azov bimbo: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Deal Reached on Key Immigration Hurdle (WSJ)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/295707019?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Mate choice in mice is heavily influenced by paternal cues

Friday, March 29, 2013

Mate choice is a key factor in the evolution of new animal species. The choice of a specific mate can decisively influence the evolutionary development of a species. In mice, the attractiveness of a potential mate is conveyed by scent cues and ultrasonic vocalizations. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Pl?n investigated whether house mice (Mus musculus) would mate with each other even if they were from two populations which had been separated from each other for a long time period. To do this, the researchers brought together mice from a German population and mice from a French population. Although to begin with all the mice mated with one another randomly, the hybrid offspring of French and German parents were distinctly more choosy: they showed a definite preference for mating with individuals from their father's original population. According to the researchers, this paternal imprinting accelerates the divergence of two house mouse populations and thus promotes speciation.

In allopatric speciation, individuals of a species become geographically isolated from each other by external factors such as mountains or estuaries. Over time, this geographic separation leads to the sub-populations undergoing various mutations, and thus diverging genetically. Animals from the two different sub-populations can no longer successfully reproduce, so two new species evolve.

To find out what role partner selection plays in such speciation processes, Diethard Tautz from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology and his colleagues conducted a comprehensive study on house mice ? the classic model organisms of biology. "To investigate whether there are differences in the mating behaviour of the mice in the early stages of speciation, we caught wild house mice in southern France and western Germany. The two populations have been geographically separate for around 3,000 years, which equates to some 18,000 generations," says Diethard Tautz. Due to this geographical separation, the French and German mice were genetically different.

The Pl?n-based researchers created a semi-natural environment for their investigations ? a sort of "Playboy Mansion" for mice. The research enclosure was several square meters in size and was divided up using wooden walls, "nests" made out of plastic cylinders, and plastic tubes. It also featured an escape tube with several entrances, which led into a cage system nearby. "We constructed the enclosure in such a way that all animals had unimpeded access to all areas, but thanks to the structural divisions were also able to create their own territories or retreat into nests," explains Tautz. "The escape tube was a control element. If the mice retreated to it only very seldom ? as was the case in our experiment ? then we could be sure there was no overpopulation in the central enclosure."

In this central enclosure, the French and German mice had both time and space to mate with each other and reproduce. "At first, all the mice mated with each other quite randomly. But with the first-generation offspring, a surprising pattern emerged," says Tautz. When the first-generation hybrid offspring of mixed French and German parentage mated, they showed a specific preference for pure-bred mates whose "nationality" was that of their father only. "There must be some kind of paternal influence that prompts the hybrid mice to choose a mate from a specific population, namely that of their father," concludes the biologist, based on the results of his study. "This imprinting must be learned, however, meaning that the animals must grow up in the presence of their fathers. This was not the case for the original mice, which were kept in cages for a time after being caught."

"We know that mice use ultrasonic vocalizations to communicate with each other and that particularly in the case of male mice these vocalizations can reveal signals of individuality and kinship. We believe that, like birdsong, the vocalizations of the males have a learned component and a genetic component," says Tautz. Therefore, French and German mice really could "speak" different languages, partly learned from their fathers, partly inherited from them. Individual mice thus have a mating preference for mice that speak the same language as they do.

The French and German mouse populations had evidently been geographically separated long enough for preliminary signs of species differentiation to be apparent as regards mating preferences. In addition, another aspect of mating behavior also sped up the speciation process.

Although mice have multiple mates, the researchers found evidence of partner fidelity and inbreeding. The tendency to mate with relatives fosters the creation of genetically uniform groups. When both occur together, this accelerates the speciation process.

In a next step, Diethard Tautz wants to find out whether the vocalizations of the mice play the decisive role in paternal imprinting, or if scent cues are also involved. Furthermore, the biologist wants to identify the genes that are involved in mate selection.

###

Inka Montero, Meike Tesche and Diethard Tautz: "Paternal imprinting of mating preferences between natural populations of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus)", Molecular Ecology (2013), doi: 10.111/mec.122271;

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: http://www.mpg.de

Thanks to Max-Planck-Gesellschaft for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127520/Mate_choice_in_mice_is_heavily_influenced_by_paternal_cues

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Good news for aging eyes | Health Source

Good news for aging eyes Parents today reported fewer problems with visual disability than their counterparts generation ago, according to a new Northwestern study drug. Techniques for cataract surgery and reduce the prevalence of macular degeneration the driving force behind this change, the researchers said.

?From 1984 to 2010, a decrease of visual impairment in people 65 years and older was statistically significant,? says Angelo P. Tanna, MD, lead author of the study. ?There is little change in visual impairment in adults younger than 65 years.?

Less reduce visual problems

The research, published in the journal Ophthalmology, showed that in 1984, 23% of older adults have difficulty reading or seeing every day because of the impression of poor vision. In 2010, it was down 58% adjusted for age in this type of visual impairment, with only 9.7% of parents reported problems.

There was also a substantial decrease in vision problems limited to older Americans to participate in the day-to-day activities such as bathing, dressing or getting around inside or outside the home, according to the study.

?This result is exciting because they suggest that the currently used screening and diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for a variety of ophthalmic diseases helps to extend the vision of older Americans,? : Tanna said.

Tanna is a vice president of Ophthalmology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Stephen Kaye, Institute for Health and Aging and Disability Statistics Center, University of California, is the author of both studies.

The results

The study used self-reported data collected through two surveys a large population 1984-2010, and the National Health Interview Survey of Income and Program Participation.

Survey questions revealed how vision problems can affect day-to-day activities and quality of life for Americans and help researchers to analyze the trends in the prevalence of visual impairment in the elderly in the United States.

Although this study does not identify the causes of variation in prevalence of visual impairment, Tanna said there are three possible reasons for rejection:

Improved techniques and results of cataract surgery

In the smoke, resulting in reduced prevalence of macular degeneration

Treatment for diabetic eye disease more readily available and to upgrade, despite the fact that the prevalence of diabetes has increased

Future studies should determine the treatment strategy to help prevent vision in older adults and then make the treatment available to as many people as possible, Tanna said.

Source: http://youthhealth2012.com/2013/03/good-news-for-aging-eyes.html

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Get Started With Easy Internet Marketing Tips | Content for Reprint

Author: Mishel Roserberg | Total views: 258 Comments: 1
Word Count: 831 Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:33 AM

Internet marketing could be something very exciting to try. There are so many ways that it can be customized for each business that the possibilities are nearly endless. Of course, this is a tall order for anyone who has not taken the time to explore the different factors involved in online marketing. This list will help prepare you for this challenge.

Taking advantage of the image searches is a unique way to participate in internet marketing. Don't limit your search engine results to only text searches. Your site will show up in more searches, and thus receive more visits, if you add images that fit your content. You will find that more people will stop at your site and look around. This builds familiarity with your brand and makes them likely to return.

Close out each customer email with a clear call to action. Potential actions could be buying a service or product, subscribing to a magazine or visiting a web page. This also gives you valuable insight on your email campaign's effectiveness since you can track each of these actions.

Try making changes to your headlines and switching up your content daily to see how it may affect your sites traffic. After you have found which headline and content works best, incorporate it into your website. The customer might not always be right; you just need to approach things that way. Listen and react to your customers.

Create product and service packages that you can sell at a wholesale discount, and propose distribution agreements with other retailers on the web. This method brings together multiple products into one, which can increase your sales across all of the product types. One example of this business style is the online reservations agent, who negotiates pricing for people booking a hotel, car and airline ticket at the same time. This tip is perfect for companies with supplemental or complementary products that are related to each other, but not being used by your competitors.

Calls to action can be made more attractive with the use of words such as "simple" and "easy". Most people prefer products that are simple, so by using these keywords you can entice visitors to try your product. That is a simple way to boost business.

Always remember to follow up with the business's customers. Try to solicit consumer reviews or surveys within two weeks of purchase.

Although you should feature current headlines, try to make yours stand out from the rest. Make them attention-getting and related to what you provide on your website. Sometimes adding graphics instead of headlines can be a useful alternative for writing catchy titles. Adding graphics can be a lot more beneficial than a headline or almost anything else.

Advertise limited-edition products. When people shop online, it is because they are sisck of the brick and mortar stores. They want something different and unique. Customers will feel that "limited edition" products are special, and will be more likely to buy them.

Internet marketing is not an endeavor that is formulaic; in fact, it can be said that it is equal parts art and science. Try to understand and master each side before you begin your internet marketing strategy. With your monetary aspects, try to maintain an analytic approach, but incorporate creativity with your marketing.

If you can't afford a marketing consultant, research on your own. Find some free internet resources about checking up on the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. There are online communities, blogs, e-books, and seminars available to help you out.

Offer an electronic freebie that is branded with your business and your website, and submit it to other sites that offer and list that particular item for free. For example, your free e-book can be offered by an e-book website. Many web sites offer freebies like e-books for submission.

Providing proof to back up claims is very important. Posting a video of yourself having a conversation in French will be far more persuasive than simply claiming that your potential customers can learn the language from the French course you're selling. Selling products that you have used and have had success with just makes good sense.

Make use of promotions to entice visitors to your site. For example, you could give away an ebook free for one day only. When people come to your site to buy the e-book they are likely to take a look around and see what else you have to offer. Many times these visitors will leave not only with their promotional item, but with a variety of the other products you sell as well.

Hopefully, you have a new idea or have remembered something you want to use in your internet marketing plan from this article. Apply what fits your circumstances. Continue to sharpen your marketing skills!

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1: Understanding Online Business Success

Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.

2: Why You Need To Build Multiple Streams of Income For Yourself

Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.

3: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics

Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."

4: What is Cyber Marketing And Why It Is So Important For The Success Of Your Website

Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.

5: The Best Way To Optimise Your Website SEO For Google Panda

If you want your SEO to work you now need to concentrate on appeasing Google Panda, and to do this you need to know what Google Panda's spiders/bots will be looking for. Find out here how to search engine optimise your website for the latest Google Panda algorithm, and achieve the success you deserve.

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/internet-marketing/get-started-with-easy-internet-marketing-tips.htm

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Police: Babysitter locked toddlers in closet

By Lauren DiSanto, NBCPhiladelphia.com

A teenage babysitter from Newark, Del., is facing a dozen charges of endangering the welfare of a child after police say she locked up 3-year-old twins in the closet of her apartment.

New Castle County police say Veronica Miller, an unlicensed daycare provider, would lock the twins in a closet while she drove to another location to pick up several other children she also watched.

After getting a tip, police went to Miller's apartment on Thursday afternoon.

A maintenance worker let officers inside the apartment, where they found a chair wedged in the hallway between the closet and bathroom door. Police say when they opened the door, they saw the twin toddlers sleeping on the floor with pillows and blankets.

Police say this wasn't the first time this had happened and believe Miller had been doing this since mid-February.

The twins were in good health.

The Division of Family Services is helping police with the investigation.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a25c255/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C290C175219270Epolice0Ebabysitter0Elocked0Etoddlers0Ein0Ecloset0Dlite/story01.htm

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Friday, March 29, 2013

Game On, Google: eBay Now Same-Day Delivery Service Expands To Chicago And Dallas

EBay is in the middle of its Analyst Day, and just a little while ago it announced plans for some significant expansions for eBay Now, its same-day delivery service, with Chicago and Dallas?deliveries coming this summer, and integration of?the service into its "core experience" as it gears up for competition with Amazon and now Google.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/7pJK_RKX_BY/

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Excerpts of gay marriage cases at high court

Excerpts from arguments before the Supreme Court on Wednesday about a federal law that prevents legally married gay couples from receiving a range of benefits afforded straight married Americans, from a transcript released by the Supreme Court:

___

On why President Barack Obama is still enforcing the law if he believes it is unconstitutional (Chief Justice John Roberts):

ROBERTS: If (President Obama) has made a determination that executing the law by enforcing the terms is unconstitutional, I don't see why he doesn't have the courage of his convictions and execute not only the statute, but do it consistent with his view of the Constitution, rather than saying, oh, we'll wait till the Supreme Court tells us we have no choice.

___

On the question of whether the definition of marriage should be a federal matter (Justice Anthony Kennedy and Paul Clement, the lawyer representing the House Republican leadership in defending the law):

KENNEDY: But when it has 1,100 laws, which in our society means that the federal government is intertwined with the citizens' day-to-day life, you are at ? at real risk of running in conflict with what has always been thought to be the essence of the state police power, which is to regulate marriage, divorce, custody.

CLEMENT: Well, Justice Kennedy, two points. First of all, the very fact that there are 1,100 provisions of federal law that define the terms "marriage" and "spouse" goes a long way to showing that federal law has not just stayed completely out of these issues. It's gotten involved in them in a variety of contexts where there is an independent federal power that supported that. Now, the second thing is the fact that (the Defense of Marriage Act) involves all 1,100 statutes at once is not really a sign of its irrationality. It is a sign that what it is, and all it has ever purported to be, is a definitional provision. And like every other provision in the Dictionary Act, what it does is it defines the term wherever it appears in federal law in a consistent way. And that was part and parcel of what Congress was trying to accomplish with DOMA in 1996.

___

On the issue of benefits (Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Clement):

GINSBURG: They're not ? they're not a question of additional benefits. I mean, they touch every aspect of life. Your partner is sick. Social Security. I mean, it's pervasive. It's not as though, well, there's this little federal sphere and it's only a tax question. It's ? it's ? as Justice Kennedy said, 1,100 statutes, and it affects every area of life. And so he was really diminishing what the state has said is marriage. You're saying, no, state said two kinds of marriage; the full marriage, and then this sort of skim milk marriage.

(Laughter.)

CLEMENT: With respect, Justice Ginsburg, that's not what the federal government is saying. The federal government is saying that within its own realm in federal policies, where we assume that the federal government has the authority to define the terms that appear in their own statute, that in those areas, they are going to have their own definition.

___

On what Congress intended when it passed the bill in 1996: (Justice Elena Kagan and Clement):

KAGAN: Well, is what happened in 1996 ? and I'm going to quote from the House Report here ? is that "Congress decided to reflect an honor of collective moral judgment and to express moral disapproval of homosexuality." Is that what happened in 1996?

CLEMENT: Does the House Report say that? Of course, the House Report says that. And if that's enough to invalidate the statute, then you should invalidate the statute. But that has never been your approach, especially under rational basis or even rational basis-plus, if that is what you are suggesting. This Court, even when it's to find more heightened scrutiny, the O'Brien case we cite, it suggests, look, we are not going to strike down a statute just because a couple of legislators may have had an improper motive. We're going to look, and under rational basis, we look: Is there any rational basis for the statute? And so, sure, the House Report says some things that we are not ? we've never invoked in trying to defend the statute. But the House Report says other things, like Congress was trying to promote democratic self-governance.

___

On whether there has been a "sea change" in opinion on gay marriage since the law was enacted in 1996 (Roberta Kaplan, the lawyer for the 83-year-old New York woman who sued over DOMA, and Justice Antonin Scalia):

KAPLAN: I think (the 1996 law) was based on an understanding that gay ? an incorrect understanding that gay couples were fundamentally different than straight couples, an understanding that I don't think exists today and that's the sense I'm using that times can blind. I think there was ? we all can understand that people have moved on this, and now understand that there is no such distinction. So I'm not saying it was animus or bigotry, I think it was based on a misunderstanding on gay people and their ?

SCALIA: Why ? why are you so confident in that ? in that judgment? How many ? how many states permit gay ? gay couples to marry?

KAPLAN: Today? 9, Your Honor.

SCALIA: 9. And -- and so there has been this sea change between now and 1996.

KAPLAN: I think with respect to the understanding of gay people and their relationships there has been a sea change, Your Honor.

___

On recent declarations by several lawmakers that they are switching their positions on gay marriage (Roberts and Kaplan):

ROBERTS: As far as I can tell, political figures are falling over themselves to endorse your side of the case.

KAPLAN: The fact of the matter is, Mr. Chief Justice, is that no other group in recent history has been subjected to popular referenda to take away rights that have already been given or exclude those rights, the way gay people have.

___

On Tuesday, a day earlier, the court considered California's ban on same-sex marriage. Excerpts from those arguments:

___

On whether the case should be before them (Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy):

ROBERTS: But a state can't authorize anyone to proceed in federal court, because that would leave the definition under Article III of the federal Constitution as to who can bring ? who has standing to bring claims up to each state. And I don't think we've ever allowed anything like that.

KENNEDY: The problem ? the problem with the case is that you're really asking, particularly because of the sociological evidence you cite, for us to go into uncharted waters, and you can play with that metaphor, there's a wonderful destination, it is a cliff. Whatever that was. ... But you're ? you're doing so in a ? in a case where the opinion is very narrow. Basically that once the state goes halfway, it has to go all the way or 70 percent of the way, and you're doing so in a case where there's a substantial question on ? on standing. I just wonder if ? if the case was properly granted.

___

On the question of children of same-sex parents (Kennedy and Charles Cooper, lawyer for the defenders of Proposition 8):

KENNEDY: I think there's ? there's substantial ? that there's substance to the point that sociological information is new. We have five years of information to weigh against 2,000 years of history or more. On the other hand, there is an immediate legal injury or legal ? what could be a legal injury, and that's the voice of these children. There are some 40,000 children in California, according to the red brief, that live with same-sex parents, and they want their parents to have full recognition and full status. The voice of those children is important in this case, don't you think?

COOPER (in response): I certainly would not dispute the importance of that consideration. That consideration especially in the political process, where this issue is being debated and will continue to be debated, certainly, in California. It's being debated elsewhere. But on that ? on that specific question, Your Honor, there simply is no data.

___

On the issue of same-sex marriage (Justice Samuel Alito):

ALITO: The one thing that the parties in this case seem to agree on is that marriage is very important. It's thought to be a fundamental building block of society and its preservation essential for the preservation of society. Traditional marriage has been around for thousands of years. Same-sex marriage is very new. I think it was first adopted in The Netherlands in 2000. So there isn't a lot of data about its effect. And it may turn out to be a ? a good thing; it may turn out not to be a good thing, as the supporters of Proposition 8 apparently believe.

___

On the question of redefining marriage (Justice Antonin Scalia):

SCALIA: Mr. Cooper, let me ? let me give you one ? one concrete thing. I don't know why you don't mention some concrete things. If you redefine marriage to include same-sex couples, you must ? you must permit adoption by same-sex couples, and there's ? there's considerable disagreement among ? among sociologists as to what the consequences of raising a child in a ? in a single-sex family, whether that is harmful to the child or not. Some states do not ? do not permit adoption by same-sex couples for that reason.

___

On the rights of same-sex couples (Theodore Olson, lawyer for two same-sex couples, and Roberts):

OLSON: This is a measure that walls off the institution of marriage, which is not society's right. It's an individual right that this Court again and again and again has said the right to get married, the right to have the relationship of marriage is a personal right. It's a part of the right of privacy, association, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

ROBERTS (in response): I'm not sure, counsel, that it makes ? I'm not sure that it's right to view this as excluding a particular group. When the institution of marriage developed historically, people didn't get around and say let's have this institution, but let's keep out homosexuals. The institution developed to serve purposes that, by their nature, didn't include homosexual couples. It is ? yes, you can say that it serves some of the other interests where it makes sense to include them, but not all the interests. And it seems to me, your friend argues on the other side, if you have an institution that pursues additional interests, you don't have to include everybody just because some other aspects of it can be applied to them.

___

On the Constitution and same-sex couples (Olson and Scalia):

SCALIA: The California Supreme Court decides what the law is. That's what we decide, right? We don't prescribe law for the future. We decide what the law is. I'm curious, when ? when did -- when did it become unconstitutional to exclude homosexual couples from marriage? 1791? 1868, when the Fourteenth Amendment was adopted? Sometimes ? some time after Baker, where we said it didn't even raise a substantial Federal question? When ? when ? when did the law become this?

OLSON: May I answer this in the form of a rhetorical question? When did it become unconstitutional to prohibit interracial marriages? When did it become unconstitutional to assign children to separate schools?

SCALIA: It's an easy question, I think, for that one. At ? at the time that the Equal Protection Clause was adopted. That's absolutely true. But don't give me a question to my question. (laughter) ... When do you think it became unconstitutional? Has it always been unconstitutional?

OLSON: When the California Supreme Court faced the decision, which it had never faced before, is ? does excluding gay and lesbian citizens, who are a class based upon their status as homosexuals ? is it ? is it constitutional.

___

On sexual orientation (Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Cooper):

SOTOMAYOR: Outside of the marriage context, can you think of any other rational basis, reason, for a state using sexual orientation as a factor in denying homosexuals benefits or imposing burdens on them? Is there any other rational decision-making that the government could make? Denying them a job, not granting them benefits of some sort, any other decision?

COOPER (in response): I cannot. I do not have any ? anything to offer you in that regard. ... We are saying the interest in marriage and the ? and the state's interest and society's interest in what we have framed as responsible procreation is ? is vital, but at bottom, with respect to those interests, our submission is that same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples are simply not similarly situated.

___

On procreation and age (Justice Elena Kagan and Cooper, and later Scalia):

KAGAN: If you are over the age of 55, you don't help us serve the government's interest in regulating procreation through marriage. So why is that different?

COOPER: Even with respect to couples over the age of 55, it is very rare that both couples ? both parties to the couple are infertile, and the traditional ? (laughter.)

KAGAN: No, really, because if the couple ? I can just assure you, if both the woman and the man are over the age of 55, there are not a lot of children coming out of that marriage. (laughter)

COOPER: Society's interest in responsible procreation isn't just with respect to the procreative capacities of the couple itself. The marital norm, which imposes the obligations of fidelity and monogamy, Your Honor, advances the interests in responsible procreation by making it more likely that neither party, including the fertile party to that ?

KAGAN: Actually, I'm not even ?

SCALIA: I suppose we could have a questionnaire at the marriage desk when people come in to get the marriage ? you know, Are you fertile or are you not fertile? (laughter) I suspect this court would hold that to be an unconstitutional invasion of privacy, don't you think?

KAGAN: Well, I just asked about age. I didn't ask about anything else. That's not ? we ask about people's age all the time.

COOPER: Your Honor, and even asking about age, you would have to ask if both parties are infertile. Again --

SCALIA: Strom Thurmond was ? was not the chairman of the Senate committee when Justice Kagan was confirmed. (laughter)

_____

Online - Tuesday arguments: http://tinyurl.com/dxefy2a

Online - Wednesday arguments: http://tinyurl.com/d626ybg

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/excerpts-gay-marriage-cases-high-court-002503953.html

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UCSB summit draws key leaders to discuss innovations in energy efficiency science and technology

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
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Contact: Mikaela Mennen
mikaela@iee.ucsb.edu
805-893-5496
University of California - Santa Barbara

The 2013 Summit on Energy Efficiency will bring together leading experts to discuss the latest innovations in materials science and technology for energy generation, energy storage, lighting, and electronics

Leaders in research, entrepreneurs, and key policymakers from industry, academia, and government will convene at the 2013 Summit on Energy Efficiency, May 1 2. Hosted by UC Santa Barbara's Institute for Energy Efficiency, the Summit provides a forum for a critical dialogue about how advancements in materials science and technology can meet future energy needs through efficiency improvements.

"We are all aware of the energy crisis that we as a society are facing. The goal of the Summit is to gather experts and policy leaders, discuss the latest science and technology for energy efficiency and renewable energy, and to stimulate everyone to think in new ways," said Dr. John Bowers, Director of the Institute for Energy Efficiency.

This year's summit, held at The Fess Parker Resort in Santa Barbara, has attracted high-profile panelists who are leading major research and development efforts in energy efficiency and materials science. Space is limited and early registration rates end on April 5th. Registration is available online at iee.ucsb.edu/summit2013.

This year's Summit program emphasizes the theme of "Materials for a Sustainable Energy Future," featuring an opening keynote on materials science innovations by Steven Chu, outgoing U.S. Secretary of Energy. Featured keynote speakers also include: Michael McQuade of United Technologies Corporation; George Crabtree, Director of the newly established DOE Battery Hub at Argonne National Laboratory; and Kateri Callahan President of the Alliance to Save Energy.

Guest panelists from Soraa, Cree, Intel, Ciena, Pellion Technologies, Southern California Edison, PG&E, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames Research Laboratory, MIT, Yale, and UC Santa Barbara will lead discussions on the following topics: Materials for Energy Technology; Innovations in Solid-State Lighting; Information and Communications Technology; Electrochemical Energy Storage Technology; Utilities discussion on Energy Efficiency; High Efficiency Power Electronics

"We want to be in an environment where government subsidies are not needed; where energy efficiency is purely driven by technology, and that's why events like this are very important," commented Ramamoorthy Ramesh, former Director of the DOE SunShot Initiative at the 2011 Summit.

###

About the Institute for Energy Efficiency at UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara's Institute for Energy Efficiency is an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to the development of cutting-edge science and technologies that support an efficient and sustainable energy future. The Institute's research activities leverage the considerable expertise of U.C. Santa Barbara's highly acclaimed faculty, scientists, engineers and researchers. By fostering collaborations, sponsoring research, and expediting the commercialization of new technologies, the Institute is a key driver of significant advances in energy efficiency. Learn more at iee.ucsb.edu.

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UCSB summit draws key leaders to discuss innovations in energy efficiency science and technology

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
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Contact: Mikaela Mennen
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The 2013 Summit on Energy Efficiency will bring together leading experts to discuss the latest innovations in materials science and technology for energy generation, energy storage, lighting, and electronics

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/uoc--usd032713.php

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PST: England settles for draw with Montenegro

There was a quiet confidence surrounding England ahead of today?s match in Montenegro, a mood that was reflected on the field. A sixth minute header from Wayne Rooney gave England and early lead, and through halftime there was little doubt the Three Lions could carry their 1-0 to final whistle. But after veteran attacker Dejan?Damjanovi? capitalized on Montenegro?s second half control and converted through the chaos of a 77th minute corner, England had to content themselves with an objectively 1-1 decent result, even if their standing will engender fears ahead of their final four qualifiers.

Undefeated by thrice drawn through six rounds, England sits second in their group with 12 points. Montenegro has 14 points, but because the teams are set to meet at Wembley to finish qualifying in October, England still holds their qualifying fate in their own hands. So does Montenegro, for the matter, with the winner of Group H earning a spot in Brazil. Second place in all likelihood heads to a playoff.

Montenegro has only been an independent nation since 2006 and has only competed in two major qualifying tournaments. They finished a disappointing fifth while trying to qualifying for South Africa 2010, but they nearly made the 2012 European Championships after finishing second in their group. With a full roster of talent playing in mid-to-major leagues throughout Europe, the Montenegrins have the ability to get through a qualifying tournament when things go well.

All of which should go without saying, but because their name doesn?t carry the international prestige of one of Europe?s established powers, there is a perception that England should be able to beat them. Given the talent on each team, that?s a fair perception, but as we learned earlier today, road qualifiers can be tricky for the best of sides. Even in Europe.

?We?d had control in midfield initially, but we lost that,? England manager Roy Hodgson said after the match, explaining where things went ?wrong? for his team. ?So my overall feeling is one of disappointment, because things were looking so good for us at one stage.

?I don?t think it?s a particularly bad result because Montenegro are a difficult team to beat, but it would have been nice to have built on that lead at half-time and profited from it to go home with three points.?

England remaining qualifiers, beyond Montenegro: hosting Moldova (Sept.6), Poland (Oct. 15) and a trip to Ukraine. (Sept. 10).

Meanwhile, Montenegro still have a trip to Poland (Sept. 6) and a visit from Ukraine (June 7) before going to Wembley. Moldova (Oct. 15) is in there, too, though it?s unlikely the Montenegrins will be troubled with that visit.

With the group leaders facing difficult matches against the Poles and Ukrainians, England may be able to take Group H?s lead before Montenegro arrives in London.

That won?t diminish the feeling of disappointment around England?s team (one that?s already seen some of Roy Hodgson?s post-match comments criticized), but it?s a possibly unfounded emotion. The Three Lions aren?t so talented that they should scoff at a draw in Podgorica.

Keeping control of their own fate after their group?s most difficult away match, England should find peace with the result.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/26/montenegro-vs-england-world-cup-qualifying-uefa-europe-results/related/

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Women on the Pill Choose Less Manly Men

Women using the birth control pill prefer men with less masculine faces compared to nonusers, new research suggests.

Millions of women use hormonal forms of contraception, and some studies indicate the pill could affect partner preferences. A new study shows women were attracted to less masculine male faces after going on the pill, while their ratings of the attractiveness of female faces were unaffected. And in couples who first met when the woman was on the pill, the men were less likely to have?manly faces than those who met when the woman was off the pill. If supported, the findings could have important implications for how relationships are formed.

Many factors can influence human attractiveness. Some research suggests that a preference for masculine or feminine traits may be linked to genetic benefits for a couple's offspring, such as strong immune systems. And a few studies have found that women prefer more masculine traits during the fertile phase of their menstrual cycle. The new study investigated how the pill affects these preferences.

Facial attraction

The study, detailed online March 23 in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, compared the romantic preferences of straight women ages 18 to 24 who were taking oral contraception against those who were not. Researchers showed the women composite images of young male and female faces, which could be manipulated to appear more or less masculine (based on features like cheekbone prominence, jaw height and face width). Scientists then told the participants to alter the male faces so they were most attractive for either a short- or long-term relationship, and to alter the female faces simply to be the most attractive.

The women were tested twice ? once when none of them were taking the pill and again three months after some began using the pill. The women themselves decided whether to join the pill-taking group or not. [7 Surprising Facts About The Pill]

When women were taking the pill, they preferred less masculine male faces (those with more narrow jawbones and more rounded faces, for instance) than before they started taking birth control, the results showed. Being on the pill had no effect on preference for masculinity in female faces.

Choosing a partner

Next, the researchers looked at whether taking the pill influenced women's choices of partners. The scientists compared 85 couples who reported using the pill when they met to 85 couples who reported not using it. Researchers took photos of the faces of the men in each couple and had volunteers judge the manliness of each. The volunteers also rated computer-tweaked versions of the images that accentuated differences in masculinity, for instance making a wide lower jawline (a manly trait) even wider .

Researchers found that the volunteers rated the partners of women who weren't on the pill at the start of their relationships as more masculine than those of women who were on the pill. They rated the computer-manipulated images along the same lines. The link between the pill and facial traits was also confirmed with a mathematical formula.

Even so, the study is correlational and therefore cannot say that the pill, rather than some other variable, causes these mate preferences, said ecologist and evolutionary biologist Claus Wedekind of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Even though the study is interesting and well done, Wedekend said, it faces limitations because it's not a double-blind experiment, a rigorous condition under which neither participants nor researchers know who's in the experimental group. For example, women who choose to take the pill may be biased toward men who are more "stable" and less masculine-looking, Wedekind said, or "may have an idea already what the pill does to them, and that influences the experiment."

Yet given how widely the pill is used, its potential role in how women choose their partners could have far-reaching effects.

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/women-pill-choose-less-manly-men-211656096.html

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Court: Bosnian Serbs guilty of wartime persecution

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) ? The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal convicted two senior Bosnian Serbs on Wednesday of key roles in a campaign of murder, torture and persecution against Muslims and Croats during the 1992-95 Bosnian war and sentenced them each to 22 years in prison.

Mico Stanisic was the interior minister in the breakaway Bosnian Serb republic set up during his country's bitter war, while Stojan Zupljanin was a senior security official in charge of police.

Prosecutors had sought life sentences for both men after charging them with involvement in a criminal conspiracy led by Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and his military chief, Gen. Ratko Mladic, to force Muslims and Croats out of what they considered to be Serb territory in Bosnia.

Presiding Judge Burton Hall said both men were in a position to prevent or punish crimes and neither did as Serb police and paramilitaries went on a rampage in early 1992, killing and mistreating non-Serbs as they tried to carve out a "Greater Serbia" during the bloody disintegration of Yugoslavia.

The two men "both intended and significantly contributed to the plan to remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from the territory of the planned Serbian state," Hall said.

Zupljanin stood and crossed himself as Hall said he was guilty of persecution, extermination, murder and torture. Stanisic stood stoically as he was convicted of persecution, murder and torture but was acquitted of extermination.

Zupljanin was convicted of extermination in part because he set up a notorious police unit that the court ruled "committed heinous crimes against Muslims and Croats, including rape, torture and murder" and that he deliberately shielded police under his command from prosecution in at least two massacres of Muslims.

The court's detailed judgment, running more than 600 pages, provided a grim reminder of the horrors of war that erupted in Bosnia more than two decades ago.

Hall said one group of Serb paramilitaries, known as the Yellow Wasps, tortured Muslim prisoners near the town of Zvornik in April 1992, including forcing fathers and sons to perform sexual acts on each other. Other members of the Wasps forced prisoners to eat body parts cut off from other people, Hall said, adding "if a prisoner did not do so, he was killed."

Both Karadzic and Mladic are still on trial at the U.N. court on charges including genocide for allegedly masterminding the slaughter, persecution and mass deportation of non-Serbs during the Bosnian war, which left more than 100,000 people dead.

The tribunal has indicted 161 people for their roles in atrocities in the former Yugoslavia over a decade starting in 1991, most of them Serbs. Only six trials remain to be completed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/court-bosnian-serbs-guilty-wartime-persecution-172051180.html

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Monday, March 25, 2013

High court gay marriage tickets cost time, money

Taylor, Talla and Vincent Carter cover themselves from the snow as they wait in line outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday March, 25, 2013, to watch Tuesday's same-sex marriage hearing before the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

People wait in line outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday March, 25, 2013, a day before the court will hear a same-sex marriage case. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Joey Williamson, left, and Gary Brown form New York City, cover themselves from the snow as they wait in line outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday March, 25, 2013, a day before the court hearing on same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Wally Suphap from Calif., waits in line to enter Supreme Court in Washington, Monday March, 25, 2013, a day before the court will hear a same-sex marriage case. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The most expensive ticket to "The Book of Mormon" on Broadway: $477. The face value of a great seat for this year's Super Bowl: $1,250. Guaranteed seats to watch the U.S. Supreme Court hear this week's gay marriage cases: about $6,000.

Tickets to the two arguments that begin Tuesday are technically free. But getting them requires lining up days or hours ahead, or paying someone else to. The first people got in line Thursday, bringing the price of saving a seat to around $6,000.

For some, putting a value on the seats is meaningless.

"It's just not possible," said Fred Sainz a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights organization, which began employing two people to stand in line Thursday.

The court will hear arguments Tuesday over California's ban on same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, the court will take up the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 federal law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage say the cases are so potentially historic that they want to be inside the courtroom to watch, no matter what the cost in time or money.

Part of the reason the seats are so coveted is the court doesn't allow TV broadcasts of its arguments, so coming in person is the only way to see the justices at work. The court has said it will release transcripts of the hearings as well as audio recordings roughly two hours after each case ends, but advocates say that's no substitute for being there.

Seats, meanwhile, are at a premium because there aren't that many. The courtroom seats about 500 people, but most seats are reserved for court staff, journalists and guests of the justices and lawyers arguing the case. After those people are seated, there are seats reserved for lawyers who are members of the Supreme Court bar and at least 50 seats for the public. Tickets for those seats are handed out on a first come, first served basis.

For the most controversial cases, the line to get those tickets can start to form about a day before. When the court heard three days of arguments on health care last year, the first people arrived three days early.

This time, the line started even earlier. By Monday morning there were more than three dozen people waiting, even as snow was falling. Several in the line said they were being paid, while others included college students and a substitute teacher. People in line said they passed the time talking and reading.

There were games of cards and at one point people watched the television show "The West Wing" on one person's computer. Those waiting said they'd made friends, and they traded watching each other's chairs and sleeping bags to go for bathroom breaks or coffee. On Monday morning, one man came around offering others donuts.

Donna Clarke, 62, of Mountain View, Calif., arrived Sunday night and was 37th in line. The Army veteran who has been with her partner for 27 years had intended to just be part of a planned demonstration outside the court Tuesday, but she decided to join the line when she realized it might be possible to get inside.

"I think there'll be a lot of my friends who will be very jealous," said Clarke, who intends to marry her partner in Massachusetts before they return to California, and said the Supreme Court's decision could be a "transformative moment" for the country.

Most of the people waiting in line are supporters of gay marriage. But opponents, too, said they intend to be at the court to watch.

Ken Klukowski, a lawyer at the Family Research Council and a professor at Liberty University School of Law in Virginia, says these cases are "not just major, not just blockbuster, but historic." Klukowski said he expects to be getting up in the middle of the night to get in the separate line for members of the Supreme Court bar.

"No one knows how early but ridiculously early," Klukowski said.

For those willing to pay to get in, several Washington services will hold a person's place in line. One company charges $36 per hour, another $50. John Winslow, the operations manager of Linestanding.com, which like most other line standing services is also a courier service, said his service would be holding places for 40 to 50 clients, a number of them lawyers. His group held about 35 places in line for the health care arguments last year, he said. Most people, he said, are starting their line stander 24 hours before, so they'll spend $864 to attend.

Linestanding.com's owner, Mark Gross, said for many of his clients, attending is personal.

"Health care was more about public policy and the direction that the country was going politically," Gross said. "But this really affects people in a personal way,"

Kate Kendell, the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights in California, contacted Linestanding.com three weeks before the argument to secure her space. Kendell, a lawyer, said she tried to get into a Supreme Court case that involved gay rights in 1995. By the time she arrived at 3 a.m. on the day of the argument, she said, there were so many people she could only get in a line that allows people to watch three minutes of the argument. This time she isn't taking any chances.

"This is one of those experiences that I want to see firsthand. I want to see the faces of the justices. I want to hear their questions," she said.

She initially planned for her line stander to start at 4 a.m. Tuesday but has since moved the time up twice.

"All I care about is being in that courtroom and I'm pretty much willing to do whatever I have to do," Kendell said.

___

Follow Jessica Gresko at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-25-US-Supreme-Court-Gay-Marriage-Seats/id-ff5698609a294402bb397141cea22575

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Amniotic fluid stem cells repair gut damage

Mar. 24, 2013 ? Stem cells taken from amniotic fluid were used to restore gut structure and function following intestinal damage in rodents, in new research published in the journal Gut. The findings pave the way for a new form of cell therapy to reverse serious damage from inflammation in the intestines of babies.

The study, funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, investigated a new way to treat necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), where severe inflammation destroys tissues in the gut. NEC is the most common gastrointestinal surgical emergency in newborn babies, with mortality rates of around 15 to 30 per cent in the UK.

While breast milk and probiotics can help to reduce the incidence of the disease, no medical treatments are currently available other than surgery once NEC sets in. Surgical removal of the dead tissue shortens the bowel and can lead to intestinal failure, with some babies eventually needing ongoing parenteral nutrition (feeding via an intravenous line) or an intestinal transplant.

In the study, led by the UCL Institute of Child Health, amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells were harvested from rodent amniotic fluid and given to rats with NEC. Other rats with the same condition were given bone marrow stem cells taken from their femurs, or fed as normal with no treatment, to compare the clinical outcomes of different treatments.

NEC-affected rats injected with AFS cells showed significantly higher survival rates a week after being treated, compared to the other two groups. Inspection of their intestines, including with micro magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), showed the inflammation to be significantly reduced, with fewer dead cells, greater self-renewal of the gut tissue and better overall intestinal function.

While bone marrow stem cells have been known to help reverse colonic damage in irritable bowel disease by regenerating tissue, the beneficial effects from stem cell therapy in NEC appear to work via a different mechanism. Following their injection into the gut, the AFS cells moved into the intestinal villi -- the small, finger-like projections that protrude from the lining of the intestinal wall and pass nutrients from the intestine into the blood. However, rather than directly repairing the damaged tissue, the AFS cells appear to have released specific growth factors that acted on progenitor cells in the gut which in turn, reduced the inflammation and triggered the formation of new villi and other tissues.

Dr Paolo De Coppi, UCL Institute of Child Health, who led the study, says: "Stem cells are well known to have anti-inflammatory effects, but this is the first time we have shown that amniotic fluid stem cells can repair damage in the intestines. In the future, we hope that stem cells found in amniotic fluid will be used more widely in therapies and in research, particularly for the treatment of congenital malformations. Although amniotic fluid stem cells have a more limited capacity to develop into different cell types than those from the embryo, they nevertheless show promise for many parts of the body including the liver, muscle and nervous system."

Dr Simon Eaton, UCL Institute of Child Health and co-author of the study, adds: "Once we have a better understanding of the mechanisms by which AFS cells trigger repair and restore function in the gut, we can start to explore new cellular or pharmacological therapies for infants with necrotizing enterocolitis."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University College London, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

Journal Reference:

Augusto Zani, Mara Cananzi, Francesco Fascetti-Leon, Giuseppe Lauriti, Virpi V Smith, Sveva Bollini, Marco Ghionzoli, Antonello D'Arrigo, Michela Pozzobon, Martina Piccoli, Amy Hicks, Jack Wells, Bernard Siow, Neil J Sebire, Colin Bishop, Alberta Leon, Anthony Atala, Mark F Lythgoe, Agostino Pierro, Simon Eaton, Paolo De Coppi. Amniotic fluid stem cells improve survival and enhance repair of damaged intestine in necrotising enterocolitis via a COX-2 dependent mechanism. Gut, 2013; DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2012-303735

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/tvlxKZTQeMY/130324202036.htm

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SEC approves Nasdaq's Facebook IPO payment plan

NEW YORK?The Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday that it has approved a plan by the Nasdaq stock exchange to pay $62 million in reimbursements to investment firms that lost money because of technical problems during Facebook's initial public offering last year.

The Nasdaq had said in June that it would pay $40 million but later increased the amount to $62 million.

Facebook went public May 18 amid great fanfare, but computer glitches at the Nasdaq delayed the start of trading and threw the debut into chaos. Technical problems kept many investors from buying shares that morning, selling them later in the day or even from knowing whether their orders went through. Some said they were left holding shares they didn't want.

Facebook's stock originally priced at $38 and closed that first day at $38.23 after going as high as $45. The lackluster close disappointed investors who had hoped for a first-day pop. Nasdaq has said that it was embarrassed by the glitches, but that they didn't contribute to the underwhelming returns.

Shares of Menlo Park, Calif.-based Facebook Inc. fell 39 cents to $25.34 in Monday morning trading. The stock has not hit its IPO price since the first day of trading.

Source: http://feeds.denverpost.com/~r/dp-business/~3/CGQgqH5GGvM/sec-approves-nasdaqs-facebook-ipo-payment-plan

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