Quartet had asked the sides to present detailed proposals on borders and security arrangements.

The Palestinians argue that the period set aside for the contacts ended Thursday, or three months after the Quartet issued its marching orders. Israel says the intention was to have three months of talks, and so wants meetings to continue.

Abbas will consult Monday with senior officials from the Palestine Liberation Organization and his Fatah movement. Later next week, he will also seek advice from the Arab League.

___

Perry reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

jimmy fallon jimmy fallon michael pineda coachella 2012 constitution day constitution day dolly parton

Test Might Predict Risk of Lung Cancer's Return (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A new industry-funded study suggests that a molecular test can provide insight into whether patients are at high risk of a relapse after surgical treatment for a form of lung cancer.

The test, which is currently available, could help doctors decide whether the patients should undergo chemotherapy to prevent the cancer from returning.

There are caveats: The test is expensive, and researchers don't yet know whether patients determined to be at high risk will live longer if they undergo chemotherapy.

Still, "this may be one of the very first examples of where we understood enough about the molecular biology of a cancer to truly personalize the treatment of patients and actually improve the cure rate for that cancer," said study co-author Dr. Michael Mann, an associate professor of surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.

At issue is non-small-cell lung cancer, by far the most common kind of lung cancer. Even if tumors are diagnosed early and removed, the cancer will spread and kill 35 percent to 50 percent of patients.

In these cases, "even when the tumor is small and they got it all, microscopic disease has spread around the body," said Dr. John Minna, co-author of a commentary accompanying the study. He is a cancer researcher and professor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Scientists are trying to find a way to predict what will happen to patients after surgery so they can figure out if chemotherapy treatment is a good idea.

In the new study, researchers gave the molecular test to 433 lung cancer patients in California and 1,006 patients in China. The researchers found that the test helped them to predict the likelihood that patients would survive for five years.

Conceivably, physicians could adjust the treatment of patients after surgery to coincide with the risk of a recurrence of their cancer. For now, though, that's not proven. The research "doesn't tell you that if you had a bad prognosis and you were treated with chemotherapy, then you'd do better," Minna said.

Still, information about the risks faced by a patient could help doctors make choices about treatments, said Minna, who called the test "promising."

Study co-author Mann agreed: "There may be an important conversation that you can have with your oncologist about potential benefit from additional therapy to reduce the likelihood of the cancer coming back."

Mann said the test -- which is currently available -- could cost several thousand dollars. Minna, the commentary co-author, said any cost over a few hundred dollars could be an issue for insurors.

The research was funded by the firm that developed the molecular test, and several of the study authors serve as consultants to the firm.

The study appears in the Jan. 27 online issue of The Lancet.

More information

For more about lung cancer, try the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120127/hl_hsn/testmightpredictriskoflungcancersreturn

happy halloween history of halloween eagles cowboys eagles cowboys trick or treat times trick or treat times madoff

Suicide car bombing in Baghdad underscores spike in Iraq violence

A suicide car bombing at a Baghdad funeral procession comes amid growing questions about the ability of Iraq security forces to contain violence that has killed more than 200 since last month.

? A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Skip to next paragraph

More than 30 people were killed and at least another 60 were injured by a suicide bombing at a funeral procession in one of Baghdad?s predominantly Shiite neighborhoods on Friday in Iraq.

The?bomber struck the funeral procession?of?a man killed alongside his wife and son in violence the day before that left a 16 people dead and about 65 people injured, reports the BBC.

The attack Friday was the deadliest in a month and came as part of a wave of attacks that has left more than 200 people dead since US forces withdrew on Dec. 18, reports Al Jazeera. Amid the violence, concerns are mounting that Iraq?s security force may be unable to control the situation.

Those present for Friday?s bombing, which occurred outside a hospital in east Baghdad, say it left behind a gruesome scene. In addition to the death toll, several nearby shops and houses were burned or destroyed, windows shattered, while an ambulance and multiple cars were completely burned out, according to Agence France-Presse.

"I saw a yellow taxi going in the direction of the funeral procession, and then it exploded," said Ayman Rabiyah, an employee of the Baghdad municipality.

As violence and political tension continue to mar daily life in Iraq, President Obama's response is becoming something of a political issue, especially as he prepares to make his bid for reelection.

?On the right, the withdrawal has been a gift, an opportunity to now hold Mr. Obama responsible for anything which goes wrong in Iraq over the next year and to frame him as weak on national security,? writes Marc Lynch on his Foreign Policy blog. Still, he adds, for many Americans, Iraq has completely dropped off the map. ?Iraq dominated the foreign policy debate for years, but at this point very few people care. It barely shows up in public opinion surveys as a concern of voters, and stories about Iraq rarely even make it into the media anymore.?

While serious concerns will no doubt plague Iraq for the foreseeable future, Middle East expert Juan Cole writes in his blog, the Informed Comment, that ending the war in Iraq cannot be seen as ?anything other than a success.? Obama, however, has been reluctant to take a strong position on ending the war, which Mr. Cole says could cause some observers to overlook the accomplishment.

?Ending the war is indeed a great achievement, but Obama may not get so much credit for it because he is too conflicted over the episode to take strong stances,? he writes.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encouraged the country?s central government to ?act like a democracy? this week.? In addition to numerous attacks, the country has seen considerable political turmoil after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of many of his political opponents.

?It is indeed unlikely that Clinton really objects to Maliki?s tactics so much as his inefficiency in ?acting like? a democrat, an effort which has not only failed to fool anyone but has also drawn him international scorn for his widespread use of torture and shocking number of executions,? writes Jason Ditz of Antiwar.com.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/DMeA_dVviOk/Suicide-car-bombing-in-Baghdad-underscores-spike-in-Iraq-violence

loma prieta harold camping kim kardashian and kris humphries kim kardashian and kris humphries chris morris chris morris mike stoops

Solar Storm Forecasts Improve as Sun???s Fury Increases (SPACE.com)

If this week's raging solar storm was any indication, the sun is ramping up its activity ? and scientists will be ready for it. By meticulously studying our planet's star, they are able to predict these potentially dangerous space weather events better than ever before.

A huge solar flare erupted Jan. 23, triggering the strongest radiation storm in nearly a decade. A wave of charged particles, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), bombarded Earth yesterday (Jan. 24). The bombardment is over now, but some minor disruptions to spacecraft and power grids were reported.

Scientists' forecast for the arrival of the disruptive wave was off by only 13 minutes, far more accurate than in the past. And with much of the world's networks interconnected and populations increasingly reliant on technology, the ability to predict and track potentially harmful space weather events will become ever more crucial. [Photos: Huge Solar Flare Sparks Major Radiation Storm]

Solar flares and CMEs are expected to increase in frequency as the sun emerges from the dormant phase of its 11-year activity cycle. ?

When a CME hits Earth, the resulting geomagnetic storm interacts with the planet's magnetic field lines. This not only amps up Earth's auroras (the northern and southern lights), but, in the case of a strong CME aimed directly at Earth, can disrupt the operations of satellites in orbit and power grids and other communications infrastructures on the ground.

"There was a major event back in 1989 that led to a major power failure in Quebec that had broad implications for the province," Harlan Spence, an astrophysicist at the University of New Hampshire, told SPACE.com. "Because the world has highly connected power grids, the effects of that particular geomagnetic storm were also felt through many parts of the continental U.S."

Yesterday's CME hit Earth at an angle, so the electromagnetic burst was largely shielded by the planet's magnetic field. Still, some commercial airlines implemented safety precautions by rerouting flights over the Earth's polar regions.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center also recorded some minor disruptions in space and on the ground.

"This is typical with space weather, but what I have heard is some science instruments and spacecraft saw increases in single-event upsets," Doug Biesecker, a physicist at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, told SPACE.com. "Some instruments were returning bad data, but this is the sort of thing they can handle. Some power grids did hear reports on fluctuations, but I don't have specifics on which grids and where they were."

Biesecker noted that these types of interferences are not unusual during intense solar storms, and the rate of reported disruptions has been relatively low. Furthermore, new observations show that things appear to be returning to normal.

"After the arrival of a CME yesterday and the subsequent activity which ensued, conditions are now beginning to trend back towards a return to quiet," NOAA officials wrote in an update on the Space Weather Prediction website.

Scientists rely on several spacecraft, including the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Stereo spacecraft, to constantly monitor the sun's activity. Scientists use data from these satellites to make models and predictions of solar flares and CMEs.

"By incorporating the information from multiple points of view, we can determine to a very good degree the CME properties, such as its speed and direction," said Yihua Zheng, a lead researcher for the Space Weather Center at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "We put all that into the model and we get a prediction."

Once scientists understand the strength and path of a CME, forecasts can be made about how the ejection might affect things in space and on the ground. As these predictions become more refined, they can act as an early warning system for space weather, much like how meteorologists track storms and weather patterns.

"A CME is kind of like a space hurricane," Zheng told SPACE.com. "You have to predict how it will form and evolve. From the models, we can see which spacecraft will be in its path and what will be impacted."

For yesterday's CME, Zheng and her colleagues at the Space Weather Center succeeded in making the most accurate predictions to date on when it would arrive at Earth.

"We predicted it would arrive at 9:18 a.m., and in reality it arrived at 9:31 a.m., so ours has a 13-minute error," Zheng said. "Usually for this kind of model, the average error is seven hours, so this is the best case."

These types of advances indicate how far the field of space weather prediction has come, she added.

The sun's activity ebbs and flows in its 11-year cycle. Currently the sun is coming out of a dormant phase of Solar Cycle 24, and the star is expected to become more active, with more solar flares and CMEs, as it heads into the so-called solar maximum in 2013.

"If you look back to the last time that the sun was entering into this state, our physical understanding was much less mature," Spence said. "In the intervening decade we have developed improved knowledge, improved techniques, faster computers, faster algorithms, and better real-time capability to get data to the scientists and customers who worry about space weather. Certainly 20 years ago, you'd be sitting more or less blind, waiting for data to come down and be processed."

You can follow SPACE.com staff writer Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120125/sc_space/solarstormforecastsimproveassunsfuryincreases

reno fire regis philbin last show regis philbin last show crystal cathedral sarah vowell fire in reno kelly ripa

Brad Pitt on quitting 'way too much dope'

Paul Buck / EPA

By Access Hollywood

Oscar nominee Brad Pitt has come a long way from his early days of stardom where he battled depression and drug use.

The 48-year-old star opened up about his past struggles with The Hollywood Reporter, saying he used drugs in attempt to escape the spotlight.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Big Screen Gentlemen: Hollywood?s Leading Men

?I got really sick of myself at the end of the 1990s: I was hiding out from the celebrity thing; I was smoking way too much dope; I was sitting on the couch and just turning into a doughnut; and I really got irritated with myself,? he told THR. ?I got to: ?What?s the point? I know better than this.??

In addition to drug use, the ?Moneyball? and ?Tree of Life? star revealed he had his fair share of dark thoughts.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood Dads & Their Adorable Little Ones!

?I used to deal with depression, but I don?t now, not this decade -- maybe last decade. But that?s also figuring out who you are,? he continued. ?I see it as a great education, as one of the seasons or a semester: ?This semester I was majoring in depression.? I was doing the same thing every night and numbing myself to sleep --?the same routine: Couldn?t wait to get home and hide out. But that feeling of unease was growing and one night I just said, ?This is a waste.??

Trips to Yugoslavia and Morocco in the late '90s, where the actor said he saw ?poverty to an extreme I had never witnessed before,? was the wakeup call he needed to change his life.

?I just quit. I stopped grass then -- I mean, pretty much -- and decided to get off the couch,? he recalled. (Check out Pitt below as the stoner character Floyd in the 1993 film "True Romance.")

Pitt then looked to one of music?s biggest philanthropist for inspiration.

?I sought out Bono and sat down with him a few times and got involved in some of the stuff he was doing. But it all started before that. It started with private acts,? he explained, adding that his newfound passion to help others connected him with longtime partner Angelina Jolie.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hot Shots Of Brad Pitt!

?That may have been one of the things that brought us together,? Pitt said of Jolie. ?Certainly, I?ve met very few people more dedicated than she is. She is always studying issues, daily. She has such compassion for the people she works with.?

Looking back, Pitt is at peace with past struggles.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie

?This idea of perpetual happiness is crazy and overrated, because those dark moments fuel you for the next bright moments; each one helps you appreciate the other,? he said. ?We are all searching for meaning in our lives, love and betterment for ourselves and those around us.?

Related slideshows:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10234995-brad-pitt-reveals-why-he-quit-smoking-way-too-much-dope

michael myers power outage snow storm snow storm reggie bush ufc 137 boston news

Biochemistry community commends president's focus on basic research

Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Benjamin Corb
bcorb@asbmb.org
240-283-6625
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 24, 2012 -- On Tuesday night, in his State of the Union Address, President Obama outlined a "blueprint for the future" that he said he believes will create jobs and strengthens the nation's economy.

"After all, innovation is what America has always been about," said the president. "Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let's pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on these ideas."

Specifically, President Obama continued, "Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally-financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don't gut these investments in our budget. Dont let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries."

In response to Obama's remarks, Suzanne Pfeffer, president of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular biology, said in a statement: "Last night's State of the Union address carried with it a message of job creation through continued investments in basic research and education. As a scientific society representing 12,000 of the country's biochemists on the cutting edge of biomedical research, ASBMB applauds the president for his calls for reforms to the nation's education system and his focus on the critical role basic research plays in driving an innovation economy. In addition to the improvements to the health, quality of life, and well-being of Americans, the American biomedical research enterprise can play a critical role in creating new high-tech, high-paying jobs, helping to keep the U.S. a global leader in innovation."

Pfeffer also said that the society supports strongly Obama's calls for investments in basic biomedical research and ASBMB will work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to tell the story of how investments in agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy and National Science Foundation can strengthen our economy and lead to an improved quality of life for all Americans.

###

About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, at nonprofit research institutions and in industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions. For more information about ASBMB, visit www.asbmb.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Benjamin Corb
bcorb@asbmb.org
240-283-6625
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 24, 2012 -- On Tuesday night, in his State of the Union Address, President Obama outlined a "blueprint for the future" that he said he believes will create jobs and strengthens the nation's economy.

"After all, innovation is what America has always been about," said the president. "Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let's pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on these ideas."

Specifically, President Obama continued, "Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally-financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don't gut these investments in our budget. Dont let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries."

In response to Obama's remarks, Suzanne Pfeffer, president of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular biology, said in a statement: "Last night's State of the Union address carried with it a message of job creation through continued investments in basic research and education. As a scientific society representing 12,000 of the country's biochemists on the cutting edge of biomedical research, ASBMB applauds the president for his calls for reforms to the nation's education system and his focus on the critical role basic research plays in driving an innovation economy. In addition to the improvements to the health, quality of life, and well-being of Americans, the American biomedical research enterprise can play a critical role in creating new high-tech, high-paying jobs, helping to keep the U.S. a global leader in innovation."

Pfeffer also said that the society supports strongly Obama's calls for investments in basic biomedical research and ASBMB will work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to tell the story of how investments in agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy and National Science Foundation can strengthen our economy and lead to an improved quality of life for all Americans.

###

About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, at nonprofit research institutions and in industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions. For more information about ASBMB, visit www.asbmb.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/asfb-bcc012512.php

olivier martinez peoples choice awards 2012 ford recalls mark sanchez narcolepsy narcolepsy chicago weather forecast

Downtown and all around New York with Petula Clark (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Petula Clark likes to think of herself as the Beatles' big sister.

After all, the singer's biggest hit "Downtown" personified the 1960's "British Invasion" of America just as much as John, Paul, George and Ringo, or the more grungy Rolling Stones.

"The Beatles were fairly reassuring, apart from their funny haircuts, but the Stones and everything else was pretty aggressive," she said of the '60's sea-change in pop music.

"I was reassuring to parents," she told Reuters. "I was little bit older and I wasn't singing protest songs!

"I was sort of like the big sister. I think that was what my image was."

Indeed, her image was the very model of '60's Swinging London -- with a short bob of blonde hair and psychedelic mini skirts.

When "Downtown" hit No 1 in 1964, Clark, already 32 years-old, a mother of two, and a successful singer in France, was thrust into a career-changing maelstrom by a call from the Ed Sullivan show -- then the top variety show on U.S. television.

"I did a show in Paris on Saturday night, then got on a flight to New York," she said. "I arrived in time for dress rehearsals on Sunday. I hadn't rehearsed with the band and I came out in a little black dress, no makeup and the dress rehearsal was in front of an audience and the band was playing 'Downtown' too fast!

"The place went wild and it was my first contact with a New York audience. That was the beginning of my love story with New York," she said of the city where two of her grandchildren live.

In her 80th year now, Clark's career has taken a long and winding road back to the Big Apple for a two-week show starting on Tuesday at Feinstein's at Loews Regency, a Park Avenue cabaret spot that is strictly midtown, not downtown.

"I haven't done cabaret for...I can't remember the last time I did it," she said. "I did the Empire Room at the Waldorf just before it closed." For the record, Clark played the Empire Room twice, in 1969 and 1976.

Clark, a two-time Grammy winner with 15 Top 40 U.S. hits, still plays concert halls in Europe and North America. She also appeared on the big screen in "Goodbye, Mr Chips" and "Finian's Rainbow" (opposite Fred Astaire), but she is probably best-known to younger audiences as the fading Hollywood star, Norma Desmond, in the musical "Sunset Boulevard."

Of the switch to an intimate setting at Feinstein's, she laughed: "I don't actually have a cabaret act. I will do songs that people probably expect me to sing, and I think I'll do something from 'Sunset.'

"Most of the songs I will do are connected to me in one way or another," like 'Downtown,' 'Don't Sleep in the Subway,' or 'I Know a Place.'"

Clark will include a song for which she wrote the lyrics, "Starting all Over." "I wrote it after 9-11 and it was my way of expressing my anger and my grief," she said. "I don't always do it in my act, but I feel it would be appropriate here."

LITTLE GIRL WITH ANGELIC VOICE

Coincidentally, Clark's singing career grew out of another period of terror and violence -- World War Two and the Nazi bombing of London where she was born.

A little girl with an angelic voice she inherited from her mother's Welsh family, Clark was captured on microphone during a BBC radio broadcast for British troops.

She ended up touring England, just like her contemporary Julie Andrews, entertaining troops. After the war, she signed with the Rank Organization and pursued a film career, "I wanted to be Ingrid Bergman," she vamped.

But it was her voice that was most in demand and it was one song, by British writer Tony Hatch, that made the difference.

"Tony had come to Paris to talk about a new French (recording) session. I had a huge French career, and I was perfectly happy with that.

"Tony said 'You really should be recording again in English.'

"I said 'OK, if the right song comes along.' He said 'I just finished writing this tune, called Downtown' and I said 'Why don't you play it for me and I went into the kitchen to make some tea.

"He played it on the piano and I said 'That is one great tune. If you can write a lyric up to the standard of the tune, I'll do it.'

"Two weeks later, we were in London, making the record, I think we did three takes, live of course, and we used the second one. It changed my life."

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard" changed it again and gave Clark the opportunity to act -- as well as sing.

"I did it over a year in the West End (London), I think I've played it more than anyone else," she said. "Glenn Close said to me 'Don't even think of playing this more than eight months, you will go mad!'

"I hadn't wanted to play the role because I didn't like the character -- living in the past. But after I had been playing her for about eight months I started to love her.

"And when I finished playing her here in the States, I missed her," said Clark.

(Reporting By Steve James; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/music_nm/us_petulaclark

cyber monday deals 2011 cyber monday deals 2011 real housewives of atlanta bernie fine bernie fine matt leinart cyber monday 2011

Greece hopes for debt swap deal by end of week

ATHENS (AP) ? Greece is aiming to complete negotiations on its debt swap deal by the end of the week, the government's spokesman said Wednesday, adding that the talks were at their "most delicate phase."

Charles Dallara, head of the Institute of International Finance ? the body representing banks and other investment firms ? is to head back to Athens on Thursday for the negotiations on the bond swap, known as the Private Sector Involvement, government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis said.

"The target is to conclude the PSI agreement even within this week," Kapsis told reporters in Athens.

On the front line of Europe's sovereign debt crisis, Athens is trying to get its private creditors to swap their Greek government bonds for new ones with half their face value, thereby slicing some euro100 billion ($130 billion) off its debt. The new bonds would also push the repayment deadlines 20 to 30 years into the future.

However, the main stumbling block over the past few weeks to securing this deal has been the interest rate these new lower-value, longer-term bonds would carry. A high interest rate could buffer losses for investors, but would also require the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund to put up more than the euro130 billion ($169 billion) in rescue loans they promised in October.

The bond swap is crucial to bring Greece's debt back to a sustainable level. The Eurozone and IMF say a higher interest rate would prevent Greece's debt from falling to 120 percent of gross domestic product by 2020 ? the maximum level they see as sustainable. Without the debt swap, Greece's debt would approach 200 percent of GDP by the end of this year.

"We are at the moment at perhaps the most delicate phase of the negotiations on completing the PSI, and also in formulating the new program for the stabilization of the economy," Kapsis added.

"It is obvious that what happens in the coming days ... will affect the course of the country in coming years," he added.

Separately, representatives of Greece's private sector bondholders were to meet in Paris on Wednesday to discuss the agreement after the EU toughened its demands, a person close to the investors said.

The so-called steering committee of the IIF was to gather for an "important meeting ... to really take stock" of the talks, the person said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The committee represents banks and other investment funds that hold a large part of Greece's debt and are being asked to swap their existing bonds with new ones of a reduced value, longer maturity and lower interest rate.

Eurozone finance ministers decided this week to cap the average interest rate on those new bonds at well below 4 percent. In their last offer, the bondholders said the average interest rate should be above 4 percent.

The finance ministers are pushing for a lower rate because whatever debt relief Greece doesn't get from the investors will have to come from them and the International Monetary Fund, the country's bailout rescuers.

The person close to the private bondholders said the meeting was called for Wednesday because some eurozone officials wanted the deal to be ready for a summit of EU leaders on Monday.

____

Steinhauser reported from Brussels.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-25-EU-Europe-Financial-Crisis/id-9e4874580ef643bd845ef714b56a34d7

julia gillard julia gillard pecan pie the hobbit trailer prometheus trailer red velvet cake recipe josh krajcik

Online for free Investing Education and learning * Picking a Software ...

Jan 24th, 12 / / Share this Entry

auto fx payday review

Investing can be equally an art and science. There are several websites providing free online investing schooling. As well as essential for a novice. Various financial instruments are around for investing. Shares, provides, derivatives (futures trading and alternatives) tend to be vast kinds of financial instruments which are dealt for the financial markets. Some of these instruments have become fluid and gives a nice-looking strategy to build success over a period of moment. A regular investing university should concentrate on these vast financial instruments.

The simplest way to commence investing can be opening a merchant account which has a broker who comes with a sensible cost. It is advisable to start investing stay markets together with participate in funds in lieu of real cash. Only after being lucrative investing participate in funds in the event you change to investing real cash. A regular investing university should concentrate on producing a number of concepts involving capital markets clear on the university student. Capital markets which has a great number of participants tend to be overloaded together with information. A newcomer may find it hard to learn helpful information with this mayhem. A regular investing university should be sure that the participants are not badly judged.

Analyzing stocks is usually a tedious activity. Generally speaking there?s two types of analysis- Basic and Complex. Basic examination focuses on the particular financial wellbeing of a company. You have to figure out how to look at fiscal reports completely to be able to learn Basic examination. It is usually identified in which essentials be the cause inside determining the price tag on a regular over time.

Complex Investigation conversely focuses on the particular exchanging task increasing inside a investment. The Complex analysts plan the particular chart together with cost and moment to get a investment and attempt to analyse the possible final results in the next couple of hours/days/months/years. Complex examination even offers a lot of indications for example Shifting Common Convergence (MACD), Family member Strength, etc. A regular investing university may concentrate on of those or perhaps both ways involving examining stocks.

To be able to trade the particular financial markets, besides understanding, self-control which essential. Many people suggest making use of strategies similar to stop-loss in order to restrict losses whilst investing. You can find arguments for both and against the usage of halts. Investing is an art work and one has to build depending on his/her personality. To reach your goals inside investing, you have to become disciplined and adhere to versions strategies. Also a investor should be always warn and alert to just about any information influencing the particular markets, he positions. Actually is well liked must be adept at recognizing information which can possess extremely momentary effects.

An angel investor should stay with formula involving examination. When he?s proficient at looking at fiscal reports and thinks inside value investment, fundamental examination could be proficient at recognizing undervalued businesses. If your investor is really a short-term gamer, attention on technological indications or perhaps cost actions is important. A few investors also take up the strategy involving scalping for speedy profits. This kind of investors have to concentrate on the cost actions on the market. A fantastic stock investing university should concentrate on the behavioral aspects as well. The behavioral features of a investor participate in a huge role inside forming the particular investing type of an investor.

forex profit predictor review
fast forex millions review

Source: http://www.niksarorman.com/2012/01/online-for-free-investing-education-and-learning-picking-a-software-system/

jay z calvin johnson calvin johnson patsy cline portlandia detroit lions beyonce gives birth

Oscar 2012 Predictions: Best Actress

Viola Davis, Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams should continue their streak of awards-season love at Tuesday's announcement.
By Kara Warner

Michelle Williams in "My Week With Marilyn"
Photo: The Weinstein Company

After a fun-filled start to the 2012 awards season with the People's Choice Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Golden Globes, the nominations announcement for the 64th annual Academy Awards are upon us.

Before Tuesday morning's reveal, we're making a few predictions about which lucky leading ladies will get the good news. Here are our predictions for the nominees in the Best Actress category:

Viola Davis: Davis has been a shoo-in for awards-season love since early August, when audiences first experienced her critically acclaimed performance in "The Help." Davis has already won a Critics' Choice Movie Award and received a Globe nomination for her portrayal of sweet-natured maid Aibileen Clark; the Oscar nomination is next.

Meryl Streep: At this point in her illustrious career, it's basically a given that any year Streep makes an appearance in a film, she will be nominated. As the most-nominated actor in history, Streep has 16 Oscar nods under her belt, along with two wins, plus 26 Golden Globe nominations and eight wins — including this year's Globe for Best Actress in a Drama. And although the reviews of her film, "The Iron Lady," have been mixed, the praise for her performance is expectedly high.

Michelle Williams: Not many of those who first met Williams via her work on teen soap "Dawson's Creek" would have predicted that she would become one of the most talented, respected and critically acclaimed actresses of her generation, and yet, here we are. Following last year's nominations haul for her work in "Blue Valentine," the recent Globe winner should expect to hear her name called tomorrow.

Tilda Swinton: The nominating body within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is just as likely to recognize performances in films with mass audience appeal and success as it is to single out performers in films that push boundaries and step outside the box. Tilda Swinton is an actress who has done just that in several films, the most recent being the harrowing drama "We Need to Talk About Kevin," for which she will surely land an Oscar nomination.

Rooney Mara or Charlize Theron: Singling out a fifth nominee is a tough call given the number of strong performances by leading ladies this year. It's a toss-up between Oscar winner Charlize Theron's performance in the dark comedy "Young Adult" and Rooney Mara's bold, buzz-worthy transformation into Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."

Winner: Viola Davis. The woman is due; just check out her résumé for further proof.

Stick with MTV News as we cover the 2012 Oscar nominations — and snubs — on Tuesday, January 24!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677771/oscar-predictions-best-actress-2012.jhtml

halloween movies new york snow new york snow braxton miller braxton miller noreaster noreaster

Quantum dots: A big boost to solar tech?

Susan Montoya Bryan / AP file

Solar panels at a 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M. are shown. Charged quantum dots could increase the efficiency of solar cells by 45 percent, according to researchers.

By John Roach

Itsy bitsy particles with a built-in charge could provide a big boost to the efficiency of solar cells, according to researchers aiming to take their innovation to market.

The particles, called charged quantum dots, are embedded into conventional solar cells, and increase their efficiency by up to 45 percent, the team from the University of Buffalo reports.

The boost comes because the dots permit harvesting of infrared light, which is otherwise lost, and the charge on the dots prevent them from absorbing free-flowing electrons in the cell.

"These two special effects we can use to increase solar cell efficiency," Andrei Sergeev, an electrical engineer at the university, told me Monday.?

He and colleagues published their findings in May 2011 in Nano Letters and recently created a company, OPtoElctronic Nanodevices, to commercialize the technology.

The company aims to develop solar cells with the tiny particles and then license them to manufacturers.

"These cells will be at least 50 percent and up to 100 percent more efficient than current solar cells," according to a presentation given at an energy conference in October.

Such improved cells could be a boost to the U.S. military, which is on the lookout for light and powerful energy technologies for use on the battlefield.?

In fact, researchers with the U.S. Air Force and Army collaborated on the project.

Key to the team's success is doping their quantum dot, which is made of semiconductor materials, so that it has a charge.?

"This built-in charge is beneficial because it repels electrons, forcing them to travel around the quantum dots," the University of Buffalo explains in a news release.

"Otherwise, the quantum dots create a channel of recombination for electrons, in essence 'capturing' moving electrons and preventing them from contributing to electric current."

The team calls their quantum dot with a built-in charge Q-BICs.?

Working in the lab, the team has demonstrated a "substantial increase in photovoltaic efficiency," Sergeev said. They now hope to scale it up and make it a viable technology.?

"This is only the beginning," he added.

In other words, whether this solar breakthrough will be the one that succeeds in the marketplace remains unknown. To check out more ideas in the solar technology landscape, see the stories below.

More on solar technology:

?

---

John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

?

Next-gen nuclear plants could provide carbon-free energy, but the painfully slow process of approving better, safer reactors ? not to mention real anxiety over meltdowns and waste ? threaten to derail projects before they can be built.

Source: http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10218592-quantum-dots-a-big-boost-to-solar-tech

sprint chris tucker phoenix jones danielle chiesi walter payton oneiric oneiric

Experts Weigh Changes to Definition of Autism (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The number of people diagnosed with autism will likely decrease if a new definition of the disorder is adopted by mental health experts later this year.

Doctors aren't sure what the implications of the changes will be, but they agree there will be an impact on the lives of people with autism and the professionals who treat them. The changes could affect the number of people eligible for health, educational and social services.

But some experts contend that a clearer definition of autism is needed because the current definition is too hazy and may have contributed to an exaggerated number of people with the developmental disorder.

"This is not an academic exercise," said Geraldine Dawson, the chief science officer for Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization, and a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "These changes in the diagnostic criteria will have a real impact on people's lives and we have to be very careful as we begin to implement the new criteria that we monitor how this is affecting people's ability to obtain services."

The new definition would create just one diagnostic category -- autism spectrum disorder -- that would replace the three subtypes that are used now. Those subtypes are Asperger syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).

The revised definition of autism is being drafted by a panel of experts appointed by the American Psychiatric Association. The new definition will be part of the psychiatric association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the "bible" for psychiatric diagnoses. The manual is currently in its fourth edition, which was released in 1994, but the much-anticipated fifth edition should be final by the end of this year.

Although the new definition of autism isn't final, it's "very likely," Dawson said. "They [the expert panel] are extremely close, so any changes at this point will probably be relatively minor."

Estimated rates of autism in the United States have surged since the 1980s, with some recent figures running as high as one in every 110 children. Some experts say there has been a bona fide increase in the number of cases, while others contend that the lack of clear-cut diagnostic guidelines is to blame.

Autism is a complex neurodevelopment disorder with typical symptoms that include difficulty communicating with others, the inability to form social relationships, and repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or even self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging, according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The cause of autism remains unknown.

Under the new definition of autism, Asperger syndrome, which generally describes a higher functioning individual, would be eliminated, as would PDD-NOS, a sort of catch-all category.

A study presented Thursday at a meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association estimated that less than half (45 percent) of 372 children and adults diagnosed with autism in a 1993 paper would qualify under the new criteria, The New York Times reported.

A previous study came to a similar conclusion, Dawson said, with both papers appearing to identify fewer people with autism.

"In particular, they're identifying fewer individuals who are higher functioning, for example, Asperger [syndrome patients]," she said.

From a scientific point of view, the changes in diagnostic criteria make sense, Dawson said. The subcategories don't have any meaning in terms of etiology, or what causes autism. Nor do they necessarily differentiate recommended treatments, she added.

And clinicians don't always agree on diagnoses for particular individuals.

But science aside, Dawson said, "We have to keep in mind the real-world implications. In particular, we have to be very careful that through this process that we're not excluding people from receiving services that they need and deserve."

Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York in New Hyde Park, said the new definition is "trying to lend some greater precision" to the diagnosis of autism.

But, so far, experts aren't even sure if the recent estimates of autism's prevalence are correct, he said. "There are differences of opinion," he added.

"Only time will tell what kind of impact this will have," Adesman said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more on autism.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120120/hl_hsn/expertsweighchangestodefinitionofautism

jeff garcia jeff garcia big east jesse james pearl harbor day discovery channel lea michele

I'm new. Hi!

Well, here I am. Hoping to become a part of this community, but to be quite honest I'm feeling quite dizzy with the website as I'm not sure where to begin. I've been role playing for several years and want something different than the sites I had been using. So yeah, I'm afraid I really don't know where to start. Anybody have any tips or pointers so I can be on my merry way?

Thanks!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/RjIxNpO-0qA/viewtopic.php

lsu crimson tide crimson tide dixville notch 2013 ford fusion lsu football lsu football

Hamas: Leader Khaled Mashaal won't seek new term (AP)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip ? The Islamic militant group Hamas says in a statement that their chief, Khaled Mashaal, won't seek re-election.

The Palestinian group urges him to reconsider his decision, saying the issue of who leads the decades-old militant movement should be left to Hamas institutions. Hamas says the decision shouldn't be made by one person ? even its leader.

The group issued the statement Saturday to reporters via e-mail.

Mashaal, who is based in Damascus, was not immediately available for comment.

It is not clear when Hamas would conduct new, internal elections. The militant group elects leaders through a body it calls the Shura Council.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians

kit homes boxing day radio shack bethany hamilton bethany hamilton after christmas sales macys

ING's New Strategy: No Dividends (The Motley Fool)

ING Group (NYSE: ING - News) will not pay dividends and earnings will not be its first priority. Scary, I know, but don't panic. The bank plans to stick to this strategy till it accomplishes three things -- repay the government, fulfill Basel III norms, and complete the restructuring of its balance sheet. In ING CEO Jan Hommen's words, right now, boosting capital and liquidity are the bank's main priorities.

Let's try to understand ING's short-term strategy and its consequences.

Meet Basel III norms
Under the new Basel III regulations that took effect in 2012, ING will need to maintain a core tier 1 ratio of 10% in order to weather economic storms. Restrictions have been put on the number of risky investments as well. The need to raise a buffer will affect the bank's ability to utilize capital, generate returns, and improve margins.

Repay the government
During the 2008 crisis, ING received $12.8 billion in aid from the Dutch government. Though the bank has paid back a substantial portion of this debt, it still has another $3.8 billion remaining. It had earlier intended to repay the state by May this year, but those plans have been put on the back burner. Until ING manages to shore up its reserves, it won't be able to pay back the state. The bailout didn't come without riders.

One of the conditions set by the European Commission was that the bank will have to cut its balance sheet by almost half to ensure there are fewer risky investments on its books. As long as ING is tied to the government, it can't look at acquisitions as an avenue for growth. It also may not be able to take on risky investments, which otherwise could have garnered higher returns. Thus, the first thing it has to do is restructure its balance sheet.

Restructure the books
ING plans to do this by divesting its global insurance business and shrinking its exposure to debt-ridden countries. It recently concluded the divestment of its Latin American insurance wing for a net gain of nearly $1.26 billion. Next on the auction table could be its Asian insurance arm, which some analysts are valuing at a little more than $6 billion.

When it comes to reducing its exposure in debt-ridden countries, the bank reduced its exposure by some $5 billion last year, but it still has another $2.5 billion tied up in the troubled nations of Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. So there is still a sizable portion of risk on its books.

The takeaway
2011 was a tough year for European banks, and there aren't too many indications that 2012 will be any better. Hommen expects markets to be "difficult" and "volatile" in 2012 as well. He thinks from 2013, ING will be able to maintain a core capital ratio of 10% and also use the excess capital in hand to repay the government. But 2013 is still a long way off and given the sovereign debt crisis, plenty could go wrong.

ING's earnings forecast doesn't look great, and it is also not paying out dividends. Shareholders may not enjoy it, but that may be the right move for the bank in the long term.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/fool/20120119/bs_fool_fool/rx174982

brady quinn brady quinn nick fairley tim allen enlightened enlightened stand and deliver